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Fix my broke Carvin BX1500

#21
byacey said:
I remember an MG product similar to this, but it was in a small bottle, application by Q tip or syringe. If I recall correctly, it was not recommended for anything other than gold contacts.
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Not an MG product, these were in a little sealed packages for electronics companies/engineering. These you would have to tear open and unfold the cleaning pad. I haven't seen them for awhile but I really haven't been looking either. I have never seen them used outside of the Electronics manufacturing companies. Doesn't mean that they haven't been, I just haven't seen it.
 
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#22
mrjim123 said:
My Carvin BX500 failed (totally, didn't just drop the low end) and I was able to restore it by removing the ribbon connectors, cleaning them with Deoxit, then of course replacing them. At some point I also had to disable the tube via a switch in the back, which was OK because I never noticed any difference with the tube engaged. It wouldn't hurt to Deoxit the ribbon connectors. YMMV.
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Carvin has a PDF on how to set the amp so you can hear the tube difference. Hopefully it's still up. I may have saved this, I will take a look later.
 
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#23
Doing something right the first time instead of throwing ideas or money at something often ends up being more expensive than going through the correct steps the first time.

In this case, as usually happens, we are still at the same point as when this first happened. But time has passed by and a speaker has been needlessly replaced.

If the amp does end up going to a repair tech (good luck finding someone to touch a Carvin) then that cost was always going to be there, now he has the addition of a speaker in that price as well as time and frustration on the fixes not working.
 
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#24
S-Bigbottom said:
Doing something right the first time instead of throwing ideas or money at something often ends up being more expensive than going through the correct steps the first time.

In this case, as usually happens, we are still at the same point as when this first happened. But time has passed by and a speaker has been needlessly replaced.

If the amp does end up going to a repair tech (good luck finding someone to touch a Carvin) then that cost was always going to be there, now he has the addition of a speaker in that price as well as time and frustration on the fixes not working.
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I guess if anything positive came out of that, he still has a good spare speaker, unless it got tossed.
 
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#25
mrjim123 said:
My Carvin BX500 failed (totally, didn't just drop the low end) and I was able to restore it by removing the ribbon connectors, cleaning them with Deoxit, then of course replacing them. At some point I also had to disable the tube via a switch in the back, which was OK because I never noticed any difference with the tube engaged. It wouldn't hurt to Deoxit the ribbon connectors. YMMV.
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I found this explanation on the TB from 2016. Hopefully this helps others out as well. I would change out the tube for a more warmer sounding one.

"I recently acquired the schematic for my BX1500 and discovered that the tube is after the amp 1 and 2 controls just before the poweramps. This was proved out when I turned down the master and maxed the amp 1 and 2 controls and sure enough I could finally hear the tube. You still need to give as much pre gain as you can to hear the tube warmth come out. If you use the effects loop, you can boost the signal before the tube."
 
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#28
With the X-Over button engaged in the amp works differently. Makes sure it's off if you want to run two cabs in dual mono. Otherwise the CROSSOVER Frequency knob is engaged and this can suck the low end out of your cab depending on which AMP your cab is plugged into on back. I noticed that when I showed my BX1200 to a possible buyer that I was in BI-AMP mode (X-Over on) and I had the CROSSOVER Freq knob set so almost all the low-end was removed from the top 3-way cab. The lower sub was getting almost all of it. As I turned the CF knob to the right, AMP2 (connected to top cab) saw the low-end return. Straight up means both cabs get the same. Of course the BRIDGE button on the back has to be out (off) to run in dual mono or X-Over mode. If it's pushed in, BRIDGE mode is engaged and only AMP1 volume knob works. Try it in bridge mode to see if what happens. It's a ton of power in bridge mode (4 ohm min. load) so be careful.
 
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#30
scottfeldstein said:
I really loved my Carvin BX1500. (Whoa, that post says I paid "about $600" for it. I actually paid 3 in April of 2017. I think I was confusing it with the purchase of my Warwick 5-string.) But, love or not, it developed a problem a couple of years ago. One of the two amps just...lost low end. For a time I thought I was experiencing a speaker problem. I even replaced a perfectly good GK 15 at one point, only to later realize that it was the amp.

I think someone in these forums once suggested that I needed to open it up and blow out the ribbon connections with deoxit or something. Any other opinions? I don't have anyone local I can take it to. Besides, if it's a no-solder, no-parts repair, I should just do it myself.
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I know you've looked at this but I am still compelled to ask, is the cross-over engaged? That depending on the channel used would make it sound thin.
 
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#31
Drummerboy2 said:
Carvin has a PDF on how to set the amp so you can hear the tube difference. Hopefully it's still up. I may have saved this, I will take a look later.
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I'd be curious to see that as well. I also have a still working (probably not now because I acknowledged that it is/was working :)) BX 1500 and only noticed a slight increase in midrange with the tube engaged. Nothing that would indicate a tube was in use :)

Not like the Mesa WD 800. That tube is working in that front end!


That's what she said :)

.
 
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#32
After the long storage through covid my BX1500 had a problem at my second gig. I ended out cleaning/reseating the ribbon cables and all has been good since January.

I'd done the same thing with a Carvin 4 channel Power amp once before as well.

Personally, this has been one of my favorite heads through the years. I'd heard some of the amps were questionable, (Typically the redline) but the BX1500&1600 typically got high marks. I wouldn't give mine up for anything.
 
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#33
I have a "BX250'" (the MB10 combo, one of the last ones ever made) and also an ancient BX500... both are two of the best-sounding amps I have ever owned, and neither has ever given me a lick of trouble. But the BX500 "tube" switch might as well be a "producer switch" - because it doesn't make the faintest difference to the sound... :)
 
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#36
arbiterusa said:
I'm sure there's a perfectly good trash can somewhere near you. Such has always been the destination of all Carvin electronics.
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I used a bx amp for 12 years. Not sure that i loved it, but the tone was neutral, and it was loud. Literally thousands of gigs. It finally bit the dust after a sudden rainstorm at an outdoor gig. I cant complain about it.
 
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#37
DJ Bebop said:
I'd be curious to see that as well. I also have a still working (probably not now because I acknowledged that it is/was working :)) BX 1500 and only noticed a slight increase in midrange with the tube engaged. Nothing that would indicate a tube was in use :)

Not like the Mesa WD 800. That tube is working in that front end!


That's what she said :)

.
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Well, I found the link I had to the PDF but it's no longer working or has been taken down. I did post what I found here in TB for the "TUBE" function and how to make it work. I wish they had the tube in the Front End of the preamp. My Hartke HA3500 has two controls Solid State or Tube or Blend of the two. I preferred the Full On Tube sound.
 
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#38
SkylineFiver said:
Your last sentence contradicts your first sentence.

Agedhorse needs no correcting.
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I chose to ignore it and just figured Agedhorse was still sore about the time I clashed with him over mismatched speaker cabs. I later apologized, but perhaps he wasn't having it. If so that's a shame and I'm double sorry now. But what can you do? I swept off my side of the street.
 
#39
mikewalker said:
I have a "BX250'" (the MB10 combo, one of the last ones ever made) and also an ancient BX500... both are two of the best-sounding amps I have ever owned, and neither has ever given me a lick of trouble. But the BX500 "tube" switch might as well be a "producer switch" - because it doesn't make the faintest difference to the sound... :)
Click to expand...

Ha! No, it does not!
 
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#40
scottfeldstein said:
I totally get that. It's a great point and I don't think anyone is confused about it. It is possible, however, to make that point without open contempt.
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To be crystal clear, there was neither “open contempt” nor any intent of contempt in any of my comments.

Some of you are reading way more into this than what was posted. For years, my posts have always been about facts and accuracy, nothing more.
 
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