Is my 700RBII done for good? (Hurricane Sandy Content)

BassSurfer · #1 11-29-2012, 02:48 PM

Well, as many of you know New York City was completely devastated by Hurricane Sandy last month and many of us have lost years and years worth of collectibles and belongings that have grown with us through time.

One of the items that I noticed was covered in water at one point or another was my faithful, newly acquired, Gallien Krueger 700RBII. Man, do I love this amp. The whole "tube vs solid state thing" doesn't even apply for me here because this thing just rocks on so many levels.

Now my question is, is this thing fried for good or is it fixable with patience, time, and parts (of course

)

These are NOT the best pictures but I can get some better ones tonight or early tomorrow morning. By the time I got back in my house after "hell passed over" the water was receded completely but the amp still showed signs of being wet. Funnily enough, when I powered it on through a generator it DID in fact power on but never made it to the blue light. It just remained in the "protect" stage. The pictures will be posted below. Now obviously if an electronic or something of this nature gets wet under the circumstances of a HURRICANE SURGE

, OF COURSE it is pretty much fried, but the stories I have heard about Gallien Krueger amps (I have heard some that have survived Katrina) are very believable! Can this poor girl be fixed, or is she as good as scrap?

I just realized the pictures are not large enough. Fixing this issue ASAP.

Jim C · #2 11-29-2012, 03:09 PM

As cool as GK is, they might just give it a free look see to help with the storm relief.
Worst they can say is no.
Otherwise, you will have to invest some $$ for a tech.

will33 · #3 11-29-2012, 03:23 PM

Saltwater is pretty corrosive. It might be fixable but might not be worth the money to get fixed. Probably would've been best to not have powered it up at all.

Gear is replacable. If you and your family are intact, this is just a bump in the road. If it falls under any sort of home/renters insurance policy, might be best to use that to get a new one. If not, buy a used one....they're available everywhere.

BassSurfer · #4 11-29-2012, 03:28 PM

You're totally right. I did not want to power it up at all but I figured since I had a few backups I would just "give it a shot." I am very grateful that we are all doing well though of course!

And Jim, you also have a great point! I am by no means using this as a crutch, but my experience during the storm has actually worked in my favor a few times in terms of getting discounts and things along those lines. I would never want to take advantage of anyone though in this regard, but it is worth a shot for sure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

Saltwater is pretty corrosive. It might be fixable but might not be worth the money to get fixed. Probably would've been best to not have powered it up at all.

Gear is replacable. If you and your family are intact, this is just a bump in the road. If it falls under any sort of home/renters insurance policy, might be best to use that to get a new one. If not, buy a used one....they're available everywhere.

Cirk · #5 11-29-2012, 03:40 PM

Check with Bob Gallien. He's a well respected member here, and from what I've seen, would be able to point you in the direction of a shop he trusts to assess what can be done for your amp.

BassmanPaul · #6 11-29-2012, 03:42 PM

If the unit was submerged in salt water the thing is history. in your place I would do as JimC advised and send it to GK. They might help you or they might not. Can't hurt to find out.

I could not help but to see the irony in your user name. I'm glad that you and yours are safe. Let us know how all this turns out.

spacebassed · #7 11-29-2012, 03:50 PM

I have an older Eden WT800A that was left outside one night after a gig (it got unloaded, but didn't make it inside). It ended up raining that night, and I walked out my front door to find it sitting in the middle of a wet deck. I promptly opened it up got as much moisture out as possible, then let it sit to dry for a few days. Then I sprayed down the boards, jacks, and all other contacts with DeOxit. Aside from needing a new power switch it powered right up and ran flawlessly - and is still doing so 8 years later.

It sounds like you didn't do any of those steps and possibly powered it up while there was still moisture present - THAT was your mistake. Applying power when there is moisture inside is bad news. It may not have worked anyway (especially since it was exposed to saltwater), but you would've had a much better chance.

Downunderwonder · #8 11-29-2012, 04:00 PM

I don't know if transformers can survive dunking but circuits are washed after soldering. If you had quickly washed it out in fresh water and let it completely dry it might have had a better chance.

**svtb15** · #9 11-29-2012, 04:00 PM

I've had a band mate drop a QSC amp off a dock into 4 feet of water by accident.. They fished it out. Poured the water out and let it dry,, It was fine. But it was FRESH water.. The only parts that needed replacement were the VOL pots.. Its still works today. Yours was saltwater.. mmmmmm thats a little different....

will33 · #10 11-29-2012, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacebassed

I have an older Eden WT800A that was left outside one night after a gig (it got unloaded, but didn't make it inside). It ended up raining that night, and I walked out my front door to find it sitting in the middle of a wet deck. I promptly opened it up got as much moisture out as possible, then let it sit to dry for a few days. Then I sprayed down the boards, jacks, and all other contacts with DeOxit. Aside from needing a new power switch it powered right up and ran flawlessly - and is still doing so 8 years later.

It sounds like you didn't do any of those steps and possibly powered it up while there was still moisture present - THAT was your mistake. Applying power when there is moisture inside is bad news. It may not have worked anyway (especially since it was exposed to saltwater), but you would've had a much better chance.

Ya, pretty sure saltwater makes the difference here. Not just clean saltwater either. That stuff ran through the streets, mud, muck, spilled chemicals, the sewer, and who knows what else before it submerged that amp....and stayed submerged for who knows how long.

I've also had gear work after getting rained on. Dried out quickly and cleaned.......fresh water there.

BassSurfer · #11 11-29-2012, 04:37 PM

I also should of mentioned that I DID in fact air it out for three hours in the sun (yeah we actually had sunshine after this storm for a a day or two) I made sure it dried out and then powered it on when it appeared to be "dry."

I will definitely shoot a message to Bob though. It was actually cleaned with fresh water too because we had a slight rain shower too, but the saltwater probably just was too much for it regardless.

Thanks for everything guys, I know it seems like an obvious outcome, but I just wanted to be sure!

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

If the unit was submerged in salt water the thing is history. in your place I would do as JimC advised and send it to GK. They might help you or they might not. Can't hurt to find out.

I could not help but to see the irony in your user name. I'm glad that you and yours are safe. Let us know how all this turns out.

Hahaha Paul, that is hilarious actually! Thanks for the kind words though, I really appreicate it. TB sure does feel like family as opposed to "peers" or "customers."

musicman666 · #12 11-29-2012, 05:17 PM

Is that a 'JIFFY POP' bag inside yer amp? Mmmmmm I love me sum poppy corn!!!

bassgod0dmw · #13 11-29-2012, 06:37 PM

Yeah, saltwater + electronics = bad

Definitely try and contact GK and see if they'll lend a hand. It can't hurt to ask and would be really awesome if they helped you out somehow.

B-string · #14 11-29-2012, 07:41 PM

You tried to power it up? I guess it is clear now you should not have done that. Glad you and yours are safe. It may not be too late for the amp. Gen sets are not the greatest power source after all. Have G-K clean it and test it. You may need some new pots, but the saltwater can cause a temporary circuit path that the protection circuit may have seen and not allowed the amp to fully power up.
Good luck and DO NOT TRY POWERING it again until it gets serviced.

Lublin · #15 11-29-2012, 07:58 PM

GK has fantastic CS. Reach out to them and state the situation.

BassSurfer · #16 11-30-2012, 08:40 AM

Thanks for all the replies guys. And just to clarify something here. My entire basement and downstairs rooms were completely covered in debris and sand/mud from BOTH the Atlantic Ocean as well as Jamaica Bay ( a VERY large bay that flows into the Atlantic Ocean) I live on a Peninsula so you can only imagine.

The mindset for us all was not really fully intact. What I mean by this is, our minds were not really functioning normally. We were still traumatized from the night before and after seeing fires, surging waters, and people screaming, it left a toll/scar on our ability to think properly and function as normal human beings. The amp situation was done in a "different state of mind." If I was in a "regular" state of being, I would of NEVER turned the amp on even if I thought it was dried!

Thanks for all the replies though everyone!

bolophonic · #17 11-30-2012, 09:03 AM

Sorry to hear about the whole thing. The good news is that there are plenty of 700RBII amps out there.

will33 · #18 11-30-2012, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassSurfer

Thanks for all the replies guys. And just to clarify something here. My entire basement and downstairs rooms were completely covered in debris and sand/mud from BOTH the Atlantic Ocean as well as Jamaica Bay ( a VERY large bay that flows into the Atlantic Ocean) I live on a Peninsula so you can only imagine.

The mindset for us all was not really fully intact. What I mean by this is, our minds were not really functioning normally. We were still traumatized from the night before and after seeing fires, surging waters, and people screaming, it left a toll/scar on our ability to think properly and function as normal human beings. The amp situation was done in a "different state of mind." If I was in a "regular" state of being, I would of NEVER turned the amp on even if I thought it was dried!

Thanks for all the replies though everyone!

Understandable. Don't think everybody's picking on you for turning the amp on. Yeah, it probably, may've lessened the chances of a repair, but in the end, it's just an amp. It's not your family, it's not food, it's not the roof over your head, etc.

Perspective here. I'd also be interested to hear how it all turns out.

BassSurfer · #19 11-30-2012, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

Understandable. Don't think everybody's picking on you for turning the amp on. Yeah, it probably, may've lessened the chances of a repair, but in the end, it's just an amp. It's not your family, it's not food, it's not the roof over your head, etc.

Perspective here. I'd also be interested to hear how it all turns out.

Exactly Will. Thanks for the reassurance. Just trying to clarify here though not necessarily defend

I will keep everyone updated on this situation though. I have just contacted GK and RAG himself. I'll report back when I hear something.

Cheers!

Technotitclan · #20 11-30-2012, 10:17 AM

its possible it may still work with just a couple new parts like a transformer (too hard to clean). The issue is that salt/flood water have alot of junk in them that is left behind that cunducts electricity log after the water is dry. Pure H2O does not actualy cunduct, its all the impurities that do. Clean tap water after drying will be ok. Dried sea water, not a chance.

What to do: get some denatured alcohol and some distilled water. use the alcohol to clean all the boards and components. Use as much as you need. Then rinse with the distilled water.

If it has a tube that may be toast. The transformer is definatly not salvageable. Either get a new one or take it to the shop.

Hope this helps.