Lost 2 channels

[shnapper]

Hey all I lost the dirty side of my roadster head, need to know tube functions?

I have the 6l6's out they all look ok, hard to tell on the AX7's. One 6l6 has a broken plastic bottom piece (center round that seats in socket) but I don't think thats an issue.

Any help would be good, don't really want to take it to a repair joint so soon LOL.

 

[Platypus]

Sounds like a preamp tube to me (12ax7).. you wont be able to tell unless you have a tube tester. Use a known good 12ax7 and replace it.. I'm guessing slot 1, 2, or 3.

If you blew a power tube, it would most likely short and blow the fuse.

 

[lockbody]

One 6l6 has a broken plastic bottom piece (center round that seats in socket) but I don't think thats an issue.

One of my 6L6's was like that and *whatever* happened took out the inside pair of tubes. Correction, when I replaced the tubes they still lit, but no output.

Sure are a lot of Raodsters with power amp problems.

I about to go and see what was wrong with mine or get a new one.

 

[shnapper]

I took it to the repair joint, they said two weeks. I told them no biggy on the turn around time.

However I tell you all what I told them, if the amp turns out to be unreliable (considering I'm not a pro player and only use it to practice) then I have more the enough firewood to light up a nice roadster Bonn fire LOL!

I love the amp just a little bummed at this point that after 30 days of use I'm without an amp. I won't sell it or pawn it off on no one else if it pisses me off you all will see one expensive amp go into the fire.....

I will let you all know what they end up fixing, in the mean time feel free to start a match and newspaper collection LOL! :lol: :lol:

 

[Platypus]

Sorry to hear... but two weeks turn around? You probably could have saved yourself a lot of time/money if you'd tried replacing a few 12ax7's around. :idea:

Tube amps are finicky.. it's part of the bargain. You get awesome tones out of them but tubes can just die for NO reason at all and it has nothing to do with the reliability of an amp. When you think about the fact that your 2k+ amp is being powered but a little piece of glass that costs roughly 5 dollars and probably pennies to create, you'll begin to understand what I mean.

If it was me, I'd go get it and buy a few 12ax7s and try to replace them myself first.. leave the repair shop for your extreme last ditch solution. Also, get a new pair of 6L6s rated for your amp, something about a cracked plastic casing on a tube makes me nervous to use in any amp of mine.

 

[shnapper]

Sorry to hear... but two weeks turn around? You probably could have saved yourself a lot of time/money if you'd tried replacing a few 12ax7's around. :idea:

Tube amps are finicky.. it's part of the bargain. You get awesome tones out of them but tubes can just die for NO reason at all and it has nothing to do with the reliability of an amp. When you think about the fact that your 2k+ amp is being powered but a little piece of glass that costs roughly 5 dollars and probably pennies to create, you'll begin to understand what I mean.

If it was me, I'd go get it and buy a few 12ax7s and try to replace them myself first.. leave the repair shop for your extreme last ditch solution. Also, get a new pair of 6L6s rated for your amp, something about a cracked plastic casing on a tube makes me nervous to use in any amp of mine.

Ya I hear ya plat, this time I will leave it and have it diagnosed so I know. Once I get it back I plan on getting some extra tubes to keep around. I have no idea which AX7's control channels 3 & 4 and I didn't have any tubes laying around anyway. I need to call euro tubes or something and have some sets shipped to me. Money isn't a problem, I just have extremely high standards and when they aren't met I get pissed/bummed rather quickly. Blame that on Motorola GEG and Lockheed Martin. The biggest structural thing for me is the fact that 4 or 5 of the dials for channels 1 & 3 rub against the diamond plate face rather harshly they stick and are difficult to turn, how a MESA TECH signed off on that is beyond me.

 

[eliot323]

Unfortunately they don't make valves/tubes like they used to - the build quality QC at the manufacturers is poor in comparison to what it used to be.

I've also had Groove Tubes crap out on me for no apparent reason and they're supposed to be well tested, graded etc.

If you can go the the NOS route, it's worth considering - more expensive, harder supply problems but the valves/tubes are usually better...

 

[shnapper]

The amp is at the local shop, I have ordered a full set of tubes from Bob @ euro tubes. I will most likely order another set via dougs tubes just to have a few sets of different brands to add flavor.

The stub on the power tubes is actually a Key so the tube doesn't get rotated and placed in the socket the wrong way. I should go get the amp and retube it myself, but since it's brand new and under warranty I'll let the shop fix it this time and then I will re tube it myself next time.

All was going so well for the 20 days I used it LOL, 20 days, 20 days................ :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[shnapper]

Well since I got my tube set from Bob @ Eurotubes yesterday I decided to pull the AMP out of the repair shop and bring it home.

I totally re-tubed it with the JJ's, standard set to keep all as it was. Amp works fine, better I should say. It sounds totally different and is going to require re-tweaking. The amp has an over all tighter/fuller sound from first impression I.M.O. I like it and I'm happy again. I'm glad I pulled it from the shop, they would have had it a month, this took me all about 30 minutes (took my time) to replace all the tubes. I don't like V1 it's a rather awkward install angle but thanks to a flash light,the vent grill on top and patience it went in without a hitch.

Thanks to those that said "Fix it yourself" and thanks to Bob for sending me tubes fast and also saying "Fix it yourself"

Good Day and Happy playing all.......

 

[Platypus]

Yay, told you it was a tube issue

Saved some time and $, can't be bad!

 

[shnapper]

Yay, told you it was a tube issue

Saved some time and $, can't be bad!

Well I didn't save any money LOL, the fix would have been free since the amp is new. However what I've gained in experience and learned from Bob
about tube install, socket prepping and cleaning is priceless so it offsets the cost for a tube set.