How screwed am I?

epic! · #1 03-16-2011, 07:45 PM

So I let me friend (yes it was actually my friend and not me) borrow my GK700RBII to use for a practice while his amp was in the shop. He ended up spilling a soda on it and said "it made a Two Live Crew sound" and subsequently turned it off. He agreed to pay to get it fixed. I wish I had more info on exactly what happened but exactly how screwed is the amp?

doktorfeelgood · #2 03-16-2011, 07:51 PM

It's my guess pretty screwed... But you won't know 'till it gets opened up. If it needs a major circuit board replacement, you could be looking at upwards of $300 bucks to have a qualified GK tech do it. and I wouldn't have anybody else BUT a GK tech look at it. Teach yer friend to keep ALL DRINKS away for the top of any and all amps. )-(

Wes Whitmore · #3 03-16-2011, 07:52 PM

Screwed enough to use one of these...

North Carolina

DJL VINTAGE AUDIO
2907 Pacific Ave.
GREENSBORO, NC 27406
(336) 274-6767

BULL CITY SOUND & ELECTRONICS
1001 BROAD ST.
DURHAM 27705
(919) 286-1991
russrose@mindspring.com

MUSIC TECH SERVICES
3021-1 STONYBROOK DR.
RALEIGH 27604
(919) 872-5119

Wes

rodl2005 · #4 03-16-2011, 07:53 PM

dID u TRY & wiggle it, just a little bit?

Sorry....
USUALLY once they are left to DRY totally - as long as theyre switched off ASAP after accident- it's pretty minor damage.

SO I wish you luck!

epic! · #5 03-16-2011, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodl2005

dID u TRY & wiggle it, just a little bit?

Sorry....
USUALLY once they are left to DRY totally - as long as theyre switched off ASAP after accident- it's pretty minor damage.

SO I wish you luck!

Apparently he let it run for a few minutes after the spill. He took it to a local tech who is by far the best in the region but is constantly busy. Just wanted to get an idea from people on here as to what to expect.

Rick Auricchio · #6 03-16-2011, 08:01 PM

Soda pop is generally more corrosive than water, especially cola drinks (they have phosphoric acid).

Any liquid damage can often cause micro-shorts on the PC board, especially under components. The unit may appear to function normally, but it will often fail later at unpredictable times.

MrChedda · #7 03-16-2011, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wes Whitmore

Screwed enough to use one of these...

North Carolina

DJL VINTAGE AUDIO
2907 Pacific Ave.
GREENSBORO, NC 27406
(336) 274-6767

BULL CITY SOUND & ELECTRONICS
1001 BROAD ST.
DURHAM 27705
(919) 286-1991
russrose@mindspring.com

MUSIC TECH SERVICES
3021-1 STONYBROOK DR.
RALEIGH 27604
(919) 872-5119

Wes

+1 for the guys at DJL, they're top notch.

parsons · #8 03-16-2011, 08:13 PM

Tell your friend to start saving for your new GK 1001. He should buy you that just for being a jackass who spills things on borrowed equipment.

Wes Whitmore · #9 03-16-2011, 08:16 PM

I see a future rack case user here

TinIndian · #10 03-16-2011, 08:19 PM

I just played a gig last week and there were tables right next to the raised platform/stage. Just before we get ready to play I noticed that some people had moved one of the tables further down so that my amp was directly below it. Lets just say I moved it very quickly because all I could see was my amp getting a beer bath. Oddly enough My amp is a GK700RBII.

murphy · #11 03-16-2011, 08:46 PM

When I played some shows opening for the Fixx. their road guy used my speaker cabs as a drinks cart with open bottles and glasses full for all the band.
Man, I was pissed and removed them all when I saw them.

RULE NO. 1 No drinks ever on amps

Headroom · #12 03-16-2011, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murphy

RULE NO. 1 No drinks ever on amps

Thats right. After all, one thing leads...to...uh...

Sorry.

Bigjohn · #13 03-16-2011, 09:16 PM

It can be fixed but after it is ...
Put it into a rack case.
A 700RBII is basically an amp chassis with rubber feet on the bottom.
Without a case there is NO protection for the front panel knobs, the rear panel and especially the OPEN VENT ON THE TOP.
It was an accident waiting to happen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by epic!

So I let me friend (yes it was actually my friend and not me) borrow my GK700RBII to use for a practice while his amp was in the shop. He ended up spilling a soda on it and said "it made a Two Live Crew sound" and subsequently turned it off. He agreed to pay to get it fixed. I wish I had more info on exactly what happened but exactly how screwed is the amp?

KalTM · #14 03-16-2011, 09:25 PM

I have to admit I am guilty of setting drinks on my GK 1001RBII at every practice, but they are always in a screw top bottle.

georgestrings · #15 03-16-2011, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

Soda pop is generally more corrosive than water, especially cola drinks (they have phosphoric acid).

Any liquid damage can often cause micro-shorts on the PC board, especially under components. The unit may appear to function normally, but it will often fail later at unpredictable times.

Yup - I would want a replacement amp, not a repair of that one...

- georgestrings

Savage_Dreams · #16 03-16-2011, 10:39 PM

so i just need to ask, why was his amp in the shop to begin with? just wondering if theres a pattern of him using his amps as drink holders!

epic! · #17 03-16-2011, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savage_Dreams

so i just need to ask, why was his amp in the shop to begin with? just wondering if theres a pattern of him using his amps as drink holders!

He has an older Peavey, not sure what the issue was. And to clarify I DO have my amp in a rack case. So I imagine the amount of liquid that did find its way in will be minimal. Lesson learned...NEVER LET PEOPLE BORROW YOUR STUFF.

BillyIVbass · #18 03-17-2011, 01:05 AM

Hmmm if he let it run a few minutes and then turned it off still in working condition...maybe

If it died after a few minutes of being left on that is another story.

LarryO · #19 03-19-2011, 08:06 PM

was he sitting at home watchin arsenio hall?

hrgiger · #20 03-19-2011, 09:48 PM

I've been at this long enough (unfortunately) to know that sometimes the 'official' story isn't what happened.

if you pull the amp out of the case do you see soda? even if it dried up there should be evidence of it.

if there is - make sure it is off/unplugged and that you do not touch anything inside of it - take it outside and spray it down with some home depot CC contact cleaner, to remove the soda. let it outside to dry thoroughly, then see what happens.

like someone said, often as-is, after they dry out, they work fine. this extra cleaning would help remove some of the acid/etc. in the soda.

amps don't last forever in real life, demanding that a friend replace an amp over a spilt soda is silly, no one has money for that, especially if he is borrowing your amp in the first place...

back to my original point, are you sure the amp wasn't actually bumped out of a 4th story window or dropped down some stairs or hooked up wrong or something?