For those who like pictures and a story... and fixing amps

[mikeymike]

I am new to mesa ownership. I have a recto cab and thats about it. It alone has changed my tone immensely and I've been trying to get a head or poweramp to go along with this cab as I am using a Crate gfx1200 for a makeshift poweramp using my POD XT as a preamp. Which isn't bad thanks to the mesa cabinet but it doesn't have that tube feel at all...

Ok so fastfoward.. I got a 2:100 off of ebay last week. The Buy it now was set to $650. I am thinking what a great deal... That should have been my first sign. Well someone ends up bidding on it 1 day before and the bid started at 450. i'm thinking "great this is going to shoot up well over $650 now." As time dwindled down I noticed that it was not going anywhere. The auction was down to it's last minutes and had only risen maybe 20 bucks or so in price. I decided i might still have a chance. I told myself I would bid 660.01 since thats what i'm willing to pay for it. I won the auction at 546 plus shipping. A STEAL right? no....

This guy only wants a money order. He dodges my questions about tube life repeatedly. He straight up lies in his responses as i discovered TODAY when i recieved the amp. There was broken glass all over it and inside it from previous tube break-age (which he mentions so it's not a big deal glass can be cleaned up) I notice it smells weird.. I thought maybe it's just his house.. whatever...

He chose to ship it with the tubes in it but bubble wrapped quite a bit since they're "matched" tubes (i say matched in quotes because all but 2 of them are mesa's but the 2 oddballs are JJ's...) and so he didnt want to remove them plus they had a greater chance of being smashed in a box with a 2:100.

I get the amp and naturally I want to remove the tubes because they can still crack and not be disintegrated and turning the amp on in a condition like that is not something I want to try. So I remove a few and discover it's really a pain to get them back in. The 2 JJ's had broken socket locating keys so I really had a hard time seeing if they were right. I decided to take the cover off so I could replace the tubes easily and to fix the little metal wings that hold them on.

What I saw after removing the chassis pretty much upset me.


http://mikeymike.regolithstudios.com/twoonehundred/

Does anyone know what that is that got DESTROYED? He claimed that tubes were broken on a flight... could that cause this? Also which channel does that resistor or component affect? Can anyone tell me which tubes are which pair-wise and channel-wise? And finally the last question... how much do you think mesa would charge to fix this? I also noticed his volume knob is messed up internally as the shaft is not regular anymore it spins with axial play. Is this a pricey fix? Any experts?

Thanks guys for your time. Please forgive the horrible explanation if it doesn't make sense because I have not slept in 24 hours.

 

[TOOL_5150]

It looks to be channel B that is affected, Its just a resistor that looks to be burnt. If you can solder - do it yourself. If you dont feel comfortable doing it, bring it to an amp tech - it shouldnt cost too much to replace that. as far as the volume pot - contact mesa and get a replacement and just swap it out, or have the amp tech do it while hes replacing the resistor. A broken tube, if energized could torch resistors no problem. If the amp has been dropped so hard that it shattered tubes then it probably wouldnt hurt to have a pro give it a once-over. You got it for a good price, it would probably pay to have it looked at so that nothing else [more expensive] goes into meltdown.

Good luck man,

~Matt

 

[mikeymike]

It looks to be channel B that is affected, Its just a resistor that looks to be burnt. If you can solder - do it yourself. If you dont feel comfortable doing it, bring it to an amp tech - it shouldnt cost too much to replace that. as far as the volume pot - contact mesa and get a replacement and just swap it out, or have the amp tech do it while hes replacing the resistor. A broken tube, if energized could torch resistors no problem. If the amp has been dropped so hard that it shattered tubes then it probably wouldnt hurt to have a pro give it a once-over. You got it for a good price, it would probably pay to have it looked at so that nothing else [more expensive] goes into meltdown.

Good luck man,

~Matt

thanks a lot for the help man. can you tell me how you know it's channel b? which tubes are grouped together? I'll probably solder it myself. but like you said it has been dropped... so i dont know yet. what happens to the amp if you keep playing it and the resistor is popped like that?

 

[soundpurist]

It looks to be channel B that is affected, Its just a resistor that looks to be burnt. If you can solder - do it yourself. If you dont feel comfortable doing it, bring it to an amp tech - it shouldnt cost too much to replace that. as far as the volume pot - contact mesa and get a replacement and just swap it out, or have the amp tech do it while hes replacing the resistor. A broken tube, if energized could torch resistors no problem. If the amp has been dropped so hard that it shattered tubes then it probably wouldnt hurt to have a pro give it a once-over. You got it for a good price, it would probably pay to have it looked at so that nothing else [more expensive] goes into meltdown.

Good luck man,

~Matt

thanks a lot for the help man. can you tell me how you know it's channel b? which tubes are grouped together? I'll probably solder it myself. but like you said it has been dropped... so i dont know yet. what happens to the amp if you keep playing it and the resistor is popped like that?

Just replace the resistor and then you will see...

Tubes are paired vertically. If you got two color you got to pair the tube "in mirror"


Ex: Red Blue Blue Red

Red Blue Blue Red


I sold mine (barely used) today for 1300$ ...

...but i got an OD100SE+!!!!!!!!!

 

[mikeymike]

It looks to be channel B that is affected, Its just a resistor that looks to be burnt. If you can solder - do it yourself. If you dont feel comfortable doing it, bring it to an amp tech - it shouldnt cost too much to replace that. as far as the volume pot - contact mesa and get a replacement and just swap it out, or have the amp tech do it while hes replacing the resistor. A broken tube, if energized could torch resistors no problem. If the amp has been dropped so hard that it shattered tubes then it probably wouldnt hurt to have a pro give it a once-over. You got it for a good price, it would probably pay to have it looked at so that nothing else [more expensive] goes into meltdown.

Good luck man,

~Matt

thanks a lot for the help man. can you tell me how you know it's channel b? which tubes are grouped together? I'll probably solder it myself. but like you said it has been dropped... so i dont know yet. what happens to the amp if you keep playing it and the resistor is popped like that?

Just replace the resistor and then you will see...

Tubes are paired vertically. If you got two color you got to pair the tube "in mirror"


Ex: Red Blue Blue Red

Red Blue Blue Red


I sold mine (barely used) today for 1300$ ...

...but i got an OD100SE+!!!!!!!!!

ok so is this right?

what do you mean 2 color? is there a color code for them? thanks for your time

 

[soundpurist]

thanks a lot for the help man. can you tell me how you know it's channel b? which tubes are grouped together? I'll probably solder it myself. but like you said it has been dropped... so i dont know yet. what happens to the amp if you keep playing it and the resistor is popped like that?

Just replace the resistor and then you will see...

Tubes are paired vertically. If you got two color you got to pair the tube "in mirror"


Ex: Red Blue Blue Red

Red Blue Blue Red


I sold mine (barely used) today for 1300$ ...

...but i got an OD100SE+!!!!!!!!!

ok so is this right?

what do you mean 2 color? is there a color code for them? thanks for your time

There's color on the boxes, if you had blue and red...the way you did is the exact way. The only exception is both channels are situated at each opposite side (four tubes together). The reason of putting tubes like this (if you only got 2 colors instead of all the same) is that mesa sell only duet (no quartet, octet ..etc...) when you change in any amplifier it's always going to be in symmetrical position (for mesa, fender, peavy, Marshall...etc).


Ch B / Ch A
Red Blue / Blue Red
/
Red Blue / Blue Red

 

[mikeymike]

There's color on the boxes, if you had blue and red...the way you did is the exact way. The only exception is both channels are situated at each opposite side (four tubes together). The reason of putting tubes like this (if you only got 2 colors instead of all the same) is that mesa sell only duet (no quartet, octet ..etc...) when you change in any amplifier it's always going to be in symmetrical position (for mesa, fender, peavy, Marshall...etc).


Ch B / Ch A
Red Blue / Blue Red
/
Red Blue / Blue Red

So then you mean each channel is made up of 2 colors. half red and half blue? like this?

 

[soundpurist]

There's color on the boxes, if you had blue and red...the way you did is the exact way. The only exception is both channels are situated at each opposite side (four tubes together). The reason of putting tubes like this (if you only got 2 colors instead of all the same) is that mesa sell only duet (no quartet, octet ..etc...) when you change in any amplifier it's always going to be in symmetrical position (for mesa, fender, peavy, Marshall...etc).


Ch B / Ch A
Red Blue / Blue Red
/
Red Blue / Blue Red

So then you mean each channel is made up of 2 colors. half red and half blue? like this?

They're not meant to have 2 colors but you need to find at least 2 identical color for matching the bias each side or one color for all. The option of one color is not better than the other, it's just a matter of balancing both channels.

 

[disassembled]

I don't mean to sound like a dick but why don't you call mesa instead of guessing since neither of you are sure?


Greg

 

[mikeymike]

I don't mean to sound like a dick but why don't you call mesa instead of guessing since neither of you are sure?


Greg

good idea

 

[zappaslaughter]

Hey i'm with Greg!

 

[mikeymike]

Hey i'm with Greg!

thanks for sharing

 

[zappaslaughter]

Sorry man, I am just saying if you dropped that kinda cash you should at least get some top notch service. Hell I payed 2 grand for my amp set up, and if ANYTHING was wrong with it I would raise hell. I hope you get the rack in working order, and I hope it doesn't cost you another red cent!

:!:

 

[mikeymike]

Sorry man, I am just saying if you dropped that kinda cash you should at least get some top notch service. Hell I payed 2 grand for my amp set up, and if ANYTHING was wrong with it I would raise hell. I hope you get the rack in working order, and I hope it doesn't cost you another red cent!

:!:

well i paid $546 for a 1300 dollar amp.. so i'm okay with it. i already raised hell with the seller he refused to care..

 

[disassembled]

Sorry man, I am just saying if you dropped that kinda cash you should at least get some top notch service. Hell I payed 2 grand for my amp set up, and if ANYTHING was wrong with it I would raise hell. I hope you get the rack in working order, and I hope it doesn't cost you another red cent!

:!:

well i paid $546 for a 1300 dollar amp.. so i'm okay with it. i already raised hell with the seller he refused to care..

I would just raise hell with Mesa atleast they care about their rep, well probably more so than the ebay seller.

Greg

 

[CudBucket]

well i paid $546 for a 1300 dollar amp.. so i'm okay with it. i already raised hell with the seller he refused to care..

True. But it's clearly going to take a bit more to get it working properly. You don't really know what that amp went through. Maybe Mesa should have a look at it.

 

[mikeymike]

well i paid $546 for a 1300 dollar amp.. so i'm okay with it. i already raised hell with the seller he refused to care..

True. But it's clearly going to take a bit more to get it working properly. You don't really know what that amp went through. Maybe Mesa should have a look at it.

yeah i've thought about sending it to them. i'm pretty sure the only thing wrong with it though is the volume pot is messed up for channel A and the screen grid resistor is blown on that one tube... i guess i should send it to them.