Vintage Synth Repair

hey guys...

i come to you with a slightly off topic problem. i'm guessing it
involves capacitors or something like that, and it might be a problem
someone could have with a synth, plus you guys are a wealth of
knowledge  sooo....

i'm having a problem with my fender bassman tube amp. it's spitting
out noise randomly. sometimes it doesn't do it at all and other time
it gurgles and spits out random volumes of static noise. i noticed
that if  i gave it a sharp nudge it'd go away for a second. same as if
i turned it off and on. a friend of mine had the same thing happen
with his off brand tube amp. i'm guessing all the components are
original so there are probably some components that are 40 years old.

am i right about needing to replace caps? if so, should i just do them
all, or can i test for good and bad caps?

thanks again for all your past help guys,
johnny

If nudgin makes the noise go away, it s probably a poor contact somewhere. Try playing with the tubes, the socket and/or tube pins could simply have oxydation

On Thursday 20 March 2008 20:58, cockandswan wrote:
> i noticed that if  i gave it a sharp nudge it'd go away for a second. same
> as if i turned it off and on.

That strongly suggests that whatever the problem is,  there's a mechanical 
cause to it.  If I had that amp to fix I'd start by going in there and 
re-heating a whole lot of the solder joints,  and seeing if that doesn't fix 
the problem,  for starters.

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
M Dakin

On Thursday 20 March 2008 21:44, Antoine Deschênes wrote:
> If nudgin makes the noise go away, it's probably a poor contact somewhere.
> Try playing with the tubes, the socket and/or tube pins could simply have
> oxydation or something like that.

Yes,  I forgot about tube sockets,  I've seen them give some weird behavior 
too.  A bit of contact cleaner on the tube pins and then wiggling them might 
help.

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
M Dakin

Hi Johnny
 
I work for Fender in the UK from time-to-time helping to reduce their
backlog of amp repairs.  Contact me off group and I will try to help you.
The one thing I need to know is the model number of your amp.
 
Regards
Brian G3OYU
www.g3oyu.co.uk
 
  _____  

From: vintagesynthrepair@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:vintagesynthrepair@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of cockandswan
Sent: Friday, 21 March 2008 00:58
To: vintagesynthrepair@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [vintagesynthrepair] amplifier spitting out noise? (off topic?)
 
hey guys...

i come to you with a slightly off topic problem. i'm guessing it
involves capacitors or something like that, and it might be a problem
someone could have with a synth, plus you guys are a wealth of
knowledge sooo....

i'm having a problem with my fender bassman tube amp. it's spitting
out noise randomly. sometimes it doesn't do it at all and other time
it gurgles and spits out random volumes of static noise. i noticed
that if i gave it a sharp nudge it'd go away for a second. same as if
i turned it off and on. a friend of mine had the same thing happen
with his off brand tube amp. i'm guessing all the components are
original so there are probably some components that are 40 years old.

am i right about needing to replace caps? if so, should i just do them
all, or can i test for good and bad caps?

thanks again for all your past help guys,
johnny
 



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Hello !

I have a Bryston 3B, serial 310255, which I buyed used in 1987 I think.
Now, it needs some service,- bias calibration only I hope.
I\ufffdve found the schematics in the web but a service/repair manual would 
help better.
So, is there anyone who has it in a PDF format ?
My main prob is to open the amp.
Can anyone tell me which tool is needed (screwdriver format ) and where 
I can get this tool ?

thx in advance

PeWe

On Thursday 20 March 2008 22:00, timothy kosiorek wrote:
> Hello:You probably don't need capacitors,that would be needed if your amp
> had a continous hum,

While I am not very much in agreement with the folks that seem to find it 
necessary to change out capacitors wholesale in older gear,  on the one hand,  
I have encountered some situations where bad caps did make an amp noisier 
than it would have been otherwise.

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
M Dakin

thanks for all the help on this so far guys,

i found out that it's one of the tube sockets!

i have tried cleaning it with straight alcohol, and it fixes the
problem (and makes my amp sound better overal all) for about an hour
or so.

i think next i'll try resoldering the pins on that tube socket.

any other thoughts?
thanks guys,
johnny

--- In vintagesynthrepair@yahoogroups.com, "cockandswan"
<cockandswan@...> wrote:

>
> hey guys...
> 
> i come to you with a slightly off topic problem. i'm guessing it
> involves capacitors or something like that, and it might be a problem
> someone could have with a synth, plus you guys are a wealth of
> knowledge  sooo....
> 
> i'm having a problem with my fender bassman tube amp. it's spitting
> out noise randomly. sometimes it doesn't do it at all and other time
> it gurgles and spits out random volumes of static noise. i noticed
> that if  i gave it a sharp nudge it'd go away for a second. same as if
> i turned it off and on. a friend of mine had the same thing happen
> with his off brand tube amp. i'm guessing all the components are
> original so there are probably some components that are 40 years old.
> 
> am i right about needing to replace caps? if so, should i just do them
> all, or can i test for good and bad caps?
> 
> thanks again for all your past help guys,
> johnny
>

You can look for cold solder joints on the socket, but if alcohol
helps, the socket and tube pins probably needs to be cleaned. You'll
need Caig DeoxIT and DeoxIT Gold to make it last. The DeoxIT removes
oxydation and the DeoxIT Gold protects the pins. Caig has specific
instructions for tubes and tube sockets, the reason is that the tubes
work at an high voltage, and the product could cause leak between the
tube pins, which you don't want.

2008/4/20, cockandswan <cockandswan@...>:
> thanks for all the help on this so far guys,
>
>  i found out that it's one of the tube sockets!
>
>  i have tried cleaning it with straight alcohol, and it fixes the
>  problem (and makes my amp sound better overal all) for about an hour
>  or so.
>
>  i think next i'll try resoldering the pins on that tube socket.
>
>  any other thoughts?
>  thanks guys,
>  johnny
>
>  --- In vintagesynthrepair@yahoogroups.com, "cockandswan"
>  <cockandswan@...> wrote:
>  >
>  > hey guys...
>  >
>  > i come to you with a slightly off topic problem. i'm guessing it
>  > involves capacitors or something like that, and it might be a problem
>  > someone could have with a synth, plus you guys are a wealth of
>  > knowledge  sooo....
>  >
>  > i'm having a problem with my fender bassman tube amp. it's spitting
>  > out noise randomly. sometimes it doesn't do it at all and other time
>  > it gurgles and spits out random volumes of static noise. i noticed
>  > that if  i gave it a sharp nudge it'd go away for a second. same as if
>  > i turned it off and on. a friend of mine had the same thing happen
>  > with his off brand tube amp. i'm guessing all the components are
>  > original so there are probably some components that are 40 years old.
>  >
>  > am i right about needing to replace caps? if so, should i just do them
>  > all, or can i test for good and bad caps?
>  >
>  > thanks again for all your past help guys,
>  > johnny
>  >
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------------
>
>  Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


-- 
Antoine Deschênes

> i think next i'll try resoldering the pins on that tube socket.
>
> any other thoughts?

Re-tension the pins on the tube socket.  I usually use a tiny screwdriver or 
similar pokie thing to force the female bits to be a little tighter.  I 
think in L.A. it's called laser vaginal rejuvination.

GB
mtg mtechgroup

I normally just buy a new one..

Phil.


--- Antoine Desch\ufffdnes <antdes45@...> wrote:

> You can look for cold solder joints on the socket,
> but if alcohol
> helps, the socket and tube pins probably needs to be
> cleaned. You'll
> need Caig DeoxIT and DeoxIT Gold to make it last.
> The DeoxIT removes
> oxydation and the DeoxIT Gold protects the pins.
> Caig has specific
> instructions for tubes and tube sockets, the reason
> is that the tubes
> work at an high voltage, and the product could cause
> leak between the
> tube pins, which you don't want.
> 
> 2008/4/20, cockandswan <cockandswan@...>:
> > thanks for all the help on this so far guys,
> >
> >  i found out that it's one of the tube sockets!
> >
> >  i have tried cleaning it with straight alcohol,
> and it fixes the
> >  problem (and makes my amp sound better overal
> all) for about an hour
> >  or so.
> >
> >  i think next i'll try resoldering the pins on
> that tube socket.
> >
> >  any other thoughts?
> >  thanks guys,
> >  johnny
> >
> >  --- In vintagesynthrepair@yahoogroups.com,
> "cockandswan"
> >  <cockandswan@...> wrote:
> >  >
> >  > hey guys...
> >  >
> >  > i come to you with a slightly off topic
> problem. i'm guessing it
> >  > involves capacitors or something like that, and
> it might be a problem
> >  > someone could have with a synth, plus you guys
> are a wealth of
> >  > knowledge  sooo....
> >  >
> >  > i'm having a problem with my fender bassman
> tube amp. it's spitting
> >  > out noise randomly. sometimes it doesn't do it
> at all and other time
> >  > it gurgles and spits out random volumes of
> static noise. i noticed
> >  > that if  i gave it a sharp nudge it'd go away
> for a second. same as if
> >  > i turned it off and on. a friend of mine had
> the same thing happen
> >  > with his off brand tube amp. i'm guessing all
> the components are
> >  > original so there are probably some components
> that are 40 years old.
> >  >
> >  > am i right about needing to replace caps? if
> so, should i just do them
> >  > all, or can i test for good and bad caps?
> >  >
> >  > thanks again for all your past help guys,
> >  > johnny
> >  >
> >
> >
> >
> >  ------------------------------------
> >
> >  Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
> -- 
> Antoine Desch\ufffdnes
> 



      __________________________________________________________
Sent from Yahoo! Mail.
A Smarter Email http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html

That's possible too, but both the socket and the tube need to be changed.
(At least it doesn't cost $40 worth of cleaning products)

2008/4/21, Philip <eggwheatis@...>:
> I normally just buy a new one..
>
> Phil.
>
>
> --- Antoine Deschênes <antdes45@...> wrote:
>
> > You can look for cold solder joints on the socket,
> > but if alcohol
> > helps, the socket and tube pins probably needs to be
> > cleaned. You'll
> > need Caig DeoxIT and DeoxIT Gold to make it last.
> > The DeoxIT removes
> > oxydation and the DeoxIT Gold protects the pins.
> > Caig has specific
> > instructions for tubes and tube sockets, the reason
> > is that the tubes
> > work at an high voltage, and the product could cause
> > leak between the
> > tube pins, which you don't want.
> >
> > 2008/4/20, cockandswan <cockandswan@hotmail.com>:
> > > thanks for all the help on this so far guys,
> > >
> > >  i found out that it's one of the tube sockets!
> > >
> > >  i have tried cleaning it with straight alcohol,
> > and it fixes the
> > >  problem (and makes my amp sound better overal
> > all) for about an hour
> > >  or so.
> > >
> > >  i think next i'll try resoldering the pins on
> > that tube socket.
> > >
> > >  any other thoughts?
> > >  thanks guys,
> > >  johnny
> > >
> > >  --- In vintagesynthrepair@yahoogroups.com,
> > "cockandswan"
> > >  <cockandswan@...> wrote:
> > >  >
> > >  > hey guys...
> > >  >
> > >  > i come to you with a slightly off topic
> > problem. i'm guessing it
> > >  > involves capacitors or something like that, and
> > it might be a problem
> > >  > someone could have with a synth, plus you guys
> > are a wealth of
> > >  > knowledge  sooo....
> > >  >
> > >  > i'm having a problem with my fender bassman
> > tube amp. it's spitting
> > >  > out noise randomly. sometimes it doesn't do it
> > at all and other time
> > >  > it gurgles and spits out random volumes of
> > static noise. i noticed
> > >  > that if  i gave it a sharp nudge it'd go away
> > for a second. same as if
> > >  > i turned it off and on. a friend of mine had
> > the same thing happen
> > >  > with his off brand tube amp. i'm guessing all
> > the components are
> > >  > original so there are probably some components
> > that are 40 years old.
> > >  >
> > >  > am i right about needing to replace caps? if
> > so, should i just do them
> > >  > all, or can i test for good and bad caps?
> > >  >
> > >  > thanks again for all your past help guys,
> > >  > johnny
> > >  >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >  ------------------------------------
> > >
> > >  Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Antoine Deschênes
> >
>
>
>
>      __________________________________________________________
> Sent from Yahoo! Mail.
> A Smarter Email http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


-- 
Antoine Deschênes