Hey everyone, I was playing on my Dual Caliber DC-5 today and then all of a sudden I hear a pop and then the amp was making all these static sounds, and then another pop, I turned it off and unplugged it.. I don’t want to touch it haha. Help please? Thanks.
Dual Caliber DC-5 dead?
- Thread starter JDMX88
- Start date
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Check your fuses. This is often a first thing to go when there is a more serious problem. If you can turn your amp back on with a new fuse then just take it in for a checkup. It is often your power tubes that will blow a fuse but it can also be other parts inside the chassis. Also check out your tubes. If any have any white powdery or flaky substance inside then they are blown. A tube can be blown like this where the tube's vacuum envelope is compromised but tube failure doesn't necessarily show as a broken tube. In other words, a tube may go bad without showing signs of a physically broken tube. Have your tubes checked. I would definitely check your fuses first though. If it is a fuse and you can power back up try not to play it too much before getting it checked out as the fuse is just a precautionary measure that attempts to prevent failure of other components. This is not to say that you cannot have component failure even though the fuse is fine. Any further playing on an amp that has blown a fuse is only risking further problems. Fuses are not like tubes in that they do not really have a life expectancy . As a fuse heats up (from component issues usually) it begines to sag. Once it reaches its max deflection it will pop. This may have been what you heard. This is also the sound of a tube that fails. A fuse is cheaper (approx. $2 for 6) than a tube (from $7 and up a piece for preamp tubes and $35/pair and up for power tubes). Also a fuse is easier to replace (any electronics store will have them whereas a tube might have to be ordered even from a guitar shop or amp repair shop).
If it is a fuse that is blown use the correct fuse to replace it. Do not alter the V nor mA nor the sloblo/fast/normal type. Do not wrap the fuse in tin foil and reinsert. Do not use a paper clip. Don't laugh, these are extreme emergency fixes that I have personally witnessed. These alternate extreme emergency remedies only ask for trouble. Remember that a fuse is cheaper than any other component in your amplifier. If you catch your amp on fire due to your Mac Guyver-ing you may burn your house down or whatever venue you are playing in beit rehearsal studio, recording studio, or local bar.
If it is a fuse that is blown use the correct fuse to replace it. Do not alter the V nor mA nor the sloblo/fast/normal type. Do not wrap the fuse in tin foil and reinsert. Do not use a paper clip. Don't laugh, these are extreme emergency fixes that I have personally witnessed. These alternate extreme emergency remedies only ask for trouble. Remember that a fuse is cheaper than any other component in your amplifier. If you catch your amp on fire due to your Mac Guyver-ing you may burn your house down or whatever venue you are playing in beit rehearsal studio, recording studio, or local bar.
thanks for the replies. i checked the fuse, it is dead, and also i checked my powertubes, one of them has gone white. So i think i should be replacing the fuse and allt he tubes. i need two 6L6's and six 12AX7's, what do you guys suggest to use to get the best tone out of this amp. Also i should bring it into a guitar shop so they can install and bias it for me correct?
JDMX88 said:
You shouldn't have to bias it if you get right tubes within the right specs. I can recommend http://www.eurotubes.com, where you can order perfectly speced Mesa replacement kits. Bob there is very knowledgeable, and checks every tube before he sends them. Not saying he is the only one, but obviously a lot of people around here have had good experiences with him, so I don't think you can go very wrong buying from him. Basically, you're looking at $50-$100 worth of tubes and half an hour inserting them. No biasing etc.
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