I hurt my rig

[Bochafish]

So the other day, I decide I wanted to shake my house with some serious rumble. I plugged in my SX p/j into my VT Bass pedal, into my swr 350x, which is running into my Ampeg PR210H, and PR series 15".

The 2x10 is rated at 300 rms, the 1x15 is rated at 400 rms, so I didn't think it was possible for me to have over powered them running 175 watts into each. (350 watts split between two cabs at 4 total ohms)

I thumped for a second or two, and now I am getting a bass distortion sound. It sounds like a guitar distortion, and the bottom end is almost gone. I've never blown speakers out before, is this what is sounds like? Or do you think I injured my SWR 350x?

I tried playing through the cabs separately, and no change, getting the same distortion buzz sound out of both.

Please help


Edit: Also, amp settings- gain 9 o'clock, Master 12 o'clock. Level setting on the VT pedal was 12 o'clock. Nothing was past half way...

 

[Thatguy59]

Have you checked if the VT bass could be causing the problem?

 

[Bochafish]

Yep, I tried without the pedal, same noise. I am getting that noise at all volumes too.

 

[IvanMike]

i'm guessing amp. see if you can try the amp on another cab or try another head on your cabs to isolate the issue.

then it's tech time......

 

[basspro]

Sounds like the preamp tube has gone bad.

 

[Bochafish]

I really hope its the amp, I was going to take it to a tech anyway, just to make sure its in good condition before I sell it. Its my only amp, so I am unable to try another out on the cabs right now. thank you everyone

 

[Never_grew_up]

The SXR 350x has a 12AX7 tube in the preamp section that may have given up the ghost. Plug your bass into the effects loop return so that you bypass the preamp section. You won't (or at least shouldn't) be very loud since you're plugging a passive bass into the effects return, but if your sound is clean then you know the power amp section of the head is good.
2nd step would be to plug the VT pedal output into the effects return, plug your bas into the pedal and test again. Should be louder since the VT is boosting the signal, but still fairly clean if you have the drive and level settings low.

 

[Bochafish]

Success, thanks for that advice! Plugged into the effects loop return, and I'm all good. Sounds like it my preamp, and I am relieved. Its a pre-fender SWR, and I'm suprised that it made it 9 years before braking down.

 

[basspro]

Just get another 12ax7 preamp tube and swap it out yourself.
There are pleanty on ebay all the time.

 

[Never_grew_up]

If you got 9 years out of 1 tube I'd say you definitely got your money's worth.

 

[BassmanPaul]

If you got 9 years out of 1 tube I'd say you definitely got your money's worth.

Why???? I have 12AX7s that are more than forty years old. Still work fine and test well into the green.

Paul

 

[JimmyM]

Ya, tubes used to not suck. I've got a handful of 40 year old tubes, too. But in this day and age, I'd say 9 years is really good for a production tube.

 

[mrkreuzschlitz]

Yeah, unfortunately tubes don't last at all anymore. You can almost expect the average production power tubes to last 10 years AT MOST, they just don't make them last anymore. And I say that, regretting that I don't have boxes full of NOS stuff.