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Post subject: VCXD Blew after 45 days!
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 10:21 am
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I purchased a VibroChamp XD from American Musical Supply about a month and a half ago and one day it just stopped working. The red light came on but the tubes were not glowing. I was told that most likely is a inline fuse somewhere on the circuit board. I was also told that Fender considers these NON-FIELD SERVICEABLE amps. However, the ONLY authorized repair shop in my area has no clue even though I have REPEATEDLY told them what Fender customer relations told me. It's been over TWO WEEKS and I still haven't gotten my amp back. The repair shop keeps saying they are waiting for the schematics. Fender customer service said they are trying to contact them to inform them of proper procedures for this amp. But it's been 2 days since I reported this to Fender. I called today and they said the techs are still trying to contact the repair shop. But it is so frustrating since I just love the tone that amp has!

Anyway, has anyone else had this amp fry after a short time?

Thanks


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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:25 pm
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Last edited by tinker tech on Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 3:11 pm
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Another update:

I still don't have my amp NOR does the repair shop know what's wrong with it yet! I spoke to the repair shop on Friday and he was told by Fender's Techs that he needs to see if it is a tube issue and the tubes are shorting out something. HOWEVER, the amp technician is only there on Thursdays and Saturdays from 4:30pm to 9pm AND last Saturday his tech didn't work because he had a Expo to go to! So NOW he won't even LOOK at it again until this Thursday. THEN then IF it's was the tubes they would replace them there at no cost to me since the tubes are covered on a 90 day warranty. BUT if it's NOT the tubes then he can send it back to Fender and I have to wait for my replacement which will probably take AT LEAST another week to 10 days if not longer the way this guy operates! He's had it for 2 1/2 weeks already! So we're talking almost a month and a half MINIMUM without my amp!

The alternative is for me to go a pick up the amp and send it to Fender at MY cost for shipping (which from NY to Arizona would be AT LEAST $35 shipping most likely more since I would use FedEx because it's trackable) and Fender will send me another one!

All this for an amp that is only just over 45 days old! I just called Fender AGAIN to complain and it was the same guy again...who has been nice...and he said they are at the mercy of the repair shop. I told them that if this is the only repair shop that I will have to go to if I have problems with another Fender Product I will be very reluctant to buy Fender products anymore! This just is NOT acceptable. I did ask to speak to a supervisor and the same guy came back and said there wasn't anything they could do at there end unless I ship it back myself. It'll almost be faster if I just bought a new one (probably NOT a Fender this time!). It's ashame too because I have always liked Fender products. But electronics break down once in a while and if I have to go through all this every time something happens I'll go nuts! I'm half tempted to go get the amp and ship it back myself. But who knows how long that will take! The cheapest FedEx choice is ground and that is $30 (I got a quote from their site) and that will take 4 business days to get there, then another few days for them check it out and to ship a new one out then depending on how they ship it back possible another week to wait for it.

It is just so sad that in this day and age someone has to go through this crap. Whatever happened to taking care of the customer?

I would mention the name of the place here but I am not sure what the forum policy is. I would like all in my area to know what to expect if they have a Fender product break down. It is a very well known store in my area.

I am asking, what would you guys do if you were me? I am beyond frustrated right now!


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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:33 am
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It sounds as if you don't have another amp to keep you busy while you wait ... so honestly I would ship it back myself to speed up the process. If the shop that is doing the repairs wants to keep the business, you might offer a compromise that they let you use one of their amps while you wait. Unlikely but worth asking.

It's really too bad that you are having this frustrating experience. I have one of these amps and I really enjoy playing with it. The various models (especially the blackface and tweed versions) allow you to play at a low volume and still get a surprisingly realistic tone. The place where I take my lessons has a lot of high-end amplifiers that they will let you plug into (Dr. Z, vintage fenders, Tungsten, Mesa, etc) and this amp really holds its own next to them. It probably would not hold up to a professional player's demands like a professional level Fender or Dr. Z but in a small studio or probably even out playing with a band it sounds great. The guys who work at the shop, mostly blues players with serious skills, love the amp and were dismayed when they had to sell the floor model and now they cannot get any new ones.

I don't doubt that the popularity of this amplifier and its newness are contributing to some of the problems you are facing. Yours is probably the first your shop has ever seen and they have no idea where to begin to fix it. Don't freak out even though you are probably ready to blow your top!

((Edit -- I have a SC but I hear that the VC also sounds amazing))


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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:55 am
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Ship it to Fender. They'll make it right.


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Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:39 pm
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FINALLY! I have the amp fixed and back home! It turns out it was the 6v6 tube shorting out the fuse. However, this guy was a PITA right to the end! I had to bring my receipt from American Musical Supply to show proof of purchase. He wasn't going to accept it because it didn't say "American Musical Supply" on it!!! I finally snapped on him! I said this whole ordeal has been like pulling teeth. This was the receipt AMS FAXED to me. It had all the information on it, purchase date, my name and address, etc. He said Fender might not accept it and he would be out 1/2 labor and the price of a tube!!!! I said LOUDLY "You mean you had this damn thing for 3 weeks and only 1/2 hour labor went into it!?" Then he got defensive and said that he didn't have to honor the warranty on this amp because it wasn't purchased from them (This VERY popular guitar place it attached to the repair shop!) and the ONLY reason he worked on it was because FENDER called him and told him he had to! I AM THE ONE who called Fender to talk to the repair shop! He said that since it wasn't purchased from them I should have dealt with Fender directly! I told him, Let's call AMS and we'll get it right from them. He asks "Do you know the number?" I said no but he has a computer and we can look it up! He refused to do that then proceeded to write a little note on the receipt saying AMS. I told him to put the Fender representative's name on there as well because he knew all the hassle I had to go through to get this amp fixed!

I will NEVER shop at that guitar place again NOR will I ever take anything for repair there. I plan on writing an email to Fender documenting everything. I wanted to wait until I got the amp back before I did. I already filed a complaint over the phone but I want a WRITTEN record of this incident. I am sure Fender won't revoke their endorsement of this place either because of how popular it is. I will pay the money and ship it to Fender directly next time and let them fix/replace it MUCH faster than this place! At least I have my amp working and it's home with me!


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Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 5:05 pm
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I'm sorry to say it but I really think Fender should be more strict on who their authorized dealers are. It should be an honor to be an authorized dealer, not an economic advantage

just my opinion


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Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:51 am
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No disrespect intended, but being an honor don't pay the bills. It needs to be an economic advantage for both Fender and the dealer. It's still no excuse for poor service.


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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:18 pm
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Hi. I'm planning to get some fuse for the vcxd for backup. What particular type of fuse should i get? I don't have the amp with me its still at my sister's place in LA. she'll ship it soon as i get the tubes and fuses


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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:23 pm
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Sorry to hear about your amp, but did you contact AMS? Why not just return it to them for a good one?

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