LONESTAR DIED onstage

[creekhed]

So i am onstage and I start smelling something electrical.... then I look at my amp and the light goes out....DEAD!

Going to the Amp Doc today.... I'll letchya know...

 

[xarkon]

That has got to suck. Hope it's something simple.

That raises the question of what people do for backups? While I have more than one amp, the idea of hauling even more stuff back and forth to gigs is not tantalizing.

What does everyone use as a backup? Another amp? Or a Line6 Pod or something similar?

Dave

 

[MJ Slaughter]

What does everyone use as a backup? Another amp? Or a Line6 Pod or something similar?

Dave

This might deserve it's own topic but I haven't been bringing a backup. After reading this story, and many others, I might consider bringing a small 15 watt Ampeg tube head I have to gigs as a backup. I've only had one amp, Marshall Plexi, go out on me around the early 80's at a gig. Used the other guitarist micro amp that sounded like crap but worked. Pod like devise is a good idea but with a small head you can at least get some decent stage sounds without relying on a mix in the monitors.

 

[NDRU]

I've never brought a backup, and I have had a few dicey moments wheree I thought the amp was dying. There's nothing more appealing than the thought of testing my tubes to find the microphonic one while I'm onstage!

I have considered a small head that I could plug the speaker of the bad amp into.

Really a good idea, but who wants to bring more crap? I never even use my backup guitar anymore.

People have mentioned the pod idea. I guess that is a good one. I'd be happy to have it in a pinch.

 

[creekhed]

Just got home from My Amp Tech (who happens to be an autherized MESA repairman NICE) and I had a bad tube (only 4 months old!!!) and the tube made a transistor BLOW!!!!
New Transistor and New tubes...I was all set in 1 hours time...SWEEEET!
Also, I switched to EL34's and LOVE THEM.
ALLLLLLLLLLLL BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!
PHEW!

 

[wastoid]

Or a Line6 Pod or something similar?

I like to bring the POD as a backup since it's easy to carry around and easy to setup. Takes some tweaking beforehand though to make sure you have the tones you want dialed into a few presets.

 

[fishyfishfish]

I used to use a Sovteck Mig60, a old 80's small box head, but now for a back up I bring a Walkabout Scout head that I got a killer deal on. Just plug in my pedal board and go.

 

[CGM]

Well ...the same thought came to me after reading all those horror stories. I ended up ( thru good luck ) buying a Rivera Venus 6. It has now turned into my # 1. In every way. I still have the LSS and still use it on stage, at the same time! Yep...both amps at once , it seems to be a nice ballance. The LSS has never even hiccuped. I still love it. I'm considering the "Reeder" mod and maybe a tube upgrade for more headroom. But...I don't have to worry!.actually ...just today I traded an old Fender concert reverb ( 50 watt, 2 sides, 4x10, 6L6's) in on a Rivera Clubster 25 ( 2 6V6's), ...whew....I finally feel the relief....but I still love the LSS. Hell...I love'em all......

 

[Southernhell]

We had the same thing happen to us Saturday night. My guitarist fires up his DR and nothing, he switches channels and poof, the light goes out as well as a trail of smoke off the top of the amp. Turns out it was a bad speaker cable. Hopefully the slapback voltage didn't take out his transformer and only burned up some screen resistors.

I think we might be buying something like a B-52 for the band as a backup in case something like this happens again. Just something cheap that will get one of us into DR region seeing how we both use DR's.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Just got home from My Amp Tech (who happens to be an autherized MESA repairman NICE) and I had a bad tube (only 4 months old!!!) and the tube made a transistor BLOW!!!!
New Transistor and New tubes...I was all set in 1 hours time...SWEEEET!
Also, I switched to EL34's and LOVE THEM.
ALLLLLLLLLLLL BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!
PHEW!

This may be a silly question, but how does a "bad tube" cause a transistor to blow?

 

[GeoBull]

I bring (ideally) both my Lonestars to gigs. At the least I bring my Evans; it actually has a great tone when driven.

I bring a full set of power tubes, 2-3 pre-amp tubes, and fuses. Sounds like it wouldn't have helped in the situation above as the tube blowing took out a transistor. Backup is the only option for that.

 

[stomper]

Glad your amp was easily repaired.

I have a Pod Pro and a 1 space Carvin power amp loaded into a 3 space rack. If my Boogie has an issue, I can hook up the rack in about 30 seconds. No maintenance, and I know it will work. I needed the noise gate from the Pod a few weeks ago due to terrible hum from the club wiring.

 

[creekhed]

This may be a silly question, but how does a "bad tube" cause a transistor to blow?

I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!
That's what he told me...


Anyone?

 

[Bikedude]

Crate Powerblock in the trunk!

 

[bryan_kilco]

ehh...I almost never bring a backup with me. pretty bad.

I've only had one incident on stage with the Mark IV and my rack....something must have gotten hooked up wrong and the stage was dark as hell and I was freaking out and finally just bypassed the rack and for some weird reason my footswitch wouldnt work. :?

left the show, and went to next show (yep, 2 in one night) and the amp worked fine.

 

[Platypus]

This may be a silly question, but how does a "bad tube" cause a transistor to blow?

I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!
That's what he told me...


Anyone?

Are you sure he didn't say 'resistor'? As in screen grid resistor?

That'd be a lot more logical for a powertube failure. Also tubes can go any time for any reason.. sort of like the tires on your car.

 

[creekhed]

He might have

 

[Rudee]

Just got home from My Amp Tech (who happens to be an autherized MESA repairman NICE) and I had a bad tube (only 4 months old!!!) and the tube made a transistor BLOW!!!!
New Transistor and New tubes...I was all set in 1 hours time...SWEEEET!
Also, I switched to EL34's and LOVE THEM.
ALLLLLLLLLLLL BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!
PHEW!

I wouldn't be very happy about that kind of thing happening after only 4 months of use. In fact, I'd be rather pissed.

 

[jjboogie]

Just got home from My Amp Tech (who happens to be an autherized MESA repairman NICE) and I had a bad tube (only 4 months old!!!) and the tube made a transistor BLOW!!!!
New Transistor and New tubes...I was all set in 1 hours time...SWEEEET!
Also, I switched to EL34's and LOVE THEM.
ALLLLLLLLLLLL BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!
PHEW!

This is a common problem. My rectifier tube went bad after about 2 months fortunately for me it was while I was at home and not at a gig.

Mesa sent me new tubes and I was good to go. Didn't have to take it anywhere.