Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

[AniML]

I recently got a Laney cub and I contacted their customer support for them to share which components need to be probed for a rebias. They refused to share the the info and claiming it is a hazardaous process and suggest I use a Laney authorized service center. I did not ask them how to do it, simply for the points where current is to be measured.

They give you ready ability to change the tubes but not to calibrate

 

[Kam]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

Health and Safety rules gone nuts, man. It's the way of the world.

Though that is a bit bizarre. Did you try asking on the Laney forums?

 

[trevorus]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

Why not do it in any one of many standard ways? What kind of tubes does it have?

 

[AniML]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

I was intending to. The bias pot is clearly enough marked but I am not certain where I would need to probe for calibration.

It is a 2x6V6 power section, but there a number of SMD resistors and the traces are so small in places to really see what's what

 

[AniML]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

So the sole Laney US distributor has provided me with the name of the closest Laney distributor to my home. It is 1 1/2 hours away. So to have my tubes changed and properly biased I would have to travel 6 hours, since Laney refuses to answer a simple question.

I was touting how great this amp is. Last Laney product I ever buy

 

[trevorus]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

Well there are ways to check the bias. I recommend a bias probe. It would be the safest and easiest considering the internal amp situation. Does the amp have a bias pot?

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

not to get you down, but, thank God I have cathode bias.

If you do have to go to a laney tech, I'd pick his brain for a few minutes so that maybe you have to see him once, but never again. Bribe him if you have to. Steal his schematic and then threaten to kidnap his daughter if he doesn't tell you how to read the bias.

Sorry it's not goin well for ya.

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

I can certainly understand your irritation about what you are going through mate...
I guess Lany is trying to "protect" their technicians network, being totaly unwilling to share any information at all with the customer that could help him to do ANY maintenance at all himself...
I would also (just like trevorus did) suggest a bias probe to use when you are rebiasing or want to check for bias, that would definitely be a good, and pretty cheap solution.

There may be some info floating around the web on this subject, but rather then to go search and sometimes rely on unconfirmed info, I'd go for the bias probe.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

not to get you down, but, thank God I have cathode bias.

I actually like the ability to adjust bias. It makes a big difference in your tone, and I have to have everything exactly the way I want it.

Sorry it's not goin well for ya.

+1.

 

[AniML]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

To Treevorus - yes the amp has a bias pot, but I do not know where to probe this particular amp with a multimeter.

The amp is amazing. The Laney corporation blows living goats.

The manual even explains how to change the tubes but fails to disclose that it is not self biasing. This fact is omitted in the specs and in the portion of the manual that gives instructions to change the tubes. The fact that a consumer MUST incur extra cost to properly service the tubes - and that this is omitted - is a deceptive business practice.

I will be reaching out to Lyndon Laney himself next week, because this is bullsh!t

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

I'm curious on how Mr.Laney will respond on this one, so keep us posted if you please!
I totally back you up on this one, it is not the treatment that you expect as a customer, that is for sure (although it is most likely not only Laney that follows this statement).
If the problem does not get solved, keep the bias tool/probe in mind, it is kind of a socket-adapter that has leads to put in your multimeter, you put the tube in the adapter's socket, and then the adaptor goes in your tube socket, it's an easy and cheap way to bias if you could not retain the info from Laney.

 

[DonP]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

To Treevorus - yes the amp has a bias pot, but I do not know where to probe this particular amp with a multimeter.

The amp is amazing. The Laney corporation blows living goats.

The manual even explains how to change the tubes but fails to disclose that it is not self biasing. This fact is omitted in the specs and in the portion of the manual that gives instructions to change the tubes. The fact that a consumer MUST incur extra cost to properly service the tubes - and that this is omitted - is a deceptive business practice.

I will be reaching out to Lyndon Laney himself next week, because this is bullsh!t

To be the devil's advocate, I could see Laney's side.

"Customer Service Tech tells user how to bias. User electorcutes himself and sues Laney for Millions"

Yes, Laney could have made it safe to bias the amp like a Marshall DSL, but hey, that's Laney. FWIW I love my AOR 50's.

 

[AniML]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

To be the devil's advocate, I could see Laney's side.

"Customer Service Tech tells user how to bias. User electorcutes himself and sues Laney for Millions"

Yes, Laney could have made it safe to bias the amp like a Marshall DSL, but hey, that's Laney. FWIW I love my AOR 50's.

I did not ask for instructions how to bias. I asked which component(s) need to be probed.

They warned me of the hazards, but still gave me free access to the fatal components with nothing but a screwdriver. There are warnings on every car regarding front seat airbags and on the back of a Drano bottle too. I can choose to heed those warnings or not.

This is about a service income stream not product liability

 

[trevorus]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

Why not have a tech mod it so you have external bias probe points? Its an easy mod, and one I plan on doing to pretty much any amp I build.

 

[Kam]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

FWIW I love my AOR 50's.

+ a bazillion.

 

[wixedmords]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

That amp biases no differently than any other amp.

Your anger is misplaced, you just need to know how to bias an amp. Not a personal knock.

PM incoming.

PS. A lot of the small Laney's (under 30w) are fixed bias. Taking cathode bias for granted doesn't work in this example.

 

[playas]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

I recently got a Laney cub and I contacted their customer support for them to share which components need to be probed for a rebias. They refused to share the the info and claiming it is a hazardaous process and suggest I use a Laney authorized service center. I did not ask them how to do it, simply for the points where current is to be measured.

They give you ready ability to change the tubes but not to calibrate

...and there I was thinking it didn´t even exist.

 

[AniML]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

That amp biases no differently than any other amp.

Your anger is misplaced, you just need to know how to bias an amp. Not a personal knock.

PM incoming.

PS. A lot of the small Laney's (under 30w) are fixed bias. Taking cathode bias for granted doesn't work in this example.

Thanks for all the good info. I appreciate it

 

[wixedmords]

Re: Laney customer service is p!ssing me off

Your welcome. I hope all goes well.