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Please help - SVT-CL problem!

Oratorio

Oratorio

May 9, 2007
143
1
Norway
#1
Hello everyone.

I have an Ampeg SVT-CL and a 8x10 cab. It's one of the new ones out of Nam, and have worked perfectly up until this point. They both have been standing in my room, where I have been using them every day. They have not moved for like, two months. But today, after being on standby for about half an hour, I turned it on. It responded with a big, cracky "thump", and proceeded to turn the lights flashing red/green. I looked it up in the manual, and it says this:

If the amp detects a fault in the power tube circuit,
the high voltage is turned off and the
LED flashes between red and green.
This usually indicates a bad power
tube. The amp will remain in this con-
dition until the unit is turned off.

So, what does this mean - is it the power, or the tubes that needs changing? How come it's the tubes? It seems so odd when the amp haven't really been pushed during the 2 months its been standing in my room. Can anyone elaborate, please? Thank you!!

:hyper:
 
#2
Tubes are kind of like lightbulbs. They can burn.

If you can look at the power tubes...does one look different than the others....black or foggy? If not then it might just be the bias or it could be something else. If its not obviously a tube continue on the right path and take it to a tech.
***edited out an unwise suggestion***
More will be along to help soon :)
 
#3
Just because its a tube amp, dont assume its a tube causing the problems.

Either way, it should be within its warranty, just get it sorted out on ampegs time or get a replacement?

I dare say it could still be the tubes, if they are going to die for any reason other than mechanical damage or age, they will die while very young.

Do what Jonathan says and look in he back for tubes where they look funny, or something has happened to the silver material inside the tubes.

I wouldnt go about changing the tubes though, the majority of the time, tubes failing is caused by another component in the amplifier.
 
#7
MakiSupaStar said:
There's something weird. If it was tubes I'd be pretty ticked being that it's new.
Tubes don't have to be replaced that often.
Click to expand...
If they have Chinese tubes, I wouldn't be surprised. I'm not a fan of the Chinese tubes. But I would still be ticked. It's not so bad when a preamp tube goes out but power tubes in SVT's have to be matched in sets of three, so you need one within the parameters of the existing tubes or else you'll have to get a matched set of 3.
 
#8
The same thing is happening with my new nam made SVT CL. It works ok when I plug it into my 8x10, but the problem you are describing happens whenever I plug it into a different cab. I've plugged it into 3 different cabs with both 1/4" and speakon cables and always the same thing. If I play with the connection after a while, taking them out and plugging back in, eventually it works.
 

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