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Post subject: What is the best way to break in an amp?
Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:25 am
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Hello Everyone,

I have read different opinions on this matter, is there a proper way to break in an amp (tube amp to be specific)?

later,
Nic

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:34 am
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Pretty much just play it. It's more the speakers need to be broken in. Play at different volumes too. Speaker manufacturers have different methods. Some you just crank it, some play at moderate levels. Tubes start to wear as soon as you start using the amp. Be aware of any strange sounds and if it's within the return policy, I'd take it back and get another one. Most amps are just fine out of the box. Just be sure the tubes are fully seated in their sockets and didn't wiggle loose in shipping.

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:47 am
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I agree with 63supro...and never try to bias your tubes if you don't know what you're doing.

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:50 am
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I just recieved my 57 champ and I started out playing at a lower volume and increased the volume as I played, at around 8 I noticed a really bad "crackling" noise and then at full it started to feedback "alot". I know from previous tube amp experience this was not normal.
I called up MF and told them about it, right now I decided to return it and I'm not sure if I'm going to get another one or not. Maybe I just got a bad one and then I thought maybe I didn't break it in right, but with all my other tube amps I just plugged in and played.

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 6:28 am
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nicinflorida, It's probably just a tube. I'll tell you what though, for the premium price of that amp, you should get some premium tubes. For what that amp is and it's inflated price point, it should have worked without a hitch.

For everyone who thinks I'm just some loudmouth Fender basher, this is exactly the stuff I'm talking about. If I didn't love Fender gear and still own some older stuff, I'd be sitting here making excuses for the poor quality control on a premium priced amp. If we start demanding quality, I'm sure we'll get it. I tried a 57 Champ in NYC when they first came out and the baffle buzzed like a can of bees. Much of the newer Fender amp line is breaking my heart to see the direction it's all going.

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 6:41 am
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63supro wrote:
nicinflorida, It's probably just a tube. I'll tell you what though, for the premium price of that amp, you should get some premium tubes. For what that amp is and it's inflated price point, it should have worked without a hitch.

For everyone who thinks I'm just some loudmouth Fender basher, this is exactly the stuff I'm talking about. If I didn't love Fender gear and still own some older stuff, I'd be sitting here making excuses for the poor quality control on a premium priced amp. If we start demanding quality, I'm sure we'll get it. I tried a 57 Champ in NYC when they first came out and the baffle buzzed like a can of bees. Much of the newer Fender amp line is breaking my heart to see the direction it's all going.


My thoughts exactly, it should have worked without a hitch. I feel I shouldn't have to do a thing to it. I do love Fender products, but with the high price tag of this amp it should work perfectly out of the box - quality control for each of these amps should be flawless.
I have been a quality engineer for 28 years and I expect quality for a product such as this, hand wired custom shop built. I'm not bashing Fender by any means, I would expect this from their lesser priced amps but not this model.
So I'm re-evaluating my choices.

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 7:02 am
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This looked like a great amp and shouldn't have had any problems :

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/57Champ

Do you think that it was caused by shipping damage/handling?

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 7:45 am
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If that's the case it should be boxed better. For an amp that should only cost $3-400 they can not only afford a better box but NOS tubes too.

I wouldn't expect that from ANY amp regardless of the price range. Tone quality is one thing, reliability is another. If you're going to build it, it should at least be reliable and work well regardless of the tone it produces. That's my biggest beef with this stuff. If I am making a living with something, my tools should be reliable. Peavey can do it in the USA for gosh sake with American labor and I doubt they pay their workers minimum wage. I think the company just takes less profit for themselves and are more concerned about the consumer.
Don't build five gazillion model variations of the same thing and the consumer prices go down and your profits go up. That's the way Leo intended it. Everything was standardized and automated as much as possible. Designs were simple. "Form follows function" were words to live by. When I bought my Strat in 72 you had a couple of neck widths, a handful of colors and either a trem or hardtail. Not tons of pickup variations. If you wanted that you did it yourself. Lefties were special order. Tele's had Bigsby trems if you wanted. Later they had some variations besides the Esquire. They had a Custom and Thinline.

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 8:19 am
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63supro,

Interesting you bring up Peavey, because one of the amps I'm looking into is the delta blues 30 1x15.

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 8:30 am
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I tried that amp way back. It's a really sweet swampy sounding amp.
http://www.peavey.com/pvtv/player3.cfm?whichVideo=74

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 8:50 am
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I'm now at the point that whenever I start jonesing for a "new" amp I go out and find an old amp, refurbish and overhaul the chassis to spec, then recondition the cabinet or build an all-new enclosure to suit.

Image

Image

This amp began life as a garden-variety SF '67 Bandmaster head. Now it's a screaming 2 x 10 combo with vintage alnico and mojo to burn. Like a cross between a Vibrolux and a Princeton Reverb on steriods. No "buzzes", no "rattles", no "crackling". And the total cost?

Under a grand (plus my "sweat equity").

Arjay


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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 12:44 pm
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Arjay - that looks great! If it sounds half as good as it looks, I think you've got a real keeper with that amp!!! Nice work!!! 8)

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 2:17 pm
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Thanks, Mike!

I'm thinking of picking up a matching re-issue 6G15 reverb tank. Sweet as this rig sounds, I like to dial in some ambience and timbre to suit the venue. I've never found a digital simulator that's even close, at least not one that I could afford. And there's just no beating authentic tube reverb.

Arjay


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Posted: Tue May 11, 2010 6:38 pm
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nicinflorida wrote:
63supro,

Interesting you bring up Peavey, because one of the amps I'm looking into is the delta blues 30 1x15.


The Peavey DB 115 is a great amp - not a fender sound, but still a great amp. I thought the Drive channel was weak-sounding, though....Traded mine for my BJr tweed NOS, and I love it. Alas, the Peavey will someday come back to haunt me as one I wish I'd kept :wink:


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Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 6:29 am
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The Blues Jr isn't a typical Fender sound in the old school sense. The "Fender Sound" was never built around EL84 power tubes. Nothing wrong with different though. It's more of a new as opposed to classic Fender sound.

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