|
Post by azcoyote on Jan 9, 2022 15:19:44 GMT -7
I decided to turn my amp up a bit and see how things on my pedalboard sound and now the amp is dropping out.
Troubleshooting so far... removed the pedals and just going straight into the amp. Cleaned my guitar pots and switches then tried a second guitar. Tried alternate cable.
I hear the initial sound then it just drops out and I can hear it in the background. Or I don't hear it and then it just blasts into existence.
Amp settings
Volume at 10 am Tone at Noon Master at Noon
I assume the power tube being bright orange is totally normal.
Can anyone tell me what the problem might be??
This is my first Z and it's pretty crushing to have it suddenly stop working. I know it's just bad luck but it really sucks since this was a major get for me.
Any help truly appreciated...
|
|
|
Post by ME on Jan 9, 2022 15:34:12 GMT -7
Bright orange power tubes is a bad sign… ME
|
|
|
Post by LT on Jan 9, 2022 15:48:27 GMT -7
I agree....pop in a new set of power tubes and see what happens (if you have them).
Did you buy the amp new or used? If used, those tubes could easily be worn out.
|
|
|
Post by loucardguitar (Johnathan) on Jan 9, 2022 15:49:09 GMT -7
Yeah, my thought is that the power tubes are either shot or going bad. Do you have an extra set around? If so, I would swap them out and see if the problem persists. If the problem goes away, then there ya go. If not then you might need to reach out to Dr Z support. That being said, it's always good to have at least one complete spare set of tubes (as well as some spare fuses) on hand at any time in case you need to replace anything.
|
|
|
Post by DRZ on Jan 9, 2022 16:03:42 GMT -7
I see you got the amp about a month ago. Where did you buy it , used or from a dealer ? If from a dealer which one and what is the serial # ? When you say the tubes are glowing Orange that doesn't sound right . How about a picture of what you see ?
Z
|
|
|
Post by azcoyote on Jan 9, 2022 16:13:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by azcoyote on Jan 9, 2022 16:17:07 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by azcoyote on Jan 9, 2022 16:21:58 GMT -7
So is this a power tube issue? Is this what I need? www.thetubestore.com/tung-sol-7591a?custcol2=1I has been years since I bought tubes. Got some JJs for my 6L6 amp a decade back but that Traynor amp and the memory of where I bought them is long gone.
|
|
|
Post by DRZ on Jan 9, 2022 17:02:02 GMT -7
So that amp was second hand. Guitar Pickers looks a nice Guitar Store but they are not a Z dealer. The amp is 20 months old and no telling what the last owner did to it. I know you questioned the Volume control operation , now you have a drop out issue, maybe it would be best to send in just the chassis and let me go over it. If you have a good tech near by maybe that would be a good option as he could contact us for assistance if needed. Hard to say on the tube pic, it sure seems awful bright. I see tubes glowing like that when you have the volume near max and your rockin' out. But if that is their state at idle I would be concerned. You state that you're " Pretty Crushed " over the failure , OK. Well , maybe a good once over by the factory on a used amp should give you a bit more confidence. Just suggesting a new set of Output tubes seems like a shotgun approach with the limited amount of info. Z
|
|
|
Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Jan 9, 2022 17:16:30 GMT -7
Money spent on Doc checking over the amp is well worth it. I have "several" Zs and I send my used ones into Doc just for a good once over.
|
|
|
Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Jan 9, 2022 17:44:54 GMT -7
I would also recommend removing the preamp tube covers and reseating the tubes in the sockets. You may be losing signal intermittently in the preamp side of things. Also, if the issue persists once you’ve reseated them, then gently tap on each one to see if you hear a significant reaction.
|
|
|
Post by azcoyote on Jan 9, 2022 17:56:02 GMT -7
So that amp was second hand. Guitar Pickers looks a nice Guitar Store but they are not a Z dealer. The amp is 20 months old and no telling what the last owner did to it. I know you questioned the Volume control operation , now you have a drop out issue, maybe it would be best to send in just the chassis and let me go over it. If you have a good tech near by maybe that would be a good option as he could contact us for assistance if needed. Hard to say on the tube pic, it sure seems awful bright. I see tubes glowing like that when you have the volume near max and your rockin' out. But if that is their state at idle I would be concerned. You state that you're " Pretty Crushed " over the failure , OK. Well , maybe a good once over by the factory on a used amp should give you a bit more confidence. Just suggesting a new set of Output tubes seems like a shotgun approach with the limited amount of info. Z Yep. I should probably address all that in detail since text is not the best medium for conveying meaning and I would not want you to think I was saying something negative. I didn't think to ask if they were a dealer and I assumed it was new so that is clearly on me. Being thrill to have come across what had previously been an unobtainable thing I jumped on it. I know that will sound stupid to some since it isn't $10,000 we are talking about but you know, we all have situations. After putting a lot of other peoples needs first, I got something for myself. That's all. Saying I was pretty crushed wasn't a complaint about your work or your product. I know it is stellar. You can look at my account to see I've been lurking here for a decade or better biding my time until I could get one of these home. Like I said before, this is clearly my bad luck and I realize now also my failure to do some due diligence before the purchase. You have my apologies if I gave any indication to the contrary. All of that said, it is greatly generous of you to offer help. Please let me know who to contact and what to do to send it back for a once over. Thanks, Wiley
|
|
|
Post by DRZ on Jan 9, 2022 18:20:44 GMT -7
Contact Don repairs@drzamps.com
He'll send you a RA form to fill out and include in the shipment. Again all you need do is send the chassis, 4 bolts remove it from the cab. Leave the tubes in place wrap in bubble wrap if you have it and put in a 12 X 12 X 24 inch box , very common size. Pack it well, it will return in factory shipping . Hopefully you didn't pay full price for the amp, as it was used. You'll get it back in better then new condition with a very reasonable repair bill.
No hard feelings on this end. Just a tube failure I believe , but I will check over the complete amp.
Z
|
|
|
Post by azcoyote on Jan 9, 2022 18:25:21 GMT -7
Contact Don repairs@drzamps.com He'll send you a RA form to fill out and include in the shipment. Again all you need do is send the chassis, 4 bolts remove it from the cab. Leave the tubes in place wrap in bubble wrap if you have it and put in a 12 X 12 X 24 inch box , very common size. Pack it well, it will return in factory shipping . Hopefully you didn't pay full price for the amp, as it was used. You'll get it back in better then new condition with a very reasonable repair bill. No hard feelings on this end. Just a tube failure I believe , but I will check over the complete amp. Z Thank you. I will send him an email now.
|
|
|
Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 10, 2022 6:47:35 GMT -7
Sorry to hear about your bad luck, Wiley. But Doc gives the best customer service in the industry, bar none. I've never seen a man go further or do more for his customers.
|
|
|
Post by LT on Jan 10, 2022 7:52:28 GMT -7
I sent a used amp to the factory for a once-over and it came back perfect and is still working like new. It's well worth the $.
|
|
|
Post by adam on Jan 10, 2022 14:47:13 GMT -7
I sent a used amp to the factory for a once-over and it came back perfect and is still working like new. It's well worth the $. Me too!
|
|
|
Post by azcoyote on Jul 5, 2022 0:24:25 GMT -7
Sorry to hear about your bad luck, Wiley. But Doc gives the best customer service in the industry, bar none. I've never seen a man go further or do more for his customers. I sent a used amp to the factory for a once-over and it came back perfect and is still working like new. It's well worth the $. I sent a used amp to the factory for a once-over and it came back perfect and is still working like new. It's well worth the $. Me too! You must have much better luck that I do. I sent my Jetta to Ohio and it came back with the exact same problem as when it left. I am just getting around to trying to resolve this issue. I am sure someone will chime in about the amount of time that has passed. I had surgery at start of April and it has taken me several months to recover. The timeline of events. Amp arrived in Ohio for service on Jan 19, 2022. Received it back Feb 24, 2022. Didn't get to play more than 20 minutes at a time until March 16 when I finally had a hour to myself and found that the problem was still there. Reported the issue back to Z in March 16th. Dealing with medical issue and April surgery. Had to focus on health until now. Thankfully I am on the mend. On this Jetta's return trip to Ohio, a complete Checkup was done. Power tubes were replaced. Volume knob was upgraded. The work was reasonably priced and I do not doubt that what was done was done well. But the original problem is exactly as it was when this thread was started. Play the amp for 45-60 minutes and the volume drops out and the crackle begins. Mike has been nice enough. Don is a nice guy too although a little difficult to get ahold of. Clearly he is a busy guy at Z as is usually the case in a repair shop. I don't fault him that. It is pretty hard to run a soldering iron and also be on email or the phone. The Checkup appears to have confirmed all the point to point wiring, transformer, caps, etc, were all good. From January to April, I replaced all my guitar cables. I have replaced the power cable. I added a TrippLite Isobar to keep power clean and tried other outlets. I had my guitar serviced to make sure it was not a ground problem. I acquired a second guitar for testing. Shipped the amp to Z for checkup and repairs. Received it back still not working properly. This week I ordered two 12ax7s and a 5AR4 rectifier tube. They are the only parts that haven't been replaced other than ME, and that feels like a close enough miss for me not to tempt the fates... So hopefully it has something to do with one of these last 3 tubes. If that doesn't work I am out of ideas and options.
|
|
|
Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jul 5, 2022 1:38:29 GMT -7
I hope your medical issues are resolved and you're doing well, Wiley.
I'm curious to know if you clearly explained that it takes 45 minutes to one hour time for the noise to begin. It's possible that this is a thermal issue that only happens when parts are at high temperatures not typically seen with the chassis out of the cab.
|
|
|
Post by azcoyote on Jul 5, 2022 7:14:33 GMT -7
I hope your medical issues are resolved and you're doing well, Wiley.
I'm curious to know if you clearly explained that it takes 45 minutes to one hour time for the noise to begin. It's possible that this is a thermal issue that only happens when parts are at high temperatures not typically seen with the chassis out of the cab.
Thanks, Dave. I remind myself often that there are many out there who have it worse. As to the thermal idea, that seems pretty unlikely wouldn’t you think? I don’t know what the burn in process is at the shop but I suspect that would have shown up while Don was testing the amp. The power tubes were replaced by my request, I wanted spares, but the originals don’t appear to have any issues. As to the running environment, this amp lives in a constant 78 degrees. It sits away from the wall and raised about two feet above the floor. Are you suggesting that the power tubes are heating up the chassis above when the combo is assembled? Or that the power tubes themselves are overheating? I suppose I could put a fan blowing into the back of the amp to see if that either extends the playing time before it stops working or resolves it entirely. Not a great solution tho.
|
|
|
Post by azcoyote on Aug 15, 2022 14:46:46 GMT -7
I just wanted to take a moment follow up on this and extend my deepest gratitude to Don and Mike. I received a shipping ticket from Z and the chassis went back to home base for a complete exam. Don did an exceptionally in depth review of the amp, scoping it, loading it, and ultimately finding an issue with the effects loop which he replaced.
I am about 6 hours into really putting some play time on the amp with volume and gain and it sounds absolutely amazing. Frankly the demo vids don’t do this amp justice. Amazing cleans. Tons of grind. It’s the amp I’ve been wanting for 10+ years.
Thank you for all you did to get this fixed for me! It is truly appreciated.
All the best, W
|
|
|
Post by adam on Aug 15, 2022 15:34:49 GMT -7
Awesome story, and glad you got it worked out.
|
|