• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Selling a busted combo. What's reasonable?

#21
I used the Laney in question up against a loud metal drummer so it got punished for nearly the entire two years I was in that band. I ran it with all the knobs goosed in an attempt to keep up. When it started acting up I wasn't surprised because if you push something past its capabilities you are eventually going to wreck it.

I think it would be easier to smash a higher powered combo than a cheap one though. Practice amps and smaller wattage units are usually designed to take a decent amount of punishment and from conversations had on here (eg. issues with Rumble combos) it seems that very often the speakers struggle to keep up with the higher wattage designs.
 
#22
Hey guys. Shameless bump for some help. I'm now investigating the issue with the amp which is exactly what I said I wasn't going to do. Irony.

Anyway here's the actual problem that the amp is now presenting. I turn it on and there's no output from the speaker. Both passive and active inputs have this problem. While the master volume on the amp is low I can't hear a thing after I turn the mains on, but if I play hard I can see the preamp compressor firing so the amp is receiving input.

Then, if I turn the master volume to maximum and play hard it's like the amp 'clears a blockage' for want of a better term. I can hear the bass tone low and crackly then it seems to burst out of the speaker at full volume and from there on in until I turn the amp off I can play fine at any master volume level. I tried ramming a patch lead into the effects loop, and direct out and that seems to 'reset' the problem, which means I have to jack the master and blast the problem out again to play.

Any ideas guys? Seems since I can actually get it working that the problem might be pretty minor and doesn't seem to be the driver after all. I could probably still sell the amp and upgrade the terminology from 'busted' to 'dicky' but I'd rather roll with 'working fine' if we can nut this out. Now I've actually had a go at troubleshooting it I've gotten rather involved which is why I wanted to avoid doing anything in the first place.
 
#24
B-string said:
You could have a bad solder joint. How good are you with disassembly, soldering and do you know proper safety procedures around a powered circuit?
Click to expand...

As I think I said previously in this thread, I'm completely un-handy. I doubt I could even get it open and the only safety technique I'm aware of would be to not have it plugged into the wall. I don't think I'm the right man for the job whatsoever.

Is this the kind of thing you could expect a tech to fix pretty cheaply though? I used to get techs to solder my guitar inputs for $10 a pop back in the day.
 
#25
Might be more than the increase in selling price would make up for. Talk to some about the trouble and that you would like to sell it in good working condition. Maybe one will take it in cheaply?

(I repaired a crackling Fender SS combo cheap for a local, was a pain to work on but just a bad cap and cracked resistor $35. He was trading it in.)
 
#26
Cool. Thanks for your help. If I were going to invest in the fix I'd probably have to commit to keeping it and I don't know if I really want to. I might just sell it as-is and let someone else try and fix it as I was originally planning.

At least now I can say that I suspect a bad solder joint. More information is key as now people can better assess whether they're able to fix it and how long it might take.
 
#28
B-string said:
You could have a bad solder joint.
Click to expand...

Nailed it. The higher voltage at high volume settings temporarily 'welds' the loose part back, until vibration knocks it loose. Common enough issue. Tracking it down might be difficult, unless you use the 'chopstick' method. ;)
EDIT: which I don't recommend, based on the OP's stated level of expertise. It would probably be an easy fix for a 'shadetree' tech.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back