Problems with Boss Katana 210B combo

[BruceG68]

I bought this amp when they 1st came on the market almost 3 years ago and have really liked it.However last wed at practice the amp quit working after about 10 minutes.It gave no indication of anything being wrong as far as distorting,cutting out,changes in volume etc.I reached down to feel the back of the amp and it was barely above room temperature.I tried plugging my bass into another amp with same cord no problem so im puzzled as I play in a blues band and never push the amp that hard.Anybody else have any problems with their Katana 210B like this.If so what was it and much did it cost to fix as im wondering if its worth fixing.Thanks Bruce

 

[agedhorse]

Maybe, a qualified factory authorized service center should be able to determine if it’s repairable.

 

[BruceG68]

I talked to 2 authorized repair centers and was told the way it's done is they just replace whole boards.They said had never have repaired my model of amp but roughly estimated that I would into it for at least $300.Just wondered if anybody on TB here has had a similar issue and it was something simple.Since your right here agedhorse if I can repair my amp cost effectively I've been considering one of your Subway amps as I've owned a D180 and a 400+ in the past and had great luck with them.Do you see the Subway amps being repairable say 10 to 15 years down the road as the next amp I buy I hope to be my last.Thanks

 

[BruceG68]

Excuse me that's can't repair cost effectively.

 

[agedhorse]

I talked to 2 authorized repair centers and was told the way it's done is they just replace whole boards.They said had never have repaired my model of amp but roughly estimated that I would into it for at least $300.Just wondered if anybody on TB here has had a similar issue and it was something simple.Since your right here agedhorse if I can repair my amp cost effectively I've been considering one of your Subway amps as I've owned a D180 and a 400+ in the past and had great luck with them.Do you see the Subway amps being repairable say 10 to 15 years down the road as the next amp I buy I hope to be my last.Thanks

Yes, I routinely repair and refurbish the Genz Benz Shuttle, ShuttleMax and Streamliner amps which have been on the market between 15 and 20 years. No different than repairing any of the Subway models.

 

[BruceG68]

Thank You that gives me something to consider on my next amp purchase.

 

[eniac]

What exactly do you mean by "quit working"? Amp shows it has power but there's no output, or amp is totally dead as in no lights on, etc.

 

[BruceG68]

All the lights and everything are still on as if the amp is on standby but no sound.It is not the bass or cable as it works being plugged into a different amp.The amp wasn't turned up much over half of its potential and gave no indication of anything about to happen as cutting in an out,distorting or volume changes and the amp was barely above room temperature.Unreal!

 

[eniac]

This is a long shot, but connect the Effects Send jack to the Effects Return jack with an instrument (or pedalboard) cable and see what happens.

If you get nothing, try plugging a bass guitar directly into the Effects Return jack and see if you get any sound at all.

If you get nothing, try plugging a bass guitar directly into the Power Amp In jack and see if you get any sound at all.

 

[BruceG68]

I tried everything you mentioned above and it still doesn't work.I even took the amp back to factory reset and that didn't work.As a last resort I plugged an extension speaker in and it worked.The amp is setup to shut off the internal speakers when an extension cab is plugged in.So then I made a cable to plug into the extension speaker jack hooked it up the pair of 10s in the amp and they work fine.So it must be that dual purpose jack on the inside of the amp.What type of jack is that.Anybody?

 

[agedhorse]

You need to know exactly what the jack is doing, there are multiple ways of doing this so you don't want to guess. It may not be the jack either.

 

[BruceG68]

I have a friend that's a repair tech.I will let him take it from here.For what it's worth though what else do you think it could be other than a bad jack,connection or wire? Thank You for your expertise.

 

[J Wilson]

One has to consider that often less expensive amps are designed to be less expensive to manufacture, and the shortcuts are under the hood. Then you can end up with amps that are cheaper to replace than repair, and the manufacturers even save money for a smaller support footprint as they'll simply to have fewer to repair.

Start talking more expensive professional gear, and their working lives are much longer and the manufacturer planned for this with deeper service and support. New GenzBenz products haven't been sold for years, yet you can have any of them brought back into fighting shape today. That did not occur by accident.

That costs more up front, and that's the choice you make.

 

[agedhorse]

I will restate my point that you need to see a qualified, factory authorized service center and not a friend that “does repairs”. These are very specialized amps that require specialized knowledge and access to proprietary information and test procedures.

 

[BruceG68]

As far the cheaper amps go I get it as it's a pay me now or pay me later,you get what you pay for.I would hope/think right now I'm still at the cost effective point in this event.To what agedhorse is saying is a good point as to exactly what parts are needed and the procedures to change them.Thanks everybody

 

[eniac]

So that extension speaker jack is a switching-type jack?

Try running a phone (aka 1/4") plug in and out of that jack a couple dozen times. Could be the jack's shorting contacts that complete the circuit from the power amp to the internal speakers have gotten dusty/oxidized over the years you've owned it. If you make them open and close a few times, that could be enough to dislodge any junk at their point of contact. Long shot, but it'll cost you nothing, and it's non-invasive/non-destructive.

Whatever you do, don't spray anything in there.

 

[BruceG68]

I'm assuming it's a switching jack since when you plug in an extension speaker power to the internal speakers are shut off.But who knows.I wouldn't think there would be much corrosion,dirt etc since the amp isn't quite 3 years old and I keep a cover on it but stranger things have happened.

 

[agedhorse]

It’s extremely easy to make incorrect assumptions on amps with a LOT of hidden technology.

This is why it’s important that the tech is experienced with this amp line, there are unconventional things going on that can be misleading when troubleshooting.

 

[BruceG68]

There is an authorized Roland/Boss repair in Toledo about an hour away.Im going to take it there.

 

[agedhorse]

There is an authorized Roland/Boss repair in Toledo about an hour away.Im going to take it there.

Call them first and ask what your options are.