Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: tubemania on August 15, 2010, 02:11:51 pm
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Hello boys! I haven't been around in quite a while. On the road working most of the time. Had a massive heart attack this year that sent me back a bit and then the wife of 28 years left me 6 days after the heart attack for another woman. Yes WOW! Anyway, I have this 100 watt 1959 Plexi that I am getting very little sound out of. Maybe less than 5 watts with the volumes turned all the way up. I have been removed from any building and repairing for some time, so I am looking for some help in where to start looking to reveal the problem and hopefully fixing it. Any help, as always, is always appreciated. Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do here. READING!
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Sounds like life sent you a bunch of crap in the same envelope.......but help for the amp can be found here, but you will have to give more info for starters , How old is it? Have you tried other speakers?
A different guitar? Different cables? I'd start with the simple things first........It may be a simple problem
how old are the caps? From the 70's? Tubes ? Post some pictures......
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give this a try
http://www.geofex.com/ampdbug/ampdebug.htm
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Just go through it and service it
You can use my fender service guide on the library page.
All the tips and tricks are basically the same for a Marshall.
There's no sense in spending a bunch of time trying to pinpoint it from guessing.
There could be several things that need attention besides what exactly is causing the main problem
All that is fixed at one time during the service
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Preamp tubes will do exactly what you are describing.Get three new ones and see what happens.I replace a great many 12AX7s on marshall amps.
p.s. take care of your heart,quit smoking and write a few country songs.Play a lot of music.It helps heal you inside.
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Take care of yourself......I found in life nothing really means anything other then what you yourself can accomplish. Everybody else can go F themselves if they don't like it as long as you are righteous. People, especially women always think the grass is greener on the other side. Most are in for a rude awakening.
Those amps not only sounded great but they looked great too........I would start at the beginning. Check all your voltages and make sure they are what they are supposed to be. Clean the pots. Change tubes first, check for loose grounds then start looking for faulty components.
Are there any mods? So many times things are changed and the solder joints go bad over time. Even some of the work at their factory was not first rate. If modded put it back to stock and start over. You'll find out what's wrong somewhere down the line, those are not complex amps. Just go slow and do a little at a time and don't work when you're not 100%. I find that when I used to do that it's when I made the most mistakes. You cannot do this kind of work when you're in pain or discomfort, you need 100% concentration.
Feel good, take care of yourself and don't let anything get to you, it's not worth it. People ask me why I look under 40 when I'm over 50, I just say I stopped giving a crap about the little BS things in life. If I have no control over something I can't control it and that's the end of it. I always do the right thing but that doesn't seem to matter, I can't control the world around me, I can only control me.
I think if I still smoked I would have been dead by now. Good luck!!!
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Check all your voltages and make sure they are what they are supposed to be.
plus one for "check all of your voltages" first. Everytime I waste a bunch of time troubleshooting and amp, it is because I didn't do a voltage chart first.
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Tubes,guys.Check the tubes.That's the number one thing in a tube amp.