I need a new "practice amp" with CD/Aux input, headphones out with a decent speaker, too, for learning songs for a new band. Right now I have two other amps, for which there is no official documentation available, which really sucks when the gear gets older. This time I will try to get an amp from a manufacturer that supplies schematics etc for their products. I think Traynor is very good at this, and it seems Ampeg and Peavey are forthcoming, too? Do you have any recommendations? Oh, and byt the way, in order to have it repair-able, it is of course logical that one can get the parts for it, so it is not a "replace board" design. Preferably not made in China, too. I guess with these additional criteria, there are very few products left?
I understand wanting to be able to service your own amps but with SS amps it's generally more cost effective to replace the board rather than pay a tech hours to try to find the problem so they're designed with that in mind. Maybe the Markbass 801 or 601 combos will satisfy most of your requirements but they aren't cheap.
Thanks. However, with some brands, replacement boards will be phased out much too early (in my opinion), the manufacturer might go belly up, only a minor component might fail etc. As always, it is better to have the stuff and don't need it than vice versa... The 801 is not outside my budget and my LMII has given me great service, but it seems MarkBass are also very reluctant to provide documents? And I would prefer a bit more controls on the amp, for signal balancing and tone adjustment. Speaker out is nice, though.
G-K (California) is very friendly about supplying service info but the output sections are class D which brings on a big "duh" from most tech currently. Mesa (California) is usually pretty good about supplying info when needed, I don't know their lineup well enough to know if they have a model that fits. New equipment is going to be class D and SMPS for weight savings and high power in a small package. The ability of techs to service these are on the rise just as techs resisted SS in the days of tubes.
Thanks! Is not conventional transformers + AB output section still the "go-to" design for most sub 100W practice amps? I have been under the impression that both Ampeg's BA series and Fender Rumble models were "old school". But that might have been the recently phased out models...
You added the "additional criteria" of no China made? They may still be using the "amp on a chip" like the TriPath but that also is serviced as an assembly . Line frequency transformers? Still possible on low power units as large iron transformers are expensive.
OK - let's scratch everything and just look at whether the manufacturer shares the documentation or not... :edit: fixed a typo.
In that case Ampeg/LOUD Tech does appear to be more forthcoming as of late. I needed schematics for a Mackie powered speaker and was directed to a web page that required sign up (easy by the way), I found there many products for Ampeg, Crate as well as others. Last time at Fender they had some schematics available online as well. I didn't look for current production units at either though.