Nomad 100 ch3 issues

The Boogie Board

Help Support The Boogie Board:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Hi guys, new member.
Ive had a 3ch mesa nomad 100 w/graph EQ for a while now and its developed a problem with ch3.
Basically there is no sound unless volume turned up REALLY high and it still barely audible. First thing i thought was tubes..so ive checked the preamp and no problems after switching out tubes each time. I didnt think poweramp tubes as this ONLY affects channel 3 it seems..any ideas?
I could just send this to mesa to look at..but being in the UK it goes to a dealer here and takes some time to be returned so :(

Any input is welcome! :)
 
The Nomad's are infamous for problems with the pots. Usually from having been bumped hard or other blow. Having already checked your tubes the problem is likely a bad treble pot or volume pot OR just as likely one of the switching FET's or relay. As these amps are fairly complex I recommend taking it to a good tech.
 
Restless Rocks said:
The Nomad's are infamous for problems with the pots. Usually from having been bumped hard or other blow. Having already checked your tubes the problem is likely a bad treble pot or volume pot OR just as likely one of the switching FET's or relay. As these amps are fairly complex I recommend taking it to a good tech.


looks like ill have to send it off to mesa again then eh?
pfft, sick of it now lol. tempted to sell up, save a LOAD and get a decent IV.
anywho, cheers for the advice mate..will do!
 
Restless Rocks said:
The Nomad's are infamous for problems with the pots. Usually from having been bumped hard or other blow. Having already checked your tubes the problem is likely a bad treble pot or volume pot OR just as likely one of the switching FET's or relay. As these amps are fairly complex I recommend taking it to a good tech.


looks like ill have to send it off to mesa again then eh?
pfft, sick of it now lol. tempted to sell up, save a LOAD and get a decent IV.
anywho, cheers for the advice mate..will do!
 
Try pulling (lightly!) on each of the pots in ch 3, and see if they move in and out freely. If they do so, while cutting the channel in and out, that's your problem. It's a known issue with the Nomad series, but fortunately can be a simple, inexpensive easy fix that doesn't have to require spending loads of money shipping to Mesa for repairs. A local tech can do it for you. Both times this has happened to my Nomad, all that's had to happen is crimp the pot back together, and it was good as new. If you are comfortable working inside an amp chassis, you can do this yourself in a few minutes. BE CAREFUL! A tube amp can have high voltages inside that can kill you if you're not careful, even after it has been shut off and unplugged.

If you're not comforable opening up your amp. Take it to your friendly neighborhood amp tech. It shouldn't cost too much. I paid less than $100 to have mine fixed.
 
Mesa has contract service centers in many areas of the world, including my "backwater" city of Oklahoma City. You could contact Mesa and see if they have one anywhere near you in the UK.
 
after a wee poke about, its the treble pot. And now all my tubes are in diff positions to what i had them in :lol:

what type of tubes work best in each position, and how can i make the gain on ch1 lower? it distorts easily with the evo7 i have in the bridge of my rg7 :twisted:
i have a mazda/brimar 12ax (label has worn off now, forgot its exact type!), chinese and russian mesa 12ax7 and a random sovtek lying around somewhere
 
Back
Top