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Early morning gig with the Rumble and Bacchus. Kenny is still sleeping!
Obligatory rig pic from today’s gig! Joe approves!
Need some help diagnosing folks! I took the Rumble 500 combo out for its maiden voyage today. I was about 3/4 of the way through our set when it sounded like my volume was cutting in half. After the song was done, I hit a couple of notes and hear some crackling. Thinking maybe it was my compressor, I pulled it out of the chain to try and narrow down the options. No luck…definitely the amp. I finished the gig with it, and the rest of the band covered up the crackling. The weird thing is, it wasn’t consistent. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? It almost sounds like a blown voice coil on one of the speakers, but no way, I was only running at 10:00 on the Master.
I’m going to try taking it apart tomorrow. The first things to check are the spade plugs connecting the speakers and all the soldered connections. Has anyone “road-proofed” one of these amps (strengthening soldered connections and the like)? I might hold off doing that in case I need to send it in for service.
Anyone have any other ideas?
I’m going to try taking it apart tomorrow. The first things to check are the spade plugs connecting the speakers and all the soldered connections. Has anyone “road-proofed” one of these amps (strengthening soldered connections and the like)? I might hold off doing that in case I need to send it in for service.
Anyone have any other ideas?
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Do you use your FX Loop? If not, try an instrument cable from FX Send to FX Return. If that seems to fix it, then it is a corroded switch in the FX Return jack that is shorting out the signal to the power amp. That cable is a workable temporary fix. Several pluggings & unpluggings can help knock off the corrosion. Perhaps a very small amount of Deoxit can also help clean it.
Good luck. Please keep us informed.
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Nope. Everything was running straight to the input. Hopefully, I can find some time to pull it apart today and check everything. How is Fender with replacements/fixes if I need it? Can I just drop it at an authorized repair shop?
Maybe I missed it here but did you try another instrument cable that same night you were having issues?
So, did you you try the cable directly from FX Send to FX Return? Did it help?
I've no personal experience as all my Fenders have always been fine. But, from what I read Fender is great on warranty work, often totally replacing amps for seemingly small problems.
The catch is that the old 5-year transferable warranties ended on January 1, 2017, four and a half years ago. If you bought yours between August and December of 2016 you're still covered! Find that receipt! Or contact your seller for a copy. After Jan.1, '17 it's just a 2-year non-transferable warranty. If you bought it after July 2019 you're still covered! Just beware of leaving any marks that you've opened or modified anything, since that voids the warranty.
Otherwise, you'll be charged for repairs, but Authorized Fender Service Centers can still often do the job.
Again, good luck, and please keep us updated.
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The catch is that the old 5-year transferable warranties ended on January 1, 2017, four and a half years ago. If you bought yours between August and December of 2016 you're still covered! Find that receipt! Or contact your seller for a copy. After Jan.1, '17 it's just a 2-year non-transferable warranty. If you bought it after July 2019 you're still covered! Just beware of leaving any marks that you've opened or modified anything, since that voids the warranty.
Otherwise, you'll be charged for repairs, but Authorized Fender Service Centers can still often do the job.
Again, good luck, and please keep us updated.
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Does anyone have an explanation as to why Fender discontinued the 5 yr transferable warranty on post 2018 production and went to a 2 yr non transferable warranty?
My guess is the general rise in electronics-in-general of cheaper, miniaturized, all-in-one printed circuit modules replacing ol' timey point-to-pojnt handwiring. That brings on the replacement-over-repair policies that are not as sustainable as previous repair policies. This trend is just a global economic fact of business life that's not limited to Fender, but affects all products containing electronics. What's the life expectancy of a modern smart/cell phone these days?
Repairability of old PTP handwired gear is one thing keeping the vintage market alive, similar to vintage cars that still have parts available. BTW, Fender, and others, do still make a few very repairable PTP handwired products at premium prices.
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Didn’t try it, but it’s a new amp, so I don’t think anything is corroded. It has to either be a mechanical connection or catastrophic failure of a component. Given the intermitent issues, I’m guessing the first. Too busy so far today to look at it.
Since it is new, don’t mess with it and let Fender service or replace it.
If it's under warranty, Fender will help you out. I had to get my Rumble 200 replaced a few months ago. They didn't have any in stock, but arranged to send me a check so that I could purchase a replacement. As a side note, I was practicing through my new Rumble 200 last week and I started hearing a noise like a shorted jack or cable. Turned out to be the battery in my bass. WHEW!
Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about. Unfortunately, no one has any stock right now and the manufacturers can’t get the parts needed to ship units. I was lucky to find this one!
Don't rule put the corroded jack 'cause you just bought the amp. You don't know how long the part sat in the factory before installation, or how long the amp took to travel from overseas factory to store, to you. Easy to try when you get the time.
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Ok, definitely will. That’s pretty poor quality though if something corrodes that quickly and malfunctions!
How quickly? The lack of essential workers these days slows overseas factories and shipping logistics, as well as U.S. goods. As much as everyone wants things to get back to normal, it's an uphill battle. My state, for example, has actually just reinstated some previously rescinded mask & distancing protocols because the hospitals are now filling up again! It's a crazy time.
And it's not a rare problem on most amps with FX Loops. With every relocation at the factory before boxing, & after unboxing at your house, the jacks (and these switches) are exposed to ambient air, which can frequently change from hot & humid to cool & dry, with accompanying corrosive condensation on metal parts. Such electrical contacts are especially susceptible to these conditions.
Thank goodness for this simple cable fix, if that is the problem.
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Call me old school, but if I get something new, I don’t expect to have problems with it in the first week. In the last week, my brand new WA76 quit working on the 2nd day I had it, then this happened on an amp that I’ve literally had for 6 days. Frustrating to say the least when you buy almost $1500 worth of gear in a week and $1200 of it fails in the first few days…just so everyone has an idea where I’m coming from.
That said, I didn’t get a chance to take it apart to look at it tonight, but I did try plugging it in. No crackling tonight, which means I either need to turn it up louder (was in my office), or it’s gonna be a bugger and be REALLY intermitent!
That said, I didn’t get a chance to take it apart to look at it tonight, but I did try plugging it in. No crackling tonight, which means I either need to turn it up louder (was in my office), or it’s gonna be a bugger and be REALLY intermitent!
And we have a new student of "Understanding Electronics 101".
