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Post by matty6strings on Mar 6, 2011 16:04:26 GMT -7
...with gain and volume fluctuation.
I thought I was going crazy last week when I plugged into the SRZ and thought the gain was a heck of a lot less than usual but still sounding OK. Hard to tell because I'm forever messing with the settings. Most times I'm playing quietly and once in a while I crank it. Well I took the SRZ to a gentle blues jam a week ago and was shocked to discover that once it was set up to where I wanted it with proper gain and volume, the amp would sharply drop off in volume with a cut in gain. Changing settings and wiggling tubes resulted in no change. Since the jam I have noticed it at home and at 2 other places.
Again I though I was imagining it and disregarded at first. 20 minutes into the jam - WHAM, volume as you would expect with all that delicious gain (not distortion) - you know what I mean.
I've tested all the tubes and they are fine with the exception of marginal leakage from the GT 12ax7 that was in V1. Almost not worth mentioning.
Anyone have any recollection of a similar issue posted here?
I'm thinking, dirty pots, loose tube socket or possible need for a cap job but on a 4 year old amp?
I'm so bummed I can't stand it. I simply can't afford to have this in a repair shop and I'm really reluctant to take it in for fear of.... you name it.
At least I got to rant.
TIA!
M
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Post by muzacman02 "Jamie" on Mar 6, 2011 19:34:26 GMT -7
Check the Tube sockets. Clean Gently with deoxit type cleaner, also check the Plate Voltage and Bias if possible,? If you have never done this take it to a PROFFESSIONAL REPAIR person. SERIOUSLY. Also, I know it sounds Elementry but I assume this is a Head Model? Check your Instrument cables and the Speaker Cable going to the Cab. That is my #1 Golden Rule, Don't auotmatically assume the worst. Start simple with a process of elimination. My SRZ is OLD But it has Never Let me Down , Knock on wood. if all cables check good, Pull the Chassis and make sure that its grounded and you have a Steady Power Supply 120 Volts AC feeding. Keep us updated. I dont know what Kind of tubes you have but a Bad Rectifier Tube could be on the verge of crapping out. If you have a spare tubes Pre and Power swap them in and out never hurts to try each 1 by 1 hope this helps
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Post by matty6strings on Mar 7, 2011 6:13:09 GMT -7
Thanks Jaime! Its an SRZ65LE head. I did manage to try different instrument cables and 3 different speaker cables into 3 different cabs showing the same results. I have no issues with the Remedy head in any of these formats so I have to assume that the SRZ is the culprit. I'll just re-tube / bias the whole thing and start from there. I'll update when I finish though it may be some time.
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Post by matty6strings on Mar 10, 2011 21:53:34 GMT -7
had the time to play with the amps today and found the fuse in the SRZ was shot. Nearly had a heart attack when it wouldn't turn on.
I wonder why it blew and how this may be related to the issues this amp has been going through?
As poor luck would have it, there were no 259V 3 amp fuses to be found anywhere locally today. I'll have to try to find a replacement tomorrow.
So, any thoughts as to the fuse being blown? Last time I played it (few days ago) I put the SRZ into standby but I think I left the power turned on. AT least that is what it looked like today. The switch was in the ON position. That wouldn't cause the fuse to blow, surely.
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Post by matty6strings on Mar 11, 2011 15:22:18 GMT -7
Well, I put in a new fuse and it blew instantly = $$$.$$ Off to the techs place I guess. Darn.
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Post by mtlrecords on Mar 11, 2011 16:47:34 GMT -7
Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, it happens every once in awhile. The good news is it looks like you have a Remedy, which should fill in nicely in the meantime!
SRZ is one incredible amp though and I hope it is a reasonable fix.
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Post by matty6strings on Mar 11, 2011 21:09:31 GMT -7
Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, it happens every once in awhile. The good news is it looks like you have a Remedy, which should fill in nicely in the meantime! SRZ is one incredible amp though and I hope it is a reasonable fix. Thanks! I have good new to report. Power Tube had a short in it which was causing the fuses to blow. There was only one store in my city that I could get to this afternoon that stocked any EL34's so I had to make a choice between EH non matched or graded singles a matched set of the GT EL34-R tubes. Naturally I went home with the GT's. The 6CA7 tubes I had in there were graded with a 6, these GT's are graded with 5's. If not mistaken, I believe they are set for a cooler bias, correct? I won't be able to set the bias until next week sometime when I go to my buddy's place. Should be OK until then eh? So yeah, the SRZ is ripping and sounds better than it did when I first got it - which was great! You could say that I'm STOKED again. Love these two monster amps.
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Post by chilicat on Mar 12, 2011 10:43:12 GMT -7
That is great news!
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Post by muzacman02 "Jamie" on Mar 12, 2011 13:22:47 GMT -7
thats awesome!!!!!! im currently using the 6CA7's and the SRZ has never sounded better. I used at rehearsals lastnight with my g12-65 I got from KC ;D ;D everyone was ;D i cant get over how much bottom that speaker has. in a convertible Z 1x12 with the back open!!! I will always keep my Trusty #1 no matter what! That fuse is a 250 volt 3 amp by the way and any locasl home depot or lowes should have carried that fuse its just a slow blow glass. ;D
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Post by matty6strings on Mar 12, 2011 13:27:47 GMT -7
thats awesome!!!!!! im currently using the 6CA7's and the SRZ has never sounded better. I used at rehearsals lastnight with my g12-65 I got from KC ;D ;D everyone was ;D i cant get over how much bottom that speaker has. in a convertible Z 1x12 with the back open!!! I will always keep my Trusty #1 no matter what! That fuse is a 250 volt 3 amp by the way and any locasl home depot or lowes should have carried that fuse its just a slow blow glass. ;D Ya, the fuse was another issue. Everywhere I went they were sold out of the 250v 3amp fuses. You have no idea the amount of cursing I let out yesterday. Anyhow, "the source" or what used to be Radio Shack had 6 left so I bought all of them. The Remedy takes the same fuse so I figured its a no brainer to keep some at home and some in the gig bag with back up tubes.
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Post by troutstrat on Mar 12, 2011 17:39:10 GMT -7
Glad it worked out for ya there.
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Post by matty6strings on Jun 12, 2011 14:22:06 GMT -7
....and we're back to square one, the original issue.
Play for a while then these huge increases in gain/volume. If not tubes, do caps generate these issues when going bad?
Thankfully I have the Remedy to use but I love the stereo thing I have going on.
Guess it needs some amp tech love.
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2011 19:01:42 GMT -7
I would say tubes, again
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Post by pcns on Jun 14, 2011 6:36:23 GMT -7
have you checked the rectifier tube? My Maz Jr would sound great and then once warmed up it would start to fade. When I took it in for Tone by pass mod I was asked if I had noticed that the rectifier was slowly dying. Replaced it and it was back to life and rocking again. just one more thing to try before you pay the repair man you can order one from here, (link from Dr Z's website) thetubestore.com/teslagz34.htmlTodd
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Post by matty6strings on Jun 14, 2011 8:28:52 GMT -7
Thanks Todd.
I'll spend some time on my weekend tube shopping and replacing whats in there. It is the first choice or least expensive first option when trouble shooting, I should know better.
Thanks all. Will update once completed.
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Post by matty6strings on Oct 10, 2011 8:45:04 GMT -7
Bought a new Recifier tube but never put it in. Since about 2 days after my last post, the amp has been acting perfectly. Go figure.
I always have the Remedy available so losing the SRZ (should it go bad out of the blue) to the repair man for a few days won't hurt so bad.
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