Mesa offered a mod to fix blowing 5y3 problem

[carnivore]

I called mesa today to get some info about the 5y3 tube problem on the LSS. They told me to "do not substitute a 5v4 or anything else. They also told me that they have a slight mod that makes the 5y3 last a lot longer and should solve the problem and does not altar the tone at all. They offered the mod free of charge and all I had to do was cover the shipping both ways. The problem is that I have some gigs the next 3 weekends for which I want to use this amp. I will probably send it in a month or so and just cary a couple spare tubes and fuses. Man I am enjoying the tone of this LSS.

Anyone had their modded or repaired by Mesa?

 

[fishyfishfish]

Yes, three times. Two were blowed up power tubes, one was a burnt resistor. They fixed it right up with almost no questions asked. Way cool people to deal with. See if there is a Service Center near you, they could fax an authorization and get it fixed sooner. Or, you could bite the bullet and just use Solid State mode until you can ship it to Mesa.

 

[carnivore]

They don't have a repair center in Houston so when I am ready to give it up for 2-3 weeks I will send it in. I was just curious if anyone else had done this for this specific problem and if so any regrets. I sure don't want to loose the tone this bad boy has..

 

[thinskin57]

wow, great news....if you live in California. for me it'll essentially be a two hundred dollar repair as i live in Mass, and that's pretty much what round trip shipping will be for this nearly 100 pound 212 combo. unless they let me ship just the chassis? very disappointing for a brand new amp. if the tone wasn't so **** good, this amp would be on the chopping block right now. maybe i've been lucky- in my 25 years of playing i've never had an amp so much as blow a fuse. now, all of a sudden...

has anyone here had any luck with any of the NOS 5Y3's? i've got one on order (RCA 5Y3) from KCA. they told me that the tube should last 10 years if used under "normal" circumstances. that sounds too good to be true. hell, i'll be happy with just two years!

 

[thinskin57]

wow, that's great news....if you live in California. for me it'll essentially be a two hundred dollar repair as i live in Mass, and that's pretty much what round trip shipping will be for this nearly 100 pound 212 combo. unless they let me ship just the chassis? very disappointing for a brand new amp. if the tone wasn't so **** good, this amp would be on the chopping block right now. maybe i've been lucky- in my 25 years of playing i've never had an amp so much as blow a fuse. now, all of a sudden...

has anyone here had any luck with any of the NOS 5Y3's? i've got one on order (RCA 5Y3) from KCA. they told me that the tube should last 10 years if used under "normal" circumstances. that sounds too good to be true. hell, i'll be happy with just two years!

 

[MrMarkIII]

I'm pretty sure they insist you ship only the chassis, wrapped with a ton of bubble wrap (no peanuts).

 

[edgarallanpoe]

Thinskin....there are several authorized repair centers in Mass. They might not be within driving distance, but the shipping would be a helluva lot less than shipping it across the country. I have a center here in Pittsburgh, and they have performed a few updates for me for my RKI. If they are an authorized center, all repairs should be free of charge if it is a warranty issue.

Go here to see the centers...

http://www.mesaboogie.com/US/Dealers/rep_select_2.php

 

[Mick]

Once you install your NOS rectifier tube you'll probably forget about the mod. I've been using one for close to 2 yrs with out so much as a burp.

 

[edgarallanpoe]

Once you install your NOS rectifier tube you'll probably forget about the mod. I've been using one for close to 2 yrs with out so much as a burp.

Why not do them both and have peace of mind? As a gigging musician, I wouldn't take the chance of failure. Especially since Boogie is offering the update for free. You really have nothing to lose and everything to gain. A NOS tube is not the answer if the circuit is that hard on the tube. Eventually it *will* wear out. If the update will delay that, then having it done is a no brainer.

 

[carnivore]

wow, that's great news....if you live in California. for me it'll essentially be a two hundred dollar repair as i live in Mass, and that's pretty much what round trip shipping will be for this nearly 100 pound 212 combo. unless they let me ship just the chassis? !

I too have a combo. They said to just ship the chassis.. much cheeper and a lot easier to pack.

 

[edgarallanpoe]

I too have a combo. They said to just ship the chassis.. much cheeper and a lot easier to pack.

Why ship anything to CA? Why not just have your closest authorized Boogie repair center do the update? I am not sure why Boogie keeps telling you to ship the chassis to them. WTF are the repair centers for? Isn't this what the repair centers are supposed to do?

 

[carnivore]

No repair center in Houston I guess. With FedEx and the others it dosen't matter if it is across the state or across the country..

 

[GuitarusMaximus]

Is this something Mesa Boogie hollywood can fix? I'm lucky enough to live in LA, thats where I bought the amp. Also, is there a name for this mod or do we just call it the 5Y3 mod?

 

[edgarallanpoe]

No repair center in Houston I guess. With FedEx and the others it dosen't matter if it is across the state or across the country..

Not according to Boogie. Right on their website it has the following listed as the authorized repair center for Houston.

Bammel TV
14530 Walters Road
Houston TX 77014
(281) 444-0287

I also find it hard to believe that shipping a package to Austin, TX (There is a repair center in Austin) from Houston would be the same rate as shipping to LA. Are you just guessing or have you actually checked with a carrier? I only ask because I have done this a ton of times and rates were absolutely different depending on how far the package traveled.

I hope it all works out for you guys, but it seems to me that some of you are going through way more expense and time than need be.

 

[carnivore]

No repair center in Houston I guess. With FedEx and the others it dosen't matter if it is across the state or across the country..

Not according to Boogie. Right on their website it has the following listed as the authorized repair center for Houston.

Bammel TV
14530 Walters Road
Houston TX 77014
(281) 444-0287

I also find it hard to believe that shipping a package to Austin, TX (There is a repair center in Austin) from Houston would be the same rate as shipping to LA. Are you just guessing or have you actually checked with a carrier? I only ask because I have done this a ton of times and rates were absolutely different depending on how far the package traveled.

I hope it all works out for you guys, but it seems to me that some of you are going through way more expense and time than need be.

The mesa tech support said send to CA.. FedEx is same rate for next day delivery either destination. I hate to waste money but have been burned more times than not for NOT following the creedo "you usually get what you pay for". Not following that creedo was probably why a went through several amps first before I started buying Mesas. I will probably send it next week after I use it on an upcoming gig.

 

[edgarallanpoe]

FedEx is same rate for next day delivery either destination

Ahhh...next day. That makes sense. To be honest though, if you send it in your state via Fed-ex or UPS ground it will get there the next day and be a whole helluva lot cheaper.

Again, I hope this all works out for you guys.

 

[Alivefor5]

Since Mesa mentions that they have a fix for this problem is it safe to assume that they have incorporated the fix into current production?

If so, I wonder what serial number the fix or update became standard on?

Just before Christmas I bought a new LSS in the box and it would be nice to know if it had the update.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

I don't own a LSS but am interested. Correct me if I'm wrong here, eh?

If you use the amp in 30 watt mode, you are NOT using the tube rectifier anyhow, and the amp, in 30 watt mode, has no reliability issues. Period.

Is that a correct statement?

Best of luck.

Murph.

 

[thinskin57]

in my experience, that is correct.

 

[simonich]

I don't own a LSS but am interested. Correct me if I'm wrong here, eh?

If you use the amp in 30 watt mode, you are NOT using the tube rectifier anyhow, and the amp, in 30 watt mode, has no reliability issues. Period.

Is that a correct statement?

Best of luck.

Murph.

Correct, that's my experience. No issues ever in 30W mode. And the only issue I've ever had is the 5Y3 (twice). I'll try a NOS tube next time I order a set of power tubes.