Bato Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Played my Blues Custom 30 last night, everything worked a-ok. Turned on the power this evening and nothing. No power light, no hum, just silence. I pulled the chassis out and changed every fuse inside, still nothing. The external fuse actually looks fine and wasn't able to get a replacement for it tonight. Anyone have any ideas as this thing just plain died suddenly? Bato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSDx Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Played my Blues Custom 30 last night, everything worked a-ok. Turned on the power this evening and nothing. No power light, no hum, just silence. I pulled the chassis out and changed every fuse inside, still nothing. The external fuse actually looks fine and wasn't able to get a replacement for it tonight. Anyone have any ideas as this thing just plain died suddenly? Bato Have you plugged anything else known to be working into the same electrical outlet??? ... or, conversely, plugged the amp in somewhere else??? Just on the chance... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bato Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Have you plugged anything else known to be working into the same electrical outlet??? ... or, conversely, plugged the amp in somewhere else??? Just on the chance... Yeah, plugged in my GSP 2101 (Rack multi-effects processor)to the same outlet and it works just fine. I also tried switching out the power cord with the 2101's as they are the same as well. Still no help. I read a review on the Guitar Center website that related the story of a bad power supply on a new BC30. I have e-mailed Gibson for a certified tech in my area, but I may be trying to fix this myself if there isn't one available. I suspect its either the power switch or the actual power supply. IDK, never worked on an amp before, just pedals. Maybe an new adventure for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bato Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Called Gibson as no reply to my e-mail, and got the name of a certified repair tech in the area. I called him and he believes it is a bad tube or a burned out resistor. I am debating on whether to re-tube it myself and see what happens, or just bite the bullet and let him figure it out. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSDx Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Called Gibson as no reply to my e-mail, and got the name of a certified repair tech in the area. I called him and he believes it is a bad tube or a burned out resistor. I am debating on whether to re-tube it myself and see what happens, or just bite the bullet and let him figure it out. Any thoughts? Hmmm .... well, in my experience, fwiw, I've never had a bad tube prevent the power light from lighting up (but I could be wrong, I dunno). I mean, you COULD re-tube it, and if it's NOT a bad tube, at least you'd have a set of spares to hang on to. Personally, I'd bring it to someone who works on tube amps, Gibson certified or not. Hope you get it sorted and that it is nothing major... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bato Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Hmmm .... well, in my experience, fwiw, I've never had a bad tube prevent the power light from lighting up (but I could be wrong, I dunno). I mean, you COULD re-tube it, and if it's NOT a bad tube, at least you'd have a set of spares to hang on to. Personally, I'd bring it to someone who works on tube amps, Gibson certified or not. Hope you get it sorted and that it is nothing major... I did manage to talk to a Gibson tech via e-mail and he seemed to think it was one of the on board fuses (which I had already checked) or a bad tube. I, like yourself, was under the impression that a bad tube would not prevent it from powering up, but I am no tube amp expert so.... I am going to do the prudent thing and take it to the shop and let someone who knows what they are doing look at it. I appreciate your reply and I will update this thread once the problem has been found and fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyroid Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Hi, I had a similar problem a couple of years ago, when I still used the 'Standby' switch. For me it was the fuse inside the power socket that blew because of the ridiculous standby switch/choke circuit. Guitar amps use receiver valves and thus do not need a standby switch (only transmitter valves need a standby). Fender first included the switch as a 'Mute' switch for between sets/guitar changes and since then misinformation has led people to believe that they are needed. Manufacturers include them because they help sell amps, yet they only hinder reliability. Replace the fuse before you pay anyone to look at the amp. And if it is the fuse, all you need to do is stop using that 'Standby' switch. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bato Posted October 11, 2011 Author Share Posted October 11, 2011 Hi, I had a similar problem a couple of years ago, when I still used the 'Standby' switch. For me it was the fuse inside the power socket that blew because of the ridiculous standby switch/choke circuit. Guitar amps use receiver valves and thus do not need a standby switch (only transmitter valves need a standby). Fender first included the switch as a 'Mute' switch for between sets/guitar changes and since then misinformation has led people to believe that they are needed. Manufacturers include them because they help sell amps, yet they only hinder reliability. Replace the fuse before you pay anyone to look at the amp. And if it is the fuse, all you need to do is stop using that 'Standby' switch. Andy I checked all the fuses for continuity using a multimeter and did not find a bad one. I did drop it off on Saturday at the shop. Should have it back in a couple of weeks to a month. I will post the solution to the problem at that time. Thanks for your reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bato Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 I received a phone call from the repair tech today. The rectifier tube was bad and blew out the main fuse to the power supply, which I had missed when I was checking the fuses I was kicking myself in the butt until he told me that even had I 'just replaced the fuse', the bad tube would have kept blowing the fuse, or even worse caused damage to the rest of circuit had I kept running it. So it cost me $150.00 to get the rectifier tube replaced. He also told me he did a few mods to 'mellow' it out as it sounded harsh to his ears LOL. I will be picking it up tomorrow and will post to let you all know what I think of the 'new' sound to my BC 30. I will also ask him what mods he did and pull the chassis to get a look at his handy work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSDx Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I received a phone call from the repair tech today. The rectifier tube was bad and blew out the main fuse to the power supply, which I had missed when I was checking the fuses I was kicking myself in the butt until he told me that even had I 'just replaced the fuse', the bad tube would have kept blowing the fuse, or even worse caused damage to the rest of circuit had I kept running it. So it cost me $150.00 to get the rectifier tube replaced. He also told me he did a few mods to 'mellow' it out as it sounded harsh to his ears LOL. I will be picking it up tomorrow and will post to let you all know what I think of the 'new' sound to my BC 30. I will also ask him what mods he did and pull the chassis to get a look at his handy work. Cool, glad you got it sorted..... bet you can't wait to get your hands back on it :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bato Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 I picked up the amp today and I am very pleased with the new sound. The mods he made on the amp have certainly tamed the brightness without making it too muddy. The tone controls work much better now. Right off the bat I noticed that the amp is actually louder now and the distortion on channel 2 is real crunchy. There is now a noticeable sag when the distortion is dimed and I pick aggressively. I never really used the 15 watt mode before now because it always sounded a little weak or thin to me, but now it has some real depth to it. To be honest it is like a new amplifier. As far as what he actually changed, I'm not really sure. He told me he removed the high pass filters on both the tone stack, and the MIDS control on channel two, and that he had replaced a few resistors with values that would give it a warmer sound and more balls. I'm going to look on the BC30 Mods thread to see if I can figure out what he did, or get an explanation there. Be well my friends and message me if you live in NJ and want the name of the gentleman that worked on my amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Svet Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Hey, sounds great! What part of NJ is he in? If it's the northern part I am interested as Im in S NY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Svet Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 What tubes are/were you running in your BC30? I popped the stock tubes out as soon as I received the amp and I've never felt that the tone was too tinny. It might get that way on a single coil but that's what the Treble eq is for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bato Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 What tubes are/were you running in your BC30? I popped the stock tubes out as soon as I received the amp and I've never felt that the tone was too tinny. It might get that way on a single coil but that's what the Treble eq is for. Still running the stock Sovtek 6L6 tubes. The rectifier tube has been replaced with a Sovtek as well. I understand that many people do like the amplifier's sound unmodified, with only a tube change. The amp was in the shop anyway so the gentleman modded it for me to work better with the stock tubes. I PM'ed you the website link for the gentleman that did the repair and mods for me. He is a nice guy and I enjoyed talking to him while I dropped the amp off and picked it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Svet Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Hi, thank you for the PM!! I am happy to learn that you like the sound with your new modifications! The good news is it is likely to get better should you decide to roll some better quality valves into your amp! I don't know what it is but Sovtek tubes just sound terrible. They sound thin and tinny, just like you complained about. You may say, hmmph, he's crazy and perhaps you're right. I have never heard a circuit that I liked Sovteks in. I've owned 7 tube guitar amplifiers, 2 vacuum tubed stereo pre-amps and 2 valve based stereo power amps. Most of them had Sovtek tubes from the factory and they all improved when said tubes were yanked in lieu of other new and old production valves. I don't know why this is. Tube rolling is inexpensive and easy to reverse so I always recommend that before modding the circuit. Anyway good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Svet Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Check this site out for some more information. I use the Tung Sol 12ax7 in many of my amps including the BC30. Sounds great and not too expensive like NOS. The Sovtek complaints I have is for their 12AX7, 5881 (6L6), 6922, kt88 and 6550 tubes. I've hated all the aformentioned. Throw some Tung Sol's in that BC 30 and some EH 6L6's or TAD 6L6 and see where you end up. The 12ax7 are most important followed by the 6L6 with the Rectifier the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bato Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 Check this site out for some more information. I use the Tung Sol 12ax7 in many of my amps including the BC30. Sounds great and not too expensive like NOS. The Sovtek complaints I have is for their 12AX7, 5881 (6L6), 6922, kt88 and 6550 tubes. I've hated all the aformentioned. Throw some Tung Sol's in that BC 30 and some EH 6L6's or TAD 6L6 and see where you end up. The 12ax7 are most important followed by the 6L6 with the Rectifier the least. Will do as soon as the wallet allows me to. I will probably start by replacing the 12AX7s and go from there. I will post back here when I do and let you know what I think of the sound. Thanks for the link. : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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