saturn Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I was starting to have a few problems with my B52 and thought maybe it was time for a tube change, or possibly even something more serious. The amp would intermittently start "farting out" on me. The output would decrease considerably and it would basically lose it sparkle. It would eventually come back to "normal" but it still wasn't sounding as good as it used to. I happened to read an article on Eurotubes.com and it basically stated that many tube amp issues are caused by bad electrical connections with the pins. It recommended pulling out the tubes and spraying the pins real good with contact cleaner and then slipping them back in-and-out a few times before permanently re-installing them. I pulled all my tubes (pre amp and power), sprayed them with Deoxit5 and followed intructions for putting them back. Knock on wood, my amp hasn't farted out one time since then and it seems to sound better than ever. I hope it's not just a coincidence. The first few times I turned it on and played, the room smelled like Deoxit but I haven't noticed it any more. I would recommend trying this before replacing tubes or taking your amp to a tech. It just might work for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Good Advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Thanks Saturn. As we all know here the price of good quality tubes is outrageous. *edit* I have never heard of Deoxit5....I have been told WD40 is taboo for guitars so thats out of the question. Any Canadians here that know if Deoxit5 is available north of the 49th? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 For some reason this thread has made me randy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc3c46 Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Thanks Saturn. As we all know here the price of good quality tubes is outrageous. *edit* I have never heard of Deoxit5....I have been told WD40 is taboo for guitars so thats out of the question. Any Canadians here that know if Deoxit5 is available north of the 49th? Try to get LPS contact cleaner. Is is used in aviation, it is greaseless (important). I use it for all electronics and never had a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted March 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 http://store.caig.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howlin4Hubert Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Try to get LPS contact cleaner. Is is used in aviation' date=' it is greaseless (important).I use it for all electronics and never had a problem.[/quote'] Agreed, LPS is great. It is also great for use on computer / telecom electronics and is very useful for those 'oops I spilled my coffee on my laptop' moments. Whatever brand you use make sure it is electronics contact cleaner (not WD40 or other lubricants) which is designed to clean electronics and dry without leaving any reside that can cause problems later. It's better to use it with your electronics unplugged and to let it dry completely before plugging it back in so you don't risk shorting anything out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Saturn - great post Having been a full time Amp Tech, Most Amp problems are due to oxidized tube sockets, jacks, pots. They degrade over time just sitting there unused. I've used all the cleaners to clean these - I swear by Caig Labs products. +1 for Caig DeoxIT order in canada here: http://canada.newark.com/caig-laboratories Specifically this one: = reaches into hard to get places http://canada.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?SKU=08H0309&N=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InsideMan Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Spray the electronic cleaner in the socket and try using a pink block pencil eraser on the tube pins. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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