noob with dead amp

robrtnickerson · Post by **robrtnickerson** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:24 pm

Hello shortscale. I've been lurking for a while and was waiting for some good reason to post. I have a Fender Blues DeVille 212 that stopped working on me mid gig on friday. When I say it stopped I mean that it ceased to make sounds of any kind. I did not have it cranked up all that loud and at the time was running it clean. I checked all cables and pedals and any other suspects and still nothing, not even a buzz. Mind you this was in the middle of the show and could not properly diagnose any problem. I got the amp home and plugged my guitar straight in and was then able to notice a faint hum and when I turned the volume all the way up I could hear the signal. Any help would be appreciated.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:30 pm

It's normally tubes which is good as that's the easiest and cheapest thing to fix.

Have a look at tubes if they're visible and see if they're all glowing evenly? Get a spare 12AX7 and try it in place of each of the preamp tubes in turn. If that doesn't work, try replacing the power amp tubes.

If both power tubes are dark it could mean the power amp fuse has gone and that will need replacing along with the power tubes.

Welcome to the board and good luck with your amp!

robrtnickerson · Post by **robrtnickerson** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:09 pm

Thanks. Assuming I don't swap the tubes with the amp plugged in while underwater this isn't gonna kill me is it?

Post by **Mike** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:20 pm

haha.. No, you should be fine. I always change tubes with the amp unplugged though.

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:03 pm

sometimes even just re-seating the tubes can help.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:56 am

you know the silver stuff at the end and coating the inside of each tube?
If that stuff has turned white, you've got a spent tube.

aen · Post by **aen** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 2:31 am

Justin J wrote:sometimes even just re-seating the tubes can help.

My dad's twin reverb tries to squirt out tubes. You hae to push em back in after a road trip.

robrtnickerson · Post by **robrtnickerson** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:45 am

I really hope that poking tubes fixes this. I would do it now but I took my shoes off and the amp is all the way in my garage. tomorrow I will do stuff. It has been handled quite a lot as of late. thank you all for input.

robrtnickerson · Post by **robrtnickerson** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:58 am

Okay, so I decided that it was quite lazy of me to not check this out after asking for help. I poked the tubes(more like firmly pushed) and fired that bitch up. It works. I hate it when it's that easy. I kind of made a huge deal out of this to my drummer and others and am now going to have to make something up about how I went all McGuyver on it and fixed it using a banana peel wrapped around a tire iron or something retarded like that. Thanks for the help.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 4:01 am

SHRTSCAEL POWA!

Gavin · Post by **Gavin** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 4:06 am

robrtnickerson wrote:Okay, so I decided that it was quite lazy of me to not check this out after asking for help. I poked the tubes(more like firmly pushed) and fired that bitch up. It works. I hate it when it's that easy. I kind of made a huge deal out of this to my drummer and others and am now going to have to make something up about how I went all McGuyver on it and fixed it using a banana peel wrapped around a tire iron or something retarded like that. Thanks for the help.

Will · Post by **Will** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:22 am

robrtnickerson wrote:Okay, so I decided that it was quite lazy of me to not check this out after asking for help. I poked the tubes(more like firmly pushed) and fired that bitch up. It works. I hate it when it's that easy. I kind of made a huge deal out of this to my drummer and others and am now going to have to make something up about how I went all McGuyver on it and fixed it using a banana peel wrapped around a tire iron or something retarded like that. Thanks for the help.

Best noob 2009????

Post by **Mike** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:22 am

Well played, both in getting it working again and in that post. Nicely done.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:04 pm

Will wrote:
robrtnickerson wrote:Okay, so I decided that it was quite lazy of me to not check this out after asking for help. I poked the tubes(more like firmly pushed) and fired that bitch up. It works. I hate it when it's that easy. I kind of made a huge deal out of this to my drummer and others and am now going to have to make something up about how I went all McGuyver on it and fixed it using a banana peel wrapped around a tire iron or something retarded like that. Thanks for the help.

Best noob 2009!!!!!!

robrtnickerson · Post by **robrtnickerson** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 2:34 pm

Thanks. My gear is all in varying states of disrepair so I'm sure I will need help in the future.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:53 pm

fuck yes

Post by **dots** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:11 pm

robrtnickerson wrote:Okay, so I decided that it was quite lazy of me to not check this out after asking for help. I poked the tubes(more like firmly pushed) and fired that bitch up. It works. I hate it when it's that easy. I kind of made a huge deal out of this to my drummer and others and am now going to have to make something up about how I went all McGuyver on it and fixed it using a banana peel wrapped around a tire iron or something retarded like that. Thanks for the help.

don't seat it, dude. the other guitar player in my band had almost the exact same problem (with i think the exact same amp) with the exact same solution. at least it was only at a rehearsal in his case, but yeah, he was relieved/irked it was something so simple.

welcome to shrtsacleyeollolol

robrtnickerson · Post by **robrtnickerson** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:55 pm

shit. shit. Just went out and fired up the amp to play and got nothing. "Okay, it popped out again" I thought, so I poked it back in like before but this time I gots nothin. I pulled out the culprit and it appeared to be in good shape, silver at the end and all that good shit. It doesn't seem to be as secure as its siblings so I'm wondering if there is anything I could tighten up in that socket. Anyone got any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Will · Post by **Will** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:33 am

Was it a no-power-at-all situation or a power-but-no-sound situation?

95% of the time:

No power at all = Fuse
No sound = Tubes or speaker or speaker wire

The other 5% it's usually a resistor in the power section or a loose connection.

robrtnickerson · Post by **robrtnickerson** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:04 am

I've got a very weak signal at full volume. Of the three preamp tubes, the middle is not lighting up. Last week I fixed it by pushing it back in its socket. It worked fine all week. This afternoon I tried to do the same thing but got nothing, the other tubes feel very solid in their homes but this one does not. The tube appears OK and considering that it worked during the week after having proven itself unable to stay in the socket I am inclined to think that the problem lies there. I have also checked the fuse, no problems there. If I was near anywhere that sold tubes I would just buy a new one and eliminate that as a problem, but I happen to live in the middle of kansas. If amps were powered by wheat and cowshit I'd be allright. Amp tech guy is a pain in the ass for me to take it to him so I'll just keep on trying to not fuck my amp up too much. Thanks for the advice.