Blowing fuses.................... quick question (mark V )

[sean106ESP]

Hey guys I pulled put the power tubes and rectifier tube as I was checking things. When I popped them back in and turned it on it blew a fuse. I checked them all and re fit them again. I changed fuses and it blew again but when it did it looked like the rectifier tube was having lightening going through it lol.

Is it safe to say that is the tube causing the problem with blowing a fuse? Never had that issue before and the other 4 power tubes are only 6 months old. Just curious as I don;t have the cabbage to spend on all new tubes and want to see if that is just the problem, I'll grab a rectifier tube from a shop. Thanks!

 

[jb's 52]

Good luck!!!

Troubleshooting tubes can be more like an art instead of a science.

 

[sean106ESP]

Any ideas guys?

 

[Mrjason]

First thing I would definitely replace the rectifier tube if you saw "lightning" in it!
Also make sure you placed the rectifier tube in the rectifier tube spot.
I work with a guy who did just that. He told me he put a rectifier tube in a power tube slot on accident.
That accident required a trip to the local Mesa service center.

Any problems I have ever encountered with a tube amp ended up being a tube!

Good luck

 

[sean106ESP]

First thing I would definitely replace the rectifier tube if you saw "lightning" in it!
Also make sure you placed the rectifier tube in the rectifier tube spot.
I work with a guy who did just that. He told me he put a rectifier tube in a power tube slot on accident.
That accident required a trip to the local Mesa service center.

Any problems I have ever encountered with a tube amp ended up being a tube!

Good luck

Thanks it was the Rectifier. I realized I had a audio repair place near me that stocks tubes. So brought it by, popped it in, tested it, paid and I am all good. Sorry for my noobness even after having this since 2010. lol

 

[mesaboogie6L6]

It's ALWAYS a good thing if you spray your tubes with electrical contact cleaner and insert them in your sockets a few times to clean them, especially when retubing, just because your amp is new doesn't mean your sockets are clean. Make sure the tubes are seating properly in the socket as well, the bear trap tube holders should be bent down far enough so they are grabbing the tube snugly. Retension the tube pin holders if they are loose too, sometimes Chinese and Sovtek tubes have excess solder on them which can spread the sockets open and make them loose which can make a tube not function or function intermittenly.

Lets assume that you have the tubes installed properly and there are no connection issues but the amp still blows a fuse. Remove the power tubes, replace the fuse and power the amp up. If the amp blows a fuse with no power tubes installed then it's not a tube issue and the amp needs to see a good tech. If you can power the amp up with no tubes installed and the fuse does not blow then power down and install one power tube and power up again. Repeat this process adding the second tube to the equation. If the fuse blows then remove the tube you just added and you will be holding the trouble maker in your hand. You can use this trouble shooting procedure for amps with any number of power tubes.

When your amp uses a rectifier tube and you simply lose power or blow a fuse then this tube can cause both of these things.


Glad your amp is ok, seems like there are many problems with these V's, usually tube related, one reason why I don't use ANY Mesa tubes, including ANY chinese tube period, other reasons pertain to tone. It's rare to hear about a rectifier tube going down, I don't understand it at all.

 

[sean106ESP]

Much appreciated. Good advice on diagnosis.

Yeah I have to admit. I have never had an amp that was soooo finicky when it comes to preamp tubes going on me. Also the fact that I need to be a surgeon to get to certain preamp tubes.

I just ordered Dougs Preamp Cocktail. I will just take the head out of the shell to pop them in. easier then me bending the pins trying to get to one or two tubes.

I saw some company made a tube tester for power tubes. i wish there was an easier way or a device to test individual tubes to see if they are good or bad.


Bugera does have a feature on their heads that tells you if a Power Tube is good or bad. Pretty helpful.

 

[mesaboogie6L6]

Orange is coming out with a tester next month, VT1000, cool thing to have, I will be buying one for sure.