• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Amp Trouble (Any input would be helpful)

MRDOOM

MRDOOM

Jul 16, 2009
577
103
Utah
#1
I have an Ashdown MAG 600 (1st generation) and it's been having some problems lately. The sound that is coming out is strangely muffled and thin, almost nasal. It also seems to have lost a little bit of gain.

I thought it might have been a cabinet problem, so I replaced the cabinet (an Acoustic b410) under GC's return policy, but that didn't fix it, so the problem lies with the head. I wrote to Ashdown and they had no idea what the problem could be. I disengaged the EQ, but the amp still sounds strange, so it doesn't seem to be a problem with the EQ section either. I'm planning on taking it to an amp repair shop soon, but I'd still like to have some idea what the problem might be.

*Note: I should also point out that I've tried several bass and cable combinations and those didn't make a difference. I also replaced the fuse with a new one (with the same amp and volt rating) as I had heard that bad fuses were a recurring problem with these heads. That didn't do anything either.
 
#2
Well, it could be a ton of things. But the first thing I ALWAYS do before anything else is to hit everything with contact cleaner. The pots, and all other connections and jacks. (Of course it goes without saying that the thing should be OFF and UNPLUGGED when you do this. Your pots should have a tiny rectangle hole in the casing somewhere. Just take the little tube on a can of spray contact cleaner and shoot it in there. Then work the pot back and forth. Do this with all of them. Then hit all the jacks (speaker, input, etc.) In fact, you may want to hit the whole inside (guts) with compressed air (from a can if you don't know what you are doing) before you even use the contact cleaner.

Now, first off, if this sounds like a foreign language to you, you have NO BUSINESS opening up the head. Take it to a tech.

Second, I'm not saying this will fix your problem. It is just a start and MIGHT fix the problem without having to take it to a tech. Dirty contacts can have a negative affect no your signal path and it is so easy to clean them if you have any idea what you are doing. Its worth a shot right?
 
#4
two fingers said:
Well, it could be a ton of things. But the first thing I ALWAYS do before anything else is to hit everything with contact cleaner. The pots, and all other connections and jacks. (Of course it goes without saying that the thing should be OFF and UNPLUGGED when you do this. Your pots should have a tiny rectangle hole in the casing somewhere. Just take the little tube on a can of spray contact cleaner and shoot it in there. Then work the pot back and forth. Do this with all of them. Then hit all the jacks (speaker, input, etc.) In fact, you may want to hit the whole inside (guts) with compressed air (from a can if you don't know what you are doing) before you even use the contact cleaner.

Now, first off, if this sounds like a foreign language to you, you have NO BUSINESS opening up the head. Take it to a tech.

Second, I'm not saying this will fix your problem. It is just a start and MIGHT fix the problem without having to take it to a tech. Dirty contacts can have a negative affect no your signal path and it is so easy to clean them if you have any idea what you are doing. Its worth a shot right?
Click to expand...

Thank you. Anything that could be the problem (or part of it) is what I'm looking for. I'll probably leave any cleaning to a tech, as I'm not very handy and likely to do more harm than good if I try to do it myself.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back