Members orbm1 Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 Hello everyone, My name is Omar and I am new to this Forum (the Amp forum)... Still I would like to ask for a question with the hopes you may be able to help... I am looking for a new amp... As a thing of destiny my Faithful Bugera V22 rebel at the thought (I think)... I was practicing early yesterday... I will accept that I did not let the tubes warm up (as many friends have recommended). I was playing with a lot of reverb in the clean channel, in the middle of an inspirational lick, the volume cut 20%-30% and the reverb was gone, although the reverb was marked on... you can still hear the guitar, but no reverb with a slight rattle sound... I turned it off, let it cool off, turned back on, same issue... So, What can I do? Needless to say, I do not want to spend a lot of money, because I am looking into another amp, but I would like to get a solution... I called the closest Bugera Authorized repair center and just to look at it will be $60 plus whatever repairs need to be done.... HE told me if it is the tubes it will be like $200(!) to change them, adjust the bias, etc... if I add another $100 I can buy a new V22!!!!! Could it be a bad tube? if it is, how do I change it? How do I know which one is it??and why did I lost the reverb??? Thanks, and any info or suggestions will be appreciated.. Omar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BYONDtheEMBRACE Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 Oh no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twangr Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 Hey Omar! This is a problem I haven't heard before on a V22. I have some questions: Did you have the footswitch plugged in? Have you had the tubes replaced since you bought the amp? Chances are that it is a tube at least as far as the loss of volume. The reverb is digital reverb with it's own little daughter pcb. The only problem I've heard of with the reverb is a "helicopter" or "motorboat" sound. This is typically the fault of a capacitor. If it is the tubes you can change the tubes yourself. It's very easy. No special tools or skills are required. Setting the bias is also very easy but requires a multimeter and an RCA cable is handy but not necessary. A set of ALL new tubes might cost about $90 depending on where you buy them and what brand(s) you get. JJ tubes sound really great in a V22. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 I had the V55 head. My reverb died after 3 days. I doubt the reverb has anything to do with a tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orbm1 Posted January 10, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 I had the V55 head. My reverb died after 3 days. I doubt the reverb has anything to do with a tube. Me too, but the funny thing is that it happened simultaneously, I lost the reverb and the volume at the same time.... Thanks to all! Omar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarbilly74 Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 The problem is it is a Bugera. Just take to a local tech and see if he can fix it for under $100. If he can't, just accept that you bought a disposable amp and move on. I doubt the problem is tube because the reverb is digital. I doubt the fact you didn't let the amp warm up has anything to do with this. These amps are decent sounding but very unreliable. Again, the problem is: it's a Bugera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Norton666 Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 Without question , I replace more reverb tanks than any other amp repair . Every manufacturer , it doesnt discriminate. Reverb tanks just go bad. Most of the time one of the wires rattles off the post inside the reverb tank. When the tank goes , it can completely change the tone of the amplifier. For about 3 years straight , every single Orange Rockerverb I sold came back within a month or so with a bad reverb tank and they sounded like {censored} until you got that tank replaced. Its not an expensive repair and if its been less than a year since you bought your V22 , it will be covered under warranty. If not , it should be less than $50 or so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Norton666 Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 The problem is it is a Bugera. Just take to a local tech and see if he can fix it for under $100. If he can't, just accept that you bought a disposable amp and move on. I doubt the problem is tube because the reverb is digital. I doubt the fact you didn't let the amp warm up has anything to do with this. These amps are decent sounding but very unreliable. Again, the problem is: it's a Bugera. Not the case at all . Bugera doesnt make their reverb tanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 Not the case at all . Bugera doesnt make their reverb tanks Nobody makes their reverb tank. As mentioned, the reverb is digital. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarbilly74 Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 Not the case at all . Bugera doesnt make their reverb tanks 1- there is no tank. 2- if there was a tank, I doubt that would be the culprit. Not much that can go wrong with a reverb tank, even on a Bugera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bomar21 Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twangr Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 Lots of places to get tubes. My latest tube purchase was made at Amp Head because the prices were the same as anywhere else and it was convenient because I was ordering a dual bias probe. Here's the link: http://www.amp-head.com. The tubestore is a good place to go: http://thetubestore.com/ and I'm sure other folks will chime in with where they buy tubes. As far as your reverb goes, for now treat that as a symptom or a secondary problem. The loss in output power would be my first concern. For a first step, unplug the footswitch and turn on the amp. Once it's warmed up play it and see if the reverb is working or not. The default setting with the footswitch unpluged seems to be reverb ON. While you're at it note the volume level. Does it seem normal or is it still reduced? If it is normal chances are the switching circuit has problems. If it is reduced use the front panel switch to change to the gain channel. If the gain channel sounds normally loud the problem is probably a preamp tube. If the gain channel volume is also reduced I would change the power tubes. The bias on a Bugera is weird set up. You can find the Bugera procedure here: http://www.bugera-amps.com/EN/Support/index.aspx The instructions at the link above are for Bugeras other amps, NOT the v22. However, the procedure is the same. The reading you want to get to on your multimeter will be in the negative range (-) of around 15 - 17.5V. Do your own due diligence here. Since Bugera has published no numbers for the EL84 and their biasing circuit and I have no Bugera Service Manual (if such a beast exists) all can and am telling you is from the info I've scrounged up at other forums. Personally, I bias mine at -17.5V. For my particular amp this has produced very good results. Others have posted lower settings and they are happy with their results. So your mileage may definitely vary here. If you do NOT feel confident doing this yourself then do not do it. Take your amp to a tech or get it to an authorized Bugera service center. The extra cost is worth it so you don't hose the amp or worse, fry yourself. If your reverb problem still remains you will, unfortunately, have to have a tech deal with this. Bugera USA is NOT very helpful in getting replacement parts or service information to customers. If you instead choose to consider your amp, as suggested, "disposable", you can dispose of it in my direction. I would love to have a 3rd Bugera to experiment with at my leisure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flogger59 Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 ^^^^^LOL!!!!^^^^^^ "Bugera Service Manual" *snicker* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twangr Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 Yeah. Yeah. Wishful thinking on my part. However, there are rumors... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jack Tone Posted January 11, 2011 Members Share Posted January 11, 2011 As Twangr hinted up above, just for fun, try playing without the footswitch attached. Early V series had an internal problem related to the switch that would drop from the overdrive channel to the clean channel. I don't think it's reverb related , though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orbm1 Posted January 11, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 11, 2011 Well... I went to a friend's house. He knows more about amps than me (change tubes, bias, etc). I explained what happened and we turned on the amp... Guess what? It worked with no ISSUES!!! HE still opened it... check some wiring and adjusted a few screws and cables (as suggested in another website with Bugera Amps). Anyways, although I consider myself lucky, I did not want to take a chance... so I took it to GC to trade in for another amp... Long story short, I bought a Mesa Express 5:25 10inch speaker version for $899 (before trade in), it was in clearance!! No more Bugera problems for me! Omar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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