Titan V12 Overdrive Cutting Out

[Bassorama57]

Forgive me if this has been addressed elsewhere in here - I'm new to Mesa amps and got a V12 two weeks ago; haven't gigged with it yet but am looking forwards to that shortly. My question is this - I've been using both a passive P and active MM Bongo, plugged into the upper input jack, and have played with switching between channels and the overdrive. In SOME instances, when i've switched from a clean channel (B) into A-Overdrive, the amp cuts out. The red OD status light is lit, but the amp just goes silent, no noise, hiss, anything, though the amp remains on. I'm not sure if this is an amp issue or a 'stupid user' issue. Can't find anything in the manual that details any specific steps - seems like it should work. Of course if I switch back and forth between channels or disengage the OD, it works again, and then later the OD in Channel A comes back on.
Before I call customer service...is there anything I need to be aware of?

 

[Eternollie]

Hey there
I got the V12 also about a month ago and have encountered the same problem. It only seems to happen when I switch to channel 2 that already has the O.D engaged. If I am on channel one and switch on the O.D. on that channel it doesnt happen. Kinda pisses me of being a new amp and all, and then to hear I am not an isolated case. I love the tone and power of the amp, and the O.D. has some of the best distortion I have heard for bass.

 

[Bassorama57]

Ah - ok, I'll try that experiment - seeing if I'm trying to engage the O/D on both channels at once. I haven't noticed this issue again, but then again I've just been playing through it, not switching back and forth like I did when I first got it. If you see this issue again, let me know; might be time for one of us to call Cust Service and ask if we're doing something wrong or if it's a production flaw.

 

[KILYAKAI]

I have been going insane with this problem myself. For me, its not just when I use my overdrive, its when I get an obscenely awesome tone. It'll pound for 30 sec and the s*%! the bed. Lemme know any info you get because I am going to attempt to cram this up an unlucky salesmans hoop on monday. I noticed on the back that this has a 20amp breaker on it and I think that this amp might be pulling more that 15amp when overdive or tons of bass is applied. It seems like its "browning out" to me, more pull than service to the amp. I want to try this with a 20 amp service but haven't been able to yet. It is clearly going into some kind of protect mode because I have to stop for 1 one thousand...2 one thousand...3 one thousand... before it'll kick back in. If I try to play through it wont kick back on, that tells me its about to melt. This has happened to me on a ton of shows, practices, with different basses, different bass players, venues, setups, ect. I checked the tubes, no rattle or discoloration. Everything inside looks pimp. I've blown breakers in countless bars with this amp.

ANY HELP ANYONE CAN GIVE WILL BE AMAZING!

I can't just turn this amp down anymore, it sounds so good when you push it a little, and then unfortunatley makes me look like a dork 15 sec later for about 3. I thought I was crazy and I just turned it down, unacceptable. I bought awesome gear and I want it to work like it should.....awesome. Today was a pinicale for me: I brought in a friend to help me with bass tones (we're doin pre prod) and he started tweaking. As soon as he got a crazy thick crunch tone..you guessed it. He said, "Thats weird, my big block 750 doesn't do that, its gotta be a defect." If I turn up the tone I have picked for myself up a little too much same thing. I've tried it with multiple speaker config's all correct ohmages of course. Another friend suggested overheating, I noticed the whole amp only has one fan blowing in. I do have the non rackmount version, had to pull it out tonight to check tubes and will try without enclosure. Might attempt some fancy fan work. Never thought I'd only have one fan....

HELP!

NATE

 

[Bassorama57]

Haven't experienced ANYTHING like you're describing there at all; and didn't think it'd pull the full 20 amps unless it was way turned up.

 

[KILYAKAI]

Just took the head in and its getting serviced. Mesa thinks its a mosfet issue. I never usually turn ANY of the gain up past 3. Will keep you updated. Love the sound of the head. I just seem to have horrible luck with gear.

 

[Eternollie]

Hey KILYAKAI have you got your head back yet, and if so how is it ?

 

[Eternollie]

I finally took my head in to where I got it for repair. The store owner who is a friend of mine came in a couple days later with "some bad news". The local authorized repair shop had to send the head directly to Mesa for them to repair. So I am thinking its a pretty serious problem, maybe a manufacturing problem or design problem. Who know, all I know is that I have been without my head for almost 2 months. Ive been stuck using an Ampeg SVT6.

 

[Bassorama57]

Not sure what the previous poster was trying to say, but replacing the O/D tubes (two 12Ax7s) seems to have solved my problem.

 

[juggernaut1]

My Titan is cutting out on me too. This amp let me down on 2 gigs. THe first time, smoke was coming out of it and turned into a fuzzbox, real distorted but kept working. The authorized repair joint couldnt fix it and sent it to mesa, no amp for 2 months.
THis past Sat, I lost all signal.
amp had power but no input. It would come back on, then go off again. UNUSABLE!
I have done maybe 20 gigs with this amp at most, and I take good care of it. Mesa, are you doing cash for clunkers? THis amp is a clunker. It sounds great when it works................

 

[juggernaut1]

I contacted Mesa and they took care of me. The amp is fixed and is great. No problems.
Mesa is first class. THanks Mesa Boogie!

 

[Mr. Oldshirts]

Hi,

I too, an Australian Mesa Titan owner have been experiencing the same issue... and for over $4000 bucks to be honest I was more or less expecting the amp to actually work when I got it and not drop out to nothing when I hit 'overdrive', 'Boost' or simply had the volume loud enough... Anyhow, here's the best info I've found, followed and seemingly fixed my problem - taken from a site by a bloke called 'richard cleaver' (who is more or less saved my life - Plus my titan which was getting pretty close to being thrown off a bridge)....

"SOUND “DROP-OUTS” / INTERMITTENT SIGNAL
One Possible Cause
Most (but not all) Mesa/Boogie amplifiers have one or two “cathode follower” tube stages in their preamps. Tube selection is CRITICAL in these stages.
Specifically, in a 12AX7 tube used as a “cathode follower”, the voltage difference between that present at the cathode, as compared with the heater voltage, can be withstood or tolerated by certain types of tubes, whereas other tubes will fail. The failure of a “cathode follower“ tube will cause sound dropouts or signal loss.
For the past few years, Mesa has been using two types of 12AX7 tubes: ones originating in Russia (Sovtek EH), and ones originating in China. The Russian (Sovtek) tube is NOT reliable as a cathode follower. Of the tubes we are using today (March 2008), ONLY THE CHINESE 12AX7 IS RELIABLE AS A CATHODE FOLLOWER.
In conclusion, if you are troubleshooting for signal dropout in a Mesa/Boogie amp, suspect a cathode follower tube, and try replacing it with a Mesa 12AX7 that is marked as “CHINESE” (silk-screened on the tube itself)."

And further testament to Mr. Cleaver, I actually watched the repair guy assess and fix this problem - Tube change equalled no more 30 seconds of silence.

Thanks for the awesome tone Mesa, but in future would be nice to get a stadium volume amp to work outside of the bedroom.

Peace

 

[billybass]

Thanks for the tip on the 12AX7 types Chinese vs Soviet.
I'm new to Boogie board and Mesa equipment .Great to be here.
I have the cabinet head not the rack mount titan v-12 and I've been wondering how to open it up.
Sorry not a tech. just lots of time on the strings.

I use a 1973 Rickenbacher with Bartollinis( customed to active)
The Titanv-12 (1200w)/and Powerhouse4x10/1x15(1200w)

 

[vortilon]

Hey guys
I too have the Titan V-12 with the 4x10/1x15 powerhouse cab. I have not experienced the problems you discribe but I have not used the OD ever. I have only gigged once with it and so far so good. I play in a country band and a hard rock band the rock band is fairly loud but so far no gigs yet. The 15 speaker went south the second time I played the amp but Mesa made it good in a reasonably short period. I smoked a 3x12 Fender cab with the Titan while I was waiting for the speaker. I love the sound of this rig, sold a really beautiful english car to fund it. I play a 1969 Gibson EBO / fog horn that never sounded so good until this amp.

Thanks Mesa for keeping it in the USA!