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Post subject: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 8:29 pm
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My Frontman is not quite two years old and has performed well up to now. When I turn it on it crackles for the first five minutes or so. It seems to return to normal with no crackling after it has warmed up except if I stop playing for a few minutes. It will then crackle until I start playing then it is back to normal.

This occurs with different cables so I feel those can be eliminated as the source of the problem. I only own one guitar at the time, but it does not create crackle on my back up, smaller amp.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 10:46 pm
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Sounds like a cold solder joint to me.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 11:52 pm
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+1 Retroverbial

It might also be time to clean the pots as well.

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 3:36 pm
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Next question: "How do I do that?" :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:46 pm
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bluesky636 wrote:
Next question: "How do I do that?" :wink:


Not necessarily. I got my first soldering iron in 1963. I should have sometime this weekend to open it up, clean the pots and do a visual inspection of the obvious.

Thanks for the tips. I will report back as to my level of success.

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:03 pm
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Archtop Bill wrote:
Not necessarily. I got my first soldering iron in 1963.


Oh no......another geezer!

:shock:

Order up some more Geritol, Bill.

:mrgreen:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:09 pm
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" I got my first soldering iron in 1963. "

Dude! You still have it? What is tube operated? :D :mrgreen: :D

I still have my Dad's old Weller soldering gun. Weighs like 5 pounds.


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:19 pm
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
" I got my first soldering iron in 1963. "

Dude! You still have it? What is tube operated? :D :mrgreen: :D

I still have my Dad's old Weller soldering gun. Weighs like 5 pounds.


As a matter of fact, I do not have the one from when I was a kid, but I do have my dad's heirloom Weller complete with the grey plastic case with Styrofoam lining!

While neither had/have tubes, my first car was a '59 T-Bird and its radio had tubes!

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:49 pm
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Archtop Bill wrote:
bluesky636 wrote:
Next question: "How do I do that?" :wink:


Not necessarily. I got my first soldering iron in 1963. I should have sometime this weekend to open it up, clean the pots and do a visual inspection of the obvious.

Thanks for the tips. I will report back as to my level of success.


Good luck. :wink:

And I mean that only because the Fender solid state Frontman amps are not easily repairable. Here's the schematic:

http://support.fender.com/schematics/gu ... _Rev-A.pdf

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:59 pm
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bluesky636 wrote:
Archtop Bill wrote:
bluesky636 wrote:
Next question: "How do I do that?" :wink:


Not necessarily. I got my first soldering iron in 1963. I should have sometime this weekend to open it up, clean the pots and do a visual inspection of the obvious.

Thanks for the tips. I will report back as to my level of success.


Good luck. :wink:

And I mean that only because the Fender solid state Frontman amps are not easily repairable. Here's the schematic:

http://support.fender.com/schematics/gu ... _Rev-A.pdf


Thanks!

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 9:22 pm
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You're welcome.

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:27 pm
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
I still have my Dad's old Weller soldering gun. Weighs like 5 pounds.


Hell, I'm still using my Dad's old Simpson 260. The probes finally flaked away a few years back but I found an NOS set on Ebay for reasonable $$$.

Good usable gear (whether an amp or a piece of test equipment) is always worth keeping around.

Rawk on!

8)

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 12:30 pm
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Arjay hit it with the cold joint.

First thing I did when I began the tear down was to detach the spade terminals on the speakers. One of the four was so loose I am surprised it had not fallen off. Crimping it with my needle nose did the trick.

As I was already started and curious I went ahead and pulled the chassis out just to have a look. Very clean PC board with several "QC Passed" stickers. The pots are small and look sealed: I left them alone. The chassis itself was more rigid that I was expecting and there is foil shielding inside the cabinet.

I also pulled the reverb tank to have a look: 3 spring. (I am hoping to replace this with a longer tank this month.)

Put it back together and problem solved! Including the exploratory work it took less than twenty minutes.

Thanks for the help!

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 212r beginning to crackle
Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 12:32 pm
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Solid, Bill.

Rawk on!

8)

Arjay

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