Amp Tech Thread / Ask a tech Q

[Pissy]

How about a Vol pedal just down stream of the tuner's "always on" signal?  roll  it on as needed. 

[Danny G]

I need an on/off stomp switch.

I have all the parts to build the splitter box. But also a friend has a ABY box he ain't using and says he'll give me.

See what happens first

[Danny G]

Friend just gave me said ABY box and wired it, loop station and the loop foot switch onto an auxiliary pedalboard.

Didn't have to fire up a soldering iron!

But I did have to cut some pieces of green electrical tape to cover the SUPER FUCKING BRIGHT GODDAM BLUE LEDs, tones them down so I don't need a welder's mask to look directly at the fucking thing.

Fuck super-bright LEDs

[Lumpy]

I impulsively bought a used Squier Jaguar on Ebay a few months ago, because I wanted to try a Jaguar and I got a good deal (170 shipped, new they are 299). It was from a pawn shop, so my expectations on quality assurance were dialed back.

Turns out the neck is bowed (I have the truss rod maxed out, and it still has too much relief). The original bridge was a disaster, so I got a Mustang bridge replacement, which needs to be set up, and now I see the worm gears (I think that's what they're called - the threaded bits) are starting to vibrate loose and walk themselves out. They'll need lock-tite, once the bridge is set up 'perfectly'.  The choke switch seems to be broken (kill switch on the pickups - I was admittedly riding it pretty hard, which sounds cool). I can imagine that fixing the wiring could be a real pain.

So that's three issues which I can't address on my own... Is this thing a money pit that I should give up on? Worst problem is the bowed neck, I know they can be fixed but it seems like the guitar is "totaled" (in the car insurance sense of the word - it needs repairs which may exceed the value of the guitar).

The really dumb part is that I have two really nice Fenders already (80's Strat and recent MIM Esquire) which I love. I don't even need this guitar, and I don't need any projects. I have other things to worry about. It does seem like a cool guitar, if everything was working and set up properly. This one might be cursed though.

Please advise.

[VOLVO)))]

Take the neck off, loosen the truss rod completely, and get some cheap clamps, and bow it he opposite direction, and forget about it for a couple weeks. Bet it was finished as green wood (not totally dry.)

Its an easy fix if you don't actively need the guitar.

The switch is just a part swap. No big. Take a picture of current wiring, remove switch, replace.

Piece of shit sloppy chinese cast parts, blue loctite, if you're worried about stripping out the allen heads after loctite, use beeswax instead. Heat it till it melts, then put a drop on either side of the thing. Lots of old school tricks to do.

[Lumpy]

That sounds good, thanks!

What kind of clamps should I use? I do have a good table I can clamp that fucker onto. I think I'm supposed to back the truss rod out like halfway (let it bow out) and then clamp?

[Danny G]

Just fixed my Small Clone for no other reason it was broken.

Seems a wire broke off from the switch. Fixed it, now it works.

Still don't have much use for it tho. But hey, it works.

[RacerX]

Maybe give it a try on the lowest speed setting and dial in the depth to taste—that's the only way I've ever been able to stand chorus pedals.

[Danny G]

I used to use chorus a lot until the last 1/3 of my time in Southern Gun Culture. Just kind if outgrew it.

Fixed it to see if I'd like to bring it back, toyed around for a few minutes and thought "meh"

[Danny G]

Actually wound up using the Small Clone for a guitar track on my latest RPM Challenge album. Sounded cool but won't be making its way back to my pedalboard tho.

In other project news, I need to completely rewire my Les Paul Studio and Paul Stanley Iceman.

After years of fucking with them, both have developed grounding issues.

[spookstrickland]

Beefed up the power filtering in my NYC Big Muff, it's dead quite now.  A lot of sites were saying muffs are just noisy but I think you just need the right filtering if you are hooked up to a powersupply.

[Baltar]

Hey Spook, did you do the R-28 mod to your Phase 90? I fried one trying to add a blinking rate LED to the pot. I've since found out that it gets attached to one of the legs on the IC and grounds out at a resistor. Anyway, I've pulled the legs up on every single resister on the broken 90. I'll have to get Drag Pack Keith to take better pics, my laptop's cam must've been old stock from a Motorola Razor phone.








Also, folding TV dinner tables make great pedal-boards.

[Pissy]

I recall a time when none of y'all would touch electronics on the old board. Seeing all of this activity is really cool.

To progress!!

[Baltar]

I've managed to bugger 1-Phase 90, 1-Phase 90 clone (GGG), 2-MXR 108 FF's, a black Russian Small Stone, and a Screaming Tree. But I just need a new transistor for the Tree, and I might send it to Ronsound down in Indiana. I've done some pretty good Mem Man stuff, Muff's, and VOX/Crybabies.

[tombhex]

Just got my Ampeg 410HLF back from a friend who used it for a bit and then stored it away - and there's some unpleasant buzzing from the bottom left speaker.

Before anyone asks, I didn't have time to open it up and poke around after getting it back and before coming into work, just turned it on and played for about 5 minutes before work.

I'm not really sure what it is, because it's not the sound I had in a speaker that had blown in it long ago and had replaced. It's a buzzy vibrating sound that's only present while playing, and is especially prominent during low notes (anything on my low B really bring it out). I know buzzing from a speaker can mean a grounding problem. The sound - please bear with me and try to picture this - is like if I were to have laid the cab on its back and set a guitar pick on the cone, and then started playing. It doesn't sound like something where the speaker isn't screwed in properly or like there's something rattling around inside the cab because of the ports.

Should I just get a new speaker? I was hoping to use it next week for a project and I don't think I have the time to send it out for a 2 week repair turnaround. The cost is irrelevant, it's a time thing.

[RacerX]

You need a tech to replace a speaker?

[tombhex]

Well of course not, I'm just wondering if anyone can diagnose that as anything other than "just replace your speaker."

Of course I can replace the speaker myself, I just don't know if it's as simple as it seems. I haven't had any issues with cabs in a few years and I don't know if it's as straightforward as that.

[Lumpy]

The paper dome might be pulling away from the cone. This happened to me. I couldn't see it when the speaker was still in the cab, and assumed the worst. When I pulled the speaker to replace it, I eyeballed it from a horizontal position, and could see the dome was pulling up a tiny bit. This would be less likely with newer speakers, and more likely with older units where the glues (?) are drying out, the cabinets have been played a lot, etc. Remove the speaker and look at it. There might be other tears or damage to the cone that you can't see until you remove it from the cabinet (which are also repairable). Once you have it out,get some light on it and test the edges of the dome where they attach to the cone (carefully, duh) with the tip of an exacto knife/other fine-tipped implement. If you find a spot where it's pulling up, you can repair it yourself with rubber cement (I believe) or maybe diluted Elmer's glue (I forget what I used, this was like 7 years ago). Tissue paper and glue are sometimes recommended as a patch. Google speaker repair, glue, paper dome, etc. There's info about this on the web. I remember applying glue to the underside with a small artist's brush, and also doing a light skim coat on top to help seal it. (Just on the limited 'fix' area). Exacto knife was prying up the dome edge while I applied glue with my other hand.

Since your buzzing really stands out when playing low notes (the most active vibrations) and not buzzing all the time, it makes me think your speaker is repairable. If it is the dome pulling up, or a small tear in the cone, it's super easy to fix yourself. Even if you're totally not handy, it's still worth trying before you spend 60 bucks (or whatever) on a new speaker.

[tombhex]

Thanks, Lumpy. That's pretty much exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping someone would respond with.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any blemishes anywhere on the speaker after pulling it out, and all the glue seems to be intact. I think it'd be smarter and more cost-effective for me to replace the speaker than to take it somewhere and pay a bench fee just to have them tell me I need a new speaker after poking around very carefully last night.

[Lumpy]

I didn't make it clear... You have to actually test the edges of the dome. Use a small blade and carefully see if the dome is loose anywhere (ever so lightly, pick at the edges). It might not be visible (maybe it's laying perfectly flat) but once the speaker is jumping, you can hear it. Is it an older speaker? An older speaker is more likely to have this issue.

(It could also be something else, I have no idea.)

[Pissy]

do you have a signal generator?  There's apps for signal generators you can get for tablets and phones.  They do cost money though.

If you do, find the brown note and feed it into the amp, then you can pinpoint exactly where that noise is coming from.  You have materials vibrating against one another in some way shape or form.  paper of the cone ripped, surround to the speaker frame, dust dome to the cone, frame to the cabinet, cabinet pieces vibrating together, and finally grills and/or grill cloth.  something.  make it do it and resonate so you can find it.  If you don't want to spend money of a signal generator, find a friend to play that B note indefinitely until you can find it.  Fixing it after that point you can probably figure out.  modeling glue works pretty good for repairing cones.  Wood glue for the wooden stuff, and I normally ham-fist grills to cabinets with screws.

[Lumpy]

There are online frequency generators - here's one :

http://onlinetonegenerator.com/subwoofer.html

(download the "additional test tones" and play them on your phone through your amp).

You could also just have your buddy play problem notes on the bass while you look/listen.

[tombhex]

Actually did all of what both of you suggested and found a small separation in the glue along the outer rim, glue is setting now.

Tone generator helped me find it. Thanks y'all!

[Lumpy]

Did it stop buzzing/farting/whatever sound it was making?

[tombhex]

Sure didn't. Just replaced the damn thing and called it a day.