Alright, not even a year ago, I bought a Marshall JCM800 Half Stack from a buddy at work. I had to get it retubed right away, he knocked off $100 from the price because I was going to get it done myself. It's worked fine ever since. However, about a week ago, it went quiet again. I noticed it was after I used my Zoom pedal with heavy distortion for a bit. After that, when I put the head on 10 volume, it sounds like it's on 1. I hardly use it loud since I have it in my bed room at all times. I might use it loud for 2 hours a week tops. I just talked to the guy about it and he said to check my chords, try a different guitar, and to try pushing the tubes back in place. Also to move it to a warmer area, right now it's next to my window and in Boston it's been freezing the past few days. So I'm thinking of just rearranging my room to move the amp to a warmer area. Any other suggestions on what I should do to help this thing be loud? I don't want to get it retubed because he said he used to do it once every two years and he played gigs and with a band every day of the week. I hardly use it lately and it seems to have just died.
Do you use it right away after its turned on or does the electronics have the proper time to warm up first ?
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Well usually it takes about 10 seconds to warm up before it puts out any sound at all. That was always enough for any volume. Now I've played it for over 15 minutes straight so it should have warmed up and it still doesn't get louder. I mean it still works and sound comes out, but the quality is lower and the sound isn't nearly as loud.
I mean really warm up the electronics before you use it, 20 minutes should be sufficient for most aplliances and the components inside are ready for the spikes of currents flowing around .....FrankieSpankie3388 wrote:
Well usually it takes about 10 seconds to warm up before it puts out any sound at all. That was always enough for any volume. Now I've played it for over 15 minutes straight so it should have warmed up and it still doesn't get louder. I mean it still works and sound comes out, but the quality is lower and the sound isn't nearly as loud.
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you should wait a whole minute to let it warm up and it needs to have the standby off so that needs to be in the down position. what brans of tubes did you put in it? 20minutes?! ok you dont know what your talking about (for guitar) so please just dont. Did you retube the Pre-amp tubes when you got the power tubes replaced? i think it could be the pre-amp tubes but it could be the transformer too
So the parts used to build a guitar amp is different from the parts used in typical stereo components ?
No i didn`t know that since i`m a hifi freak and only use all kinds of amp`s besides the guitar ones !
No i didn`t know that since i`m a hifi freak and only use all kinds of amp`s besides the guitar ones !
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I'm really not sure, I don't know too much about how the amp works, that's what else is working against me. I just brought it to Daddy's Junky Music since it's the only music store even remotely close to me. I asked for Sovtek because I heard those were good except I have no idea if they put those in or not... I'll try warming it up for a minute with standby on when I get home.
I use Electro Harmonix tubes in my Ampeg SVT, the marshall has EL34's correct? go to this site for some tubes: http://www.tubestore.com/index.html
tube amps need more maintance
"you know life is what we make it, and a chance is like a picture, it'd be nice if you just take it"
no you think? they need to retubed and rebiased every 1-2 years. pre-amp tubes need to be replaced when there is an excess of microphonics or the amp starts squealing uncontrollably. also when you are taking breaks with the amp during a show or at practice but still leaving the amp on? turn on standby otherwise you take a risk of killing the tubes fasterd4rkst4r wrote:
tube amps need more maintance
Solid-state FTW! I've always thought tubes were overrated anyway. It may be slighty warmer, but I prefer the clarity of solid-state and you can EQ that warmth back in there anyway.
not really, a tube amp is a tube amp especially for bass even though this isnt about bass amps. i prefer the sound of a tube amp like a Fender Hot rod deluxe over some cheapo peavey SS combo. tubes arent overrated, its a matter of hearing it, tubes add a lot of warmth and a bit of compression. solid state while being more clear, can sound really brittle