GK MB 200: Part Two

[RyanJD]

Guys, quick question...
I've heard about "underpowering" cabs, dunno if that's possible or not, but I'm playing at a friend's church tonight and I'm bringing my MB200.
She has an Ampeg 8x10 that she told me I can use. Should I be wary of underpowering it or is that just a TB urban legend?

 

[Bitterdale]

Guys, quick question...
I've heard about "underpowering" cabs, dunno if that's possible or not, but I'm playing at a friend's church tonight and I'm bringing my MB200.
She has an Ampeg 8x10 that she told me I can use. Should I be wary of underpowering it or is that just a TB urban legend?

There is no such thing.

If there were, your cab would be damaged if you turned your volume down.

 

[kleinenenten]

There is no such thing.

If there were, your cab would be damaged if you turned your volume down.

Sure there is! That's why you've always gotta crank everything!

 

[RyanJD]

There is no such thing.

If there were, your cab would be damaged if you turned your volume down.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking and that's what made me suspicious.
Anyways, thanks for the reply. Just want to be extremely careful using someone else's gear...

 

[RyanJD]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking and that's what made me suspicious.
Anyways, thanks for the reply. Just want to be extremely careful using someone else's gear...

The irony.
I let someone use my setup and now my MB200 is busted.
I don't know exactly what happened but now I'm getting a red light whenever I power it on.
Can I send it into GK and pay to have it repaired or something? It looks like the closest service center is 100 miles away.
Uggghhhh.

 

[B-string]

Contact [email protected] does it stay in protect even with the cab disconnected?

 

[Downunderwonder]

Just in case, mine goes red for a fair few seconds before it changes to blue.

 

[B-string]

Just in case, mine goes red for a fair few seconds before it changes to blue.

Excellent point. It should be red during self-test at startup.

 

[RyanJD]

Contact [email protected] does it stay in protect even with the cab disconnected?

Just in case, mine goes red for a fair few seconds before it changes to blue.

Right, mine is solid red and does not change. Just plugged into the wall, no cab or line in. I left it for a minute and it stays red.
I've tried different A/C adapters power cables too.

I'll try that email address. Thanks.

 

[RyanJD]

I emailed Jason finally.
My amp is out of warranty, since I got it used, so I'd end up paying an astronomical price to get this thing repaired:

Non-Warranty Repairs: For all non-warranty issues the bench rate is $75.00 per hour
plus parts and shipping. We will diagnose and report back to you. If you choose not to
go with the recommended repair, or there is no trouble found, a $30.00 diagnostic fee
will be applied along with the return freight charge.
...

I'm sure it would be at least $100 for a full cost repair.
No thanks.

I think I'll take the case apart myself and see what I can find.
Blown capacitors or something...
Any other ideas?

 

[RyanJD]

Caps look good. I have no clue what I'm even looking for. Maybe someone else will..?

 

[B-string]

You might be able to find a similar if not exact power module on EBay? Don't know if the failure is in the SMPS section or output module. My education on both is severely limited.

 

[B-string]

Is this a burnt/charred area?

 

[Bitterdale]

I emailed Jason finally.
My amp is out of warranty, since I got it used, so I'd end up paying an astronomical price to get this thing repaired:

I'm sure it would be at least $100 for a full cost repair.
No thanks.

I think I'll take the case apart myself and see what I can find.
Blown capacitors or something...
Any other ideas?

It's unlikely that you would be able to diagnose and repair it yourself.
I would recommend selling it as non-working/parts only. I recently saw one sell on ebay for $100.

 

[RyanJD]

Is this a burnt/charred area?

No it's clean there. The lighting in my room is just really bad.
I did just now notice a couple of the smaller capacitors were really bent.
I don't know if that could cause a problem or not. I straightened them and gave it a go, but no luck...

 

[RyanJD]

It's unlikely that you would be able to diagnose and repair it yourself.
I would recommend selling it as non-working/parts only. I recently saw one sell on ebay for $100.

I have a little bit of computer hardware repair experience, but this is uncharted teritory for me, you're right.
Selling it might be the way to go...

 

[B-string]

I would say whoever borrowed it will at least owe you the difference between what you paid and what you sell it for.

 

[RyanJD]

I would say whoever borrowed it will at least owe you the difference between what you paid and what you sell it for.

In a normal situation, I would certainly make some firrm request like that. However, I let a teenage friend of mine use it. He's barely 16.
I'm not going to demand a hundred bucks out of the kid. Besides, I don't think it was necessarily all his fault. I suspect the drummer had a hand in the matter.

But all of that is irrelevant.
You may see this for sale in the classifieds at some point...

 

[B-string]

Well, I hope your losses will not be too great.

On the other side, 16 is definitely not too young to learn some morality and responsibility for your actions? Might keep them from being the ones holding up the 7-Eleven later . No thumb screws of course

 

[RoadRanger]

Personally, I don't own any SS amps that can be blown up by merely cranking them - so if I loan one out and it comes back dead I'm not gonna harass the guy I loaned it to. A $250 MB200 is disposable - I do own one and when it dies I'll not get all boohoo about it. If yous guys want an amp that'll be around 30 years from now get a PTP wired tube amp and invest in a gym membership . Myself, my stoopid heavy amps are put out to pasture in rehearsal spaces I frequent (along with my 8x10's) and I gig the disposables .