Got the Valveking VK100 today...and it cuts in and out

[75lespaul]

I did a search, but so much unrelated stuff came up, figured I'd just ask. So I get the amp, unpack it, start playing, LOVE the tone, then it starts cutting in and out. Could this be a preamp tube? Bad solder joint? Mice in the machine? It will do something like if I hit a string, it will play, then no sound, or maybe it will just go real soft with no overdrive. Sometimes when it is really quiet, I'll hit a chord and it will ring out fine, but you can tell for a nanosecond in the beginning, there was no sound. Strange situation. Amp only cost me two and a quarter shipped so I don't mind putting a little money into it, but no more than a hundred bucks or so. Any ideas what it could be?

Notice I didn't as for an suggestions, HAHAHAHA! Thank you bros.

 

[formula73]

Re: Got the Valveking VK100 today...and it cuts in and out

Could be anything from a bad solder joint to a bad jack. I've had problems like that with a dirty speaker out.

And a dirty input jack.

And a crappy tube socket...

 

[BrianS.]

Re: Got the Valveking VK100 today...and it cuts in and out

Clean jacks, pots, switches & sockets. If problem goes away...great!! If not, might be time to crack her open and start looking for bad solder joints, etc...

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Got the Valveking VK100 today...and it cuts in and out

Sweet. Thank you, bros. Probably gonna crack it open anyway, but I'll do a good cleaning up first.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Got the Valveking VK100 today...and it cuts in and out

Got the amp open at the moment. Thought this was an el34 amp for some reason, but it's 6l6. Gotta say, for the few moments it plays without cutting out, it sounds great. I didn't think it would match up well with a greenback loaded cab, but they sound like they're made for each other. I can't WAIT to hear how it sounds through my other cab with V30s/G12H30s, which is at the place where we rehearse. Gonna try replacing the preamp tubes, wiping it down, looking for bad solder joints, etc. Still gotta get some contact cleaner. Just haven't had the time with making up all the snow day hours at work. I really like this amp. I hope I can get it up and running for not too much money. Is it a Boogie or Marshall? Of course not, but it will do anything I need for gigging. Really like this amp. I'll report back when the honeymoon is over, lol.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Got the Valveking VK100 today...and it cuts in and out

Well, it turned out to be a fried screen resistor, which fried the tube, a switch relay, and a few other things. a bill and a half later, the money part makes this a VERY poor purchase. I'm sure the seller is going to tell me to f off when he gets my email asking him to do something for me. The silver lining though? I bonded with this amp immediately. I love both the clean channel and the distortion. Very usable tones, and depending on how I set the knobs, can go from serious classic rock/metal, to really good dropped tuning tones. Are there better amps? Of course. This is like a great, rockin' amp, and not the holy grail of tone. I may even retire the Tonelab amp models and use this head with just the effects on the Tonelab. With my greenback cab, this amp rules. Gonna try it this weekend with my other cab at rehearsal, which is the G12H30/V30 X pattern. I regret what I paid in the end, but do not regret getting this amp. It sounds way better than I thought it was going to.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Got the Valveking VK100 today...and it cuts in and out

is this one of the newer ones with the different power settings and usb port on back?
speaker emulated line out?

any of the really cool stuff?

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Got the Valveking VK100 today...and it cuts in and out

is this one of the newer ones with the different power settings and usb port on back?
speaker emulated line out?

any of the really cool stuff?

Nope. Just an older one with none of the above.

 

[formula73]

Re: Got the Valveking VK100 today...and it cuts in and out

Well, it turned out to be a fried screen resistor, which fried the tube, a switch relay, and a few other things. a bill and a half later, the money part makes this a VERY poor purchase. I'm sure the seller is going to tell me to f off when he gets my email asking him to do something for me. The silver lining though? I bonded with this amp immediately. I love both the clean channel and the distortion. Very usable tones, and depending on how I set the knobs, can go from serious classic rock/metal, to really good dropped tuning tones. Are there better amps? Of course. This is like a great, rockin' amp, and not the holy grail of tone. I may even retire the Tonelab amp models and use this head with just the effects on the Tonelab. With my greenback cab, this amp rules. Gonna try it this weekend with my other cab at rehearsal, which is the G12H30/V30 X pattern. I regret what I paid in the end, but do not regret getting this amp. It sounds way better than I thought it was going to.

Well, that's a bummer! I sincerely hope you continue to dig it and I hope the seller will at least split the repair bill, if not suck up all of it. I find it incredibly suspect when somebody sells something shortly before a catastrophic failure.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Got the Valveking VK100 today...and it cuts in and out

Well, that's a bummer! I sincerely hope you continue to dig it and I hope the seller will at least split the repair bill, if not suck up all of it. I find it incredibly suspect when somebody sells something shortly before a catastrophic failure.

I agree. I think this is one of those guys who just buys all sorts of things and resells them on eBay. Advertised as tested and works perfectly, but he probably just fired it up and maybe hit a chord or two. I figure even if he sticks me, if I like the amp, as the years go by I'll forget about the extra cash it cost me. And right now, I really like this amp.

 

[formula73]

Re: Got the Valveking VK100 today...and it cuts in and out

That's a good way to see it.