Bugera BVV3000 Infinium Red Fault No Power - Page 6

jjlent · #**101** 10-14-2012, 09:13 PM

latest update, I just bought a brand new Ampeg SVT 2 Pro!

jjlent · #**102** 10-27-2012, 09:38 AM

Bugara update alert!

Everyone is back ordered on the 2 pro so I opted for the Markbass 300 classic! and wouldn'y ya know they finally returned what I thought was going to be a new Bugera.
I did not get the new one Bugera service said they where going to ship me.
I asked what happened? Bugera service said bad tubes? really? yea so we repaird it and sent your defective one back to you. really? i said the Local service center here in phoenix said it was in the power supply circuit, blown caps.
When I called them out on that comment, the Bugera Service rep then reversed the story.

The Story;
Bugera service rep told me the reason why they did not ship the new unit was because they are backordered and I would have to wait additional 2 months. Really?... hmm... the phone call from both the Bugera rep & the local repair shop said the parts was backordered and I would have to wait a couple of months but they do have a new head at the distribution center and we will send it out. really folks!

Anyway, the next day the markbass arrived oh boy a real live A/B evaluation right in my home with my equipment. Rock & Roll Bro! so I setup the markbass 300 classic to my 8x10;s bxt stack 2 ohms load. Sound was thin in both bias modes i had to put a lot of color in the eq to get the sound I like kinda disapointed since it cost $1000 more than the bugera. Next up! reluctantly, I hooked up the bugera saying to myself this F#@Ken better work! OMG! it just blew away the markbass! gain @ 12oclock and the master volume @ 9 oclock and I was rockin at the filmore! lol humble pie days sorry hehe. Sadly i was hoping the markbass with the 6 kt88's would blow the bugera away but no way jose.
I am going to send the Markbass back, see how the bugera beast holds up if it acts up I will repair it again and just sell it and buy an Ampeg 2 pro.
Thank you for comments everyone good luck if you buy one!

T-Bird · #**103** 10-27-2012, 09:51 AM

Hi.

I'm pretty surprised at the Markbass being thin and short on power, what's the output power before clipping?

And what's the Bugera's output power before clipping?

If the KT88's are CP cheapos, I'd assume somewhere around 200W.
Power isn't everything, I do know, but it'd reveal any problems with the tubes etc.
And it's very easy to measure.

Now that You have the Bugera back, how about the schematic?
I didn't think Eden would be so willing to part with "theirs", so my pre-amp tracing was good for only 6 months or so, and didn't obviously bother with the power amp.

That'd help You in the future and you'd be doing a HUGE service to anyone considering about purchasing one.

Regards
Sam

Downunderwonder · #**104** 10-27-2012, 01:10 PM

Nice one, but a really poor showing from customer service all told. Who paid for the freighting?

Was it packed any better on the return?

jjlent · #**105** 10-28-2012, 05:23 AM

NO, the leather like covering was scraped up in the front,
I sent in all the original packing I got it back with no pastic covering I sent it in. Because I lucked out and have access to a local Beringer repair station I was able to drop it off locally the repair shop sipped it to las vegas, they did the repair and sent it to me.

jjlent · #**106** 10-28-2012, 05:35 AM

Well when I plugged in the Gobson SG bass, I 1st noticed when I set the gain & master @ 12 oclock cracling and poping like popcorn. The vu meter barly showing an input signal even with both pickups cranked.
that's in both bias modes hi and long life, when I switched to long life I got a slight increase in gain volume if you was here and heard my bass after I swapped out the markbass it was like night and day. like going from a 50 watt to 300 watt power output source. The markbass was very well built I like the VU meter options and its microprosser controlled technology. it just did not have it.
being in the computer IT field for over 20 years I am curious how these all tube microprocessed ampheads are going to hold out being subjected to a high heat source since transistor base technolgy is sensitive to heat.
j

jjlent · #**107** 10-28-2012, 05:54 AM

**Bugera Update**
I put about 4 hrs playing on the bugera Saturday, and I am totally in love with the Gibson Sg sound thru it.
Friends I tell ya when it's working for the money it's worh it!
Thunderous lows, sitting about 20 feet from the amp just F#$ken awsome! No bias lights flashing in the back, no screetching or popping crackling sounds. So as far as the sound of the bugera I would say like an Ampeg SVT Classic Head.

jjlent · #**108** 10-28-2012, 05:57 AM

Oh for you techies, I noticed they replaced both transformers. No schematics available.

craig.p · #**109** 10-28-2012, 08:50 AM

You are right to be concerned about solid state devices and high-heat tubes sharing the same chassis. However:

1) The tubes seem to be mounted correctly for such a situation, i.e. above the chassis and not below. (Tubes mounted below the chassis turn the chassis into a hot box. This is clearly not the case here.)

2) Some solid state devices, including ICs, can be had in high-heat packages that will let them run very hot, indefinitely, with no adverse effects. I used to work on mainframes that had very high speed ECL RAM in ceramic packaging (for local storage/cache) that ran around 170 degrees F. Never a problem, never a failure in the literally hundreds of machines I worked on.

3) The solid state devices may be located in a way that assures lowest possible temperature, perhaps even with creative heatsinking.

4) The unit is fan-cooled, which will keep internal temps relatively low.

jjlent · #**110** 11-09-2012, 09:27 PM

***Bugera Alert***

Week 2 approx 10 hrs on the rig and guess what? I already have a solid red light on 1 of the power tubes. According to the bias monitoring when the light is a solid red replace the tube. "It couldn't happen to a nicer guy"

Downunderwonder · #**111** 11-09-2012, 09:39 PM

At least you can change one tube at a time. I would be more inclined to blame cheap Chinese tubes than the amp.

jjlent · #**112** 11-09-2012, 09:42 PM

yea i'm gonna swap out the tube with another on to see if it is the tube or the socket

jjlent · #**113** 11-09-2012, 09:43 PM

I'm ready to by a tc electronics blacksmith and call it a day with tubes when it works its great when it works

B-string · #**114** 11-09-2012, 09:51 PM

Wow it goes on eh? Well with the lack of QC on new production tubes I would not be first inclined to go for the name on the amp for this one.

seamonkey · #**115** 11-10-2012, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjlent

***Bugera Alert***

Week 2 approx 10 hrs on the rig and guess what? I already have a solid red light on 1 of the power tubes. According to the bias monitoring when the light is a solid red replace the tube. "It couldn't happen to a nicer guy"

The tubes have a 90 day warranty, and the amp gives you a light if one goes bad. Going bad can be "out of spec". This probably happens on many amps and no-one is the wiser, since they don't have the individual indicator lights, no-one notices.

jjlent · #**116** 11-10-2012, 12:24 PM

well I still have the set of 6550's they sent out, what pisses me off I shouldn't have to by hundreds of dollars worth of power tubes to replace every 10 hours of play.
when I took the bad tube out of socket 5 and replaced it, I watched the lil red infinium led's in the back, the one for socket 5 kept flashing every 2 seconds then other socket lights started flashing in random sequence sometimes all 6 so that blacksmith is looking good i can get the tube tone without having a nervious breakdown or 2nd mortgage my house to buy tubes. I was thinking about an ampeg 2 pro unless I try it local before I buy it like the markbass i'm in the same boat. UPS likes to go bowling with boxes, always arrives damaged.

jjlent · #**117** 11-18-2012, 02:43 AM

****BUGERA UPDATE****
Well this week the amp did it again in socket 5 solid red, so this time I took the new tube that was in socket 5 and swapped with the tube in socket 2.
no red lights?
so it's either a bad socket or the source that monitors the voltage "Infinium" is faulty with socket 5.
So I have the amp up for sale, just bought the "Blacksmith" by TC Electronics.
I noticed when I was shopping I was looking for an ampeg SVT2 pro but both MF & GC did not have them anymore? also the SVT 8 pro too. ampeg having production problems?

B-string · #**118** 11-18-2012, 09:32 AM

SVT 2 Pro and SVT 8 are discontinued models.

seamonkey · #**119** 11-18-2012, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjlent

****BUGERA UPDATE****
Well this week the amp did it again in socket 5 solid red, so this time I took the new tube that was in socket 5 and swapped with the tube in socket 2.
no red lights?
so it's either a bad socket or the source that monitors the voltage "Infinium" is faulty with socket 5.
So I have the amp up for sale, just bought the "Blacksmith" by TC Electronics.
I noticed when I was shopping I was looking for an ampeg SVT2 pro but both MF & GC did not have them anymore? also the SVT 8 pro too. ampeg having production problems?

Don't sell a broken amp.
Bad Karma
Get it fixed under warranty, or quote a lemon law for a refund.

B-string · #**120** 11-18-2012, 02:43 PM

Unless the warranty is transferable and you state the defect?