Anyone good with tube amp troubleshooting?

I miss the old large Christmas bulbs but I guess they were rosponsible for burning down a house or two

I didnt get any response there when I put a topic up about my SX 200, not a horrible solid state amp, especially for the price I paid for it. I never use it though because I never wound up leaving home to jam with anyone. Others have used it here. Its our "PA" amp now... lol
 
razoredge said:
I miss the old large Christmas bulbs but I guess they were rosponsible for burning down a house or two

I didnt get any response there when I put a topic up about my SX 200, not a horrible solid state amp, especially for the price I paid for it. I never use it though because I never wound up leaving home to jam with anyone. Others have used it here. Its our "PA" amp now... lol
Click to expand...

Yeah...it's hit or miss over there.

Remember bubble lights? I remember those literally melting down.
 
I've had both kinds, at first they were a real PITA because a bulb would blow and the entire thing would go out and then it would be a big game to find the bad bulb.

No Schenk I dont know what bubble bulbs are ?

Those old style large ones were trouble for many reasons. Large amp draw for old electiric services and house wireing. Older manufacturing process and materials which would get brittle with age and the heat from the bulbs would start the tree on fire if the needles dried out and a bulb laid against them. My families never had any problems but they were cautious. I had a friend who came over from Germany with his mom and she still did their tree with candles, it was really cool, but talk about being careful.

Let me know if thoses tubes improve your tone any... I think thats what this topic was about.... har har
 
schenkadere said:
But if the light stays plugged in and burns out, the chain still stays lit, right? This is different? I didn't realize one bad tube would take your entire amp down. Never happened to me before.

New matched set of JJ's coming from Eurotubes...I'll try this first...better than taking it to some "tech" to rip me off.
Click to expand...


Depends on how the tube went bad. Tubes work by creating an electron flow through a vacuum from a filament to a plate. The current can then be passed onward in the circuit. If the flow of electrons within the vacuum is hampered or stopped altogether, the circuit will show an open. Since the gain stages are cascade-type arrangements where the gain of one tube cascades into the gain of the next tube and so on, one open (or bad "valve" as the Brits term them - valve is a good descriptor here) will kill the circuit.
 
I run my TSL with only 2 power tubes (instead of the 4 that it should have) and it works fine, it doesnt stop working cause i've taken a couple out, its just quieter!
 
^ This is true, the X100B is switchable from 100w to 50w to 25w and thats a switch that somehow eliminates some power tubes from the circuitry. (I dont use it... 100 watts baby!)
 
I've read that if the tubes are removed, the sockets need to be capped or you can damage your amp.

anacrucix...you're talking about power tubes...my problem originates from the preamp.
 
got my Eurotubes JJ set today...cleaned the contacts, installed the new tubes and...............nothing. I am so bummed. I'll have to take it somewhere on Monday. I suck!
 
Do you have the schematics and a multimeter? I'd do a quick test for continuity through the circuit at the very least. It could be a failed component or a busted lead/jumper somewhere taht would be an easy fix.

Just be careful - tubes store a large voltage on the plates and electrocution is entirely possible. :)
 
I was just wondering. I know 110 house current just makes your elbows hurt. 220 will kill you, 17.2(thousand) or what every it was your typical powerline current is will blow body parts off and the old coils from a 12 volt automotive system will hit you pretty hard. So I was just wondering what was changed in this chassis voltage thing, must be similiar to what old 12 volt coils did, because otherwise you cant even feel 12 volts.
 
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