Tube noob bought a Triple Rec

[Sir Omega Alpha]

Hey everyone. My first post is because of my first real Amp... Triple Rec Solo 150w R-0022438

And well does it have some issues... Ill try and give as much information i can... Tube noob remember lol
Ive got 4 days before i have to take it back.. I dont want to but at this stage it'll be going back and hopefully
i have tracked down another on but its a long long way away.

Please let me know if any of this is normal Rectifier behaviour... Even better let me know if you know the issue/issuesssss

6L6 Non Mesa tubes (but apprently BIAS matched or modified or something)..Standard little tubes under the metal covers.
All issues below happen on Vaccum Tubes or Diode, Spongy or Bold

Scenario 1
Both rear rotary Dials on FTSW. Nothing In FX loop.. Send backed off a fraction, Mix just 3 oclock...Footswitch plugged in and changes channels.

Channel 1.... Gain a smidge past 2oclock.... Master MAX, Trebel 1oclock, Bass/Mid 9-12 oclcock... Output MAX... hardly a sound... I can sit a foot in front of a 4x12 Traditional Tilt Cab.... Solo (light on footswitch goes on and off when activated) has no effect even when Solo is above Output levels.

Channel 2 Same as above Vintage, Modern or Raw.....Except this time Output is at 4oclock while sitting a foot away from the cab playing... Solo same issues.

Channel 3.. Master and output at 0.. There is still output from the Cab.. Also the same when By-passing the FX Loop.. FX loop active or not via FTSW has no affect and niether does Solo......

Put it in Bypass FX and all volume is down to Master on each channnel... It is loud very very loud.. and sounds amazing...

No matter the settings Solo never works... Pedals pluged into FX never work... Every possible setting has been tried... Been reading here 2 days straight.

The answer is obvious isnt it.....

TAKE IT BACK??

Please ask for anymore info... Videos, pictures or even Video call lol

OH it has not been FX mod....

 

[Sir Omega Alpha]

Wow 51 reads and not even a WELCOME... hahahahahahaha

Ok anyway this question will be easy for someone to tell me..

Should the 12AX7 Valves glow?
When looking down through the top grill V2 and V3 glow. Not as brightly as the 6L6 tubes but bright enough
to make it obvious V1, V4 and V5 dont.....

Please help me.

 

[b00g13mk2B]

All the tubes should glow, all 12ax7 should glow about the same. I don’t know which tube is associated with the different channels. You could power -off, swap a glowing and non-glowing 12ax7 and see if things change. Does the non- glowing tube stay that way or is it specific to a socket.

Where did you get it? They should have known if the tubes were all good or not. Possible that the heater voltage is missing on a few sockets. In that case, could be as simple as the sockets or something worse.

 

[user 21540]

All valve amps I have ever purchased (which were all second hand) have never worked 100% and I have always had to do some work on them myself or take them to a tech right away after purchase. I just find most humans can't sell you something in 100% clean working order -- it is just beyond them for some reason.

There is information here about Tube Troubleshooting including a video but the same information is in all modern Mesa manuals:
https://mesaboogie.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/216599018-How-can-I-troubleshoot-tube-issues-

You will need to have known good tubes in order to do this effectively though.

The manual for the Triple Rec can be found here and it has a page that shows the tube tasks -- so what each postion is doing:
https://mesa-boogie.imgix.net/media/User%20Manuals/3chRecto_multiWatt.pdf

Sometimes you can get lucky by reseating the valves - pulling them out and putting them back in a few times (which can clean the contacts a bit) but if you have tubes that aren't glowing it sounds like you have some bad tubes but I doubt three preamp tubes would not be working if you are getting any sound out of the amp.

 

[Sir Omega Alpha]

Thank you wildschwein and b00g13mk2B for your reply.

Im about to check pre amp tubes...

If one (or more) is the issue, what damage could have been done to the amp from using it?

 

[Sir Omega Alpha]

The amp is cooked.. It shall be going back for a refund and ive already found another one to buy...

Or do i just get a helix? :lol:

 

[haywoodwebb]

I wouldn't recommend you give up on valves after one bad amp. But to each his own.

oh, and welcome. :mrgreen: