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Where to purchase broken tube amplifiers

Listen to this article instead 14 minutes. This is, of course, after you have eliminated the possibility of trivial problems. Listening to what if anything comes out of the speakers can help you isolate the problem to specific parts of the circuit. If you hear no sound coming from the speakers — including hum, hiss, reverb crash, input cable pop, or any other incidental, non-musical sounds — the problem could be the speaker itself. But, if you hear non-audio sound coming from the speakers , the problem is likely , although not guaranteed, to be a fault in the preamp section of the circuit.

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Where to purchase broken tube amplifiers

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Acoustic Amp Schematics


Listen to this article instead 14 minutes. This is, of course, after you have eliminated the possibility of trivial problems. Listening to what if anything comes out of the speakers can help you isolate the problem to specific parts of the circuit. If you hear no sound coming from the speakers — including hum, hiss, reverb crash, input cable pop, or any other incidental, non-musical sounds — the problem could be the speaker itself. But, if you hear non-audio sound coming from the speakers , the problem is likely , although not guaranteed, to be a fault in the preamp section of the circuit.

Audio amplifiers, and tube amplifiers in particular, contain high voltages. Do not attempt to repair an amplifier without following the appropriate safety protocols. This includes but is not limited to discharging the electrolytic capacitors if you are troubleshooting the circuit within the amp chassis. Note that electrolytic capacitors can pose a shock hazard even in the amp is turned off and unplugged. If there is absolutely nothing coming from the speakers , you should distinguish between an amplifier that is not turning on and an amplifier that is not passing signal.

If you see tube glow and the pilot light is on, that is an indicator that the early power supply is functioning correctly i. Usually, in a no-sound scenario, you will hear some sound coming from the speakers, even if the signal path happens to be cut off.

For instance, you may hear hum, hiss, reverb crash if applicable , or even popping sounds when connecting or disconnecting inputs. This is because, in many cases, the signal is interrupted well before the speaker, leaving the speaker to transmit any incidental noises that enter the circuit outside of the fault area.

However, it is certainly possible for the speaker to be interrupted in a way that also silences the speaker. Possible causes include:. The speaker wiring has deteriorated, or the jacks have rusted to the extent that they can no longer make the proper connection.

There might also be an interruption in the early power supply: for instance, a failing power transformer. Listen to the speaker carefully, in a quiet room, to confirm that it is, indeed, not passing any signal whatsoever.

Any audible signal, audio or otherwise, is a good clue. Give yourself every possible advantage when troubleshooting and always listen carefully before concluding that the speaker has no sound.

In some cases, the signal is extremely attenuated but very, very faintly audible. Turn the instrument up and make a thorough test before making your conclusions. When testing, make sure that the speaker is pointed in your general direction. You may need to get physically closer to the speaker than you would otherwise position it during normal use. Just be aware of the position of the speaker. If it is on the floor, elevate it. If it is facing away from you, turn it around.

If you can tilt it upwards, do so. Is the speaker blown? Many symptoms of a blown speaker imitate symptoms of a malfunctioning amplifier. For this reason, you should always be suspicious of your speaker until you can prove that it is functioning correctly. One way to do this is to test the speaker in a working amplifier. You can always do the reverse — test a known working speaker in the questionable amplifier — but there is a chance that the amplifier is malfunctioning in a way that damaged the speaker in the first place.

Shorted output transistors or a faulty output transformer can destroy a speaker in an instant. So, do not use a valuable speaker for this test. If you hear hum, hiss, or other incidental sounds coming from the speakers, but no signal, there is probably some fault in the amplifier that is interrupting the signal.

In this case, you can assume that your speakers are likely working. If your speakers are reproducing these incidental sounds, it would probably reproduce signal as well, if signal were present.

The problem is that signal is not present. Where did it go? Step one: Isolate the problem. The good news is that most problems can be narrowed down to small portions of the amplifier. You can use your knowledge of how an amplifier works, along with the evidence that your malfunctioning amp is giving you. Listen to the noise floor. The first piece of evidence that you have is the sound that the amplifier actually is making: the noise floor.

However, the point is that everything that the amp is doing should be treated as evidence of its malfunction. Is teal green? In order to make sense of the green hat as evidence, you ideally need other information from other sources as well. Likewise, the noise floor is an unreliable witness. When functioning correctly, every amplifier has a noise floor. The noise floor is present and it is thoroughly being amplified.

Only the signal is absent. Therefore, you should start troubleshooting at the very beginning of the signal chain:. If the amp is the internal Wurlitzer amp, confirm that the input cable is working, the reeds are not shorted to the pickup and the amplifier is sending sufficient power to the reed bar.

Look for flaws or malfunctions around the input circuitry. This suggests a flaw or malfunction later in the preamp. This suggests that a component is malfunctioning in a way that is not only interrupting the signal, but introducing noise itself. This often happens when an active component i. The takeaway here is that you are probably not looking at a simple mis-wire, or corroded or damaged jack. Instead, there is probably a component that needs to be replaced.

In a tube amp, replacing the tubes is a good place to start. However, there may be some problems with using the noise floor as a diagnostic tool:. If the amp has been broken the entire time that it is in your possession, you may not know what the working noise floor is supposed to sound like.

Most working amps in good condition have a very unobtrusive noise floor. So, you may not be able to identify whether the hum coming from your now-malfunctioning amplifier is the usual noise floor, or slightly lower. The amplifier may have multiple problems that are affecting the noise floor in competing ways.

Bottom line: the noise floor is decent evidence, but it is important not to overstate the conclusions that you can draw from it. Rather, it will give you an idea of where to begin — which is certainly a valuable tool, if you do not have an oscilloscope and nothing in the amplifier is obviously malfunctioning. Check all possible inputs and outputs. If the amplifier has two channels, try both. If neither channel gives you sound, the problem is likely somewhere in the circuit after the two channels merge.

If one channel gives you sound, but not the other, the problem likely exists in the silent channel. If the amplifier has an aux output, you should test the output. If it gives you sound, the interruption is probably in the circuit following the output.

If you get no sound from the output, the interruption probably precedes the output circuit. If the amplifier has a spare jack, but not aux output, you may want to wire a quick-and-dirty aux output in the preamp.

Just connect the tip of the jack to a safe point in the signal path after a coupling cap connects one gain stage to the next, for instance , and the sleeve to ground. If you get sound from this aux, you know that the preamp circuitry before the aux is functioning properly. Step Two: Investigate likely suspects. If you are able to isolate the problem to a certain area of the circuit, you can think about how the components in that area work — and what might be causing them to malfunction.

In general, common problems that interrupt the signal path include:. A failing tube, transistor, or passive component that is interrupting the signal. A tube or transistor is not receiving the adequate supply voltage, due to a failure in the power supply. A ground that is necessary to the circuit has become inadvertently lifted. A good order-of-operations in diagnosing the problem is to:. Visually inspect the amplifier to ensure that all wires are in place and in good condition, and that there is no debris that might inappropriately bridge two leads.

Ensure that the power supply is supplying tube plates and other critical areas with the appropriate voltage. If there is inadequate voltage, find where the voltage is being throttled. Replace original problem components with new, working components.

Problem components include any resistors that are under a lot of stress including plate resistors and power supply resistors , electrolytic capacitors, and cathode resistors which are essential to a tube circuit. If you do this and the amplifier still does not pass signal, you should:.

Try to isolate the problem with more specificity. For instance, try taking an output from an earlier point in the circuit. Or, if you are working in a Wurlitzer amplifier, try creating an input that you can test with guitar i. This will tell you if there is a fault in the Wurlitzer input or reed bar, which is extremely common, particularly if the Wurlitzer has recently been moved. Reconsider the assumptions that you are making. For instance, if you are focusing on the later preamp circuit due to assumptions made about the noise floor, expand your search and look at the early preamp as well.

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REPORT: Do Guitar Amp Tubes Need To Be Broken In?

Through it, I hope to help the novices out and give them a good start at how to think about fixing amps. In addition, I have advised a lot of people who do make a living repairing amps. Rig Rundowns. Riff Rundowns. The Big 5.

Audio amplifiers, and tube amplifiers in particular, contain high voltages You may need to get physically closer to the speaker than you.

Just got broken amp from eBay...what to do?!


You have selected the. So your amp doesn't power up, or it sounded great then cut out and you turned around to see the lights out? Most likely the fuse blew What's next? There's never a good time for your beloved tube amp to not work but a blown fuse is actually a good thing if you are aware of what it's trying to tell you. In most cases a blown fuse is signaling a shorted or otherwise failed power or rectifier tube. It's important to note that Mesa amps are designed in such a way that even the most inexperienced and tube-terrified musician can change a bad tube as easily as you would change a light bulb.

Common Tube Amp Malfunctions: My amp makes no sound.

where to purchase broken tube amplifiers

The case is a beautifully made wooden affair with a. Building the kit was as straightforward as any other through-hole. Neither preamp option, whether solid state or tube,. Many manufacturers offer a full accessory kit with their. Free Shipping.

Even though 6L6 tube is used primary in guitar vacuum tube amplifiers, many manufacturers use this tube in audiophile designs. Featuring a 6L6 power tube, built-in overdrive circuit, and loaded with player-friendly features, the Studio 10 6L6 is a little amp that really packs a punch.

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By thom , April 21, in Amps. When an old output tube or maybe all the tubes at the same time are terribly worn or even broken Sure, when one of the tubes doesn't light up, it's broken. But Isn't there anything that can be wrong with an output tube that causes your amp to sound em My amp sounds extremely buzzy and weak, it's actually quite similar to playing through a fuzz pedal with a flat battery You'll know when you blow a preamp tube when you hear a really loud screeching sound, even with your guitar not plugged in.

How To Fix a Tube Amp That Sounds Thin (in 10 Easy Steps!)

Skip to main content. Related: guitar amplifier for parts not working guitar amplifier not working broken fender amp. Include description. Amplifier Type. Combo 19 Items

Here's my technique for troubleshooting a tube guitar amplifier. amp but you should suspect a bad tube, blown fuse or the power supply in that order.

Part of power tube broken off in amp

Make sure your amp remains in great condition when traveling from gig to gig. As sturdy as many guitar and bass amplifiers are, many of them—especially tube amps—house fairly delicate electronics, and care must therefore be taken when transporting them. Transport the amp upright. Amp heads are especially easy to transport in their normal upright position.

Acoustic Amp Schematics. I combined them all in one box. Schematics: Click the "New Items" icon to the left to see all of the new products recently added to our inventory! We supply parts for brand-name Guitar Amplifiers. When the power is turned on the amp comes on for an instant, the phantom power light on channel one flashes and the amp shuts down. Crate CA acoustic amp schematic.

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For sale is my Marshall Gig rig.. I'm selling as I need the space and I don't want to get it damaged.. The Amp is a valve state series Avth head and a Marshall VS lead cabinet selling as a set.. As picture Electric guitar case amp stand and pics. As new condition. Approx 50 hours use and purchased 18 months ago.

So I would first just try to move internal cables around. But this feature only allows you 10 db more gain. When you think you have determined the culprit, put the amp on standby and change that tube.




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  1. Marylu

    You are not right. I propose to discuss it. Email me at PM, we'll talk.

  2. Bragore

    Wonderful, very valuable idea