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WTF? My amp has died!


paul44

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Was playing it before lunch,everything's fine.Half an hour later and it's completely dead.No lights come on,no fuses are blown inside it,power lead and plug are ok......I'm stumped.What could have gone wrong with it? It's a Laney VC30-212 combo.

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Now the question is why did the fuse blow? Output tubes getting old?

 

 

I hate amplifiers! I replaced the fuse and sure enough it went pop again.So I guess it's replace the tubes time.Amp isn't even a year old.

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I hate amplifiers! I replaced the fuse and sure enough it went pop again.So I guess it's replace the tubes time.Amp isn't even a year old.

 

 

Depending on how much you play, they should be changed about every 6 months anyway. Did you notice a gradual decline in your amps tone, volume or punch?

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Jesus, what do you do to your amps? I've never had such problems!

 

 

haha...I didn't say I lived by that, just that tubes actually have a relatively short life span. But I do play alot and try to change them on my #1 amp once a year. Its pretty easy to tell well pres are going, and when power tubes are losing their punch.

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I've been playing my Classic 30 with the same tubes in it for almost 2 years.

 

Granted, I don't play 4 hours every night. Some nights I don't play at all, some nights I'll play for an hour or two, some weekends I may play for 6 hours or more. I've done probably 40 gigs with it, 40 band practices with it, lots of recording with it.

 

I bought the amp used...have no idea how old it is, but it looks like it's got the original power tubes in it. I did change the preamp tubes when I bought it.

 

It still sounds great.

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I've been playing my Classic 30 with the same tubes in it for almost 2 years.


Granted, I don't play 4 hours every night. Some nights I don't play at all, some nights I'll play for an hour or two, some weekends I may play for 6 hours or more. I've done probably 40 gigs with it, 40 band practices with it, lots of recording with it.


I bought the amp used...have no idea how old it is, but it looks like it's got the original power tubes in it. I did change the preamp tubes when I bought it.


It still sounds great.

 

 

I go through through pres much much quicker than power tubes. I have had my superocket for almost 3 years, and I just changed the power tubes for the first time. I gone through a few sets of pres though.

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I go through through pres much much quicker than power tubes. I have had my superocket for almost 3 years, and I just changed the power tubes for the first time. I gone through a few sets of pres though.

 

 

did you notice a big difference?

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did you notice a big difference?

 

 

A difference after changing the pre tubes? Yes, but I have also been trying different makes and types.

 

A difference after changing the power tubes? Its actually in the shop right now getting a proper bias. I really hope there is a difference, because I am trying out the winged C 6L6s. Hopefully those tubes live up the reviews I have read.

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1 year = 8760 potential playing hours, and even 1/4 of that is well beyond the reasonable life expectancy for tubes. Suck it up and get used to it, or buy a POD..

 

 

Yet another fabulously smug,and totally wrong,contribution from you.My previous amp lasted well over 10 years with it's original tubes........explain that Einstein.

Buy a POD? {censored} off.

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I go through through pres much much quicker than power tubes. I have had my superocket for almost 3 years, and I just changed the power tubes for the first time. I gone through a few sets of pres though.

 

 

That's weird, preamp tubes aren't exposed to the extreme temperatures that wear power tubes out

 

Back in the old days, a preamp tube was good for a decade or more, maybe two. That's why you can buy them used and still expect good use from them. Power tubes are supposed to wear out much quicker.

 

But then, tubes these days aren't built anywhere near as robust.

 

Power tube life all depends on time used and how hard they are pushed. People who gig for a living and tour constantly generally have to replace them every 3 months. Casual players can get years of life, even from a modern import tube. If someone never cranks their Twin Reverb past 3 and only plays it periodically, they could last for 5-10 years. On the other hand, an amp like a Vox AC-30 or Matchless DC-30 runs hot even when idled, so they run through tubes a lot faster, having to replace power tubes every year is not unusual in Matchless amps. I know the Laney VC is Vox-derived, but I don't know what the expected tube life is.

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