Amp "repair" help...

CTC564 · #1 10-11-2011, 04:23 PM

I've never brought an amp in to be repaired before and I know NOTHING about electronics...

I have a late 90's Eden Metro 2x10 combo that I'd like to get "tuned up" as it hasn't been used in about 10 years and it has a huge hiss now...

Is it possible to "beef up" the electronics with better quality parts and not change the sound?

Alex1984 · #2 10-11-2011, 05:27 PM

What some companies do is that they'd have a list of factory updates on the circuit, and your tech can get them through the company. I think you'd be fine without having to beef it up, and the tone should be pretty much the same.

fdeck · #3 10-11-2011, 06:07 PM

There's really nothing that can change in a solid state amp to make the amount of hiss increase over time unless one of the components has gone catastrophically bad. That would be rare. There are modern op amps that are quieter than what was probably used in the amp, but they aren't cheap, and it's onerous to change them all out.

If it doesn't have any other specific problem, I'd leave it alone.

BassmanPaul · #4 10-11-2011, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdeck

There's really nothing that can change in a solid state amp to make the amount of hiss increase over time unless one of the components has gone catastrophically bad. That would be rare. There are modern op amps that are quieter than what was probably used in the amp, but they aren't cheap, and it's onerous to change them all out.

If it doesn't have any other specific problem, I'd leave it alone.

+1 Very good advice.

Jim Carr · #5 10-11-2011, 08:49 PM

Is it possible that you have noisy pots, they can lend static, as can poor connections within the unit. I just had a continuous stream of hiss and static from my ART preamp/Crest CA6 power amp rack rig after it had sat for several months without much use. Turns out to have been a loose output jack nut on the back of the preamp and a bunch of dirty pots. All better now.

Take the amp in for a checkup/cleanup. If you don't like it, sell it. Combos keep you locked in, and honestly, I doubt that swapping components in the amp or the drivers is going to get you as far as spending $750 US on a better USED rig.

fdeck · #6 10-11-2011, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

Is it possible that you have noisy pots, they can lend static, as can poor connections within the unit. I just had a continuous stream of hiss and static from my ART preamp/Crest CA6 power amp rack rig after it had sat for several months without much use. Turns out to have been a loose output jack nut on the back of the preamp and a bunch of dirty pots. All better now.

Take the amp in for a checkup/cleanup. If you don't like it, sell it. Combos keep you locked in, and honestly, I doubt that swapping components in the amp or the drivers is going to get you as far as spending $750 US on a better USED rig.

Good point. A bad connection could cause you to increase the gain to compensate, which would increase the hiss level. I'll add that to my list of diagnostics.