Update On the Trace Eliott ELF That I Blew Up.

[Killed_by_Death]

Some people wouldn't care, it's their equipment,

This is why the contractors from abroad brought equipment that was capable of accepting 220 Volts, because they had to worry about compliance.
Someone using it in their home isn't going to care about that, but they should care about it burning their home down or shocking them.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

No insult was intended and I'm sorry if it read that way. Tone of voice is impossible to put across in text.

Line voltage is user selectable for some equipment but that's far from universal. I read the Elf owner manual and found in the specs that it's available for 120V and 240V but nothing that states or implies that the user can make the change. TE on page 5 of the Elf owner manual states, "Damage to the equipment may result if improper line voltage is used. (See line voltage marking on unit.)"

Markbass addresses this directly, saying, "Markbass apparatuses are manufactured to be sold and used in the country of purchase, and are factory preset to that country’s voltage.
Due to homologation issues, the voltage may not be changed."

Note to self: if intending to move to another country, check local voltage before considering the move, or ask for relocation fee for job to include replacement of bass amps.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I definitely consider when buying gear. If there are two comparable products & one accepts universal voltage, I'll buy that one.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Ancient alien theorists believe that knobs are not actually lost, they simply move to another dimension. Sort of like one shoe along the roadside.

Ah, conservation of knobs. As I understood it, if you find a lost sock, a knob vanishes from your equipment somewhere. The knob that is missing will be the one that is most critical to operation of the item on the day you notice it missing.

 

[CGremlin]

As I understood it, if you find a lost sock, a knob vanishes from your equipment somewhere.

Well, that explains things. I've been wondering for years where one of the tone knobs on my RB800 went. Now I know.

 

[popcat]

Ah, conservation of knobs. As I understood it, if you find a lost sock, a knob vanishes from your equipment somewhere. The knob that is missing will be the one that is most critical to operation of the item on the day you notice it missing.

Your statement is a corollary to Murphy's Law -- who by the way, was in contact with aliens that could foresee the future.

 

[agedhorse]

I wasn't trying to suggest a solution, it's already fried.
I'm smelling an air of "insulting my intelligence".

I've seen it right here on TB where the change is as simple as a jumper relocation.

I have also worked on equipment with voltage selection jumpers, but where other changes were also necessary. In these cases, the jumpers are typically used to change the configuration of the line frequency rectification section of the SMPS for manufacturing purposes, but often a few component values must also change. Without these changes, the power supply could be destroyed. Without knowing for sure, it would be irresponsible for me to offer suggestions that I can not back up with experience.

I don't see how this is insulting anybody''s intelligence.

IIRC, G-K's MB200 has a jumper & is switchable.

My experience with that particular power supply supports this.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I don't see how this is insulting anybody''s intelligence.

I was referring to someone else's quote about not understanding the problem:

Malcolm Forbes, "It's so much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem."

 

[popcat]

Some amps have an internal wiring configuration where multiple wires have to be changed from one position to another, it is not just a single jumper. This can be the case with multi-primary (or multi-tapped) transformers designed to be used with AC voltages for different regions to simplify production. However it can become a problem, for someone eventually, if the actual operating voltage is different from that marked externally.

 

[Carl Hillman]

I'm afraid 12 of mine disappeared last night. Similar. Found them all empty in the recycle this morning. And some drunk guy even cut one open to see how the newer type round ball widget works. That one I found with the cut halves slid back into each other and the ball is gone.

This reinforces my theory that Guinness made up the “widget” story as a cover for some kind of magical leprechaun technology they’ve been employing.

Good work, drunk scientist guy!

 

[Wood and Wire]

View attachment 2953582

Is it just me, or do those outlets look like two horrified faces?

Is that a subliminal clue, by the product designer?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

U.K. has the best-designed plugs:

the Earth prong HAS to open the ports for the other two prongs

and those switches built into the outlets is pure genius

 

[delta7fred]

U.K. has the best-designed plugs:

View attachment 2953814

the Earth prong HAS to open the ports for the other two prongs

and those switches built into the outlets is pure genius

They are ok for low current applications but there is a fuse on the live pin which can heat up under heavy load.

I have seen sockets with a circle of charred Bakelite around the live pin because it has got so hot.

 

[madbass6]

I just have to say that I don’t understand all the people suggesting to the OP that this very low priced amp is fixable given what happened. The chances of fixing this for less than the cost of a replacement and ending up with something that you can have faith in have gotta be less than 2 in 10. It’s a function of the way these amps are made, as has been stated several times.

agedhorse knows more about this stuff than all of us put together and he has patiently tried to convey the reality of the situation. SteveCS explains it above.

Should the OP try to get this fixed? Probably not, but if he insists, he should consider the cost. If he’s spending more than what...60% of replacement cost, then to me it doesn’t make sense.

OP, your tech might tell you he thinks it’s fixable. Go ahead and try if you want but definitely temper your expectations. Your amp is almost certainly injured badly enough that trying to fix it is sub-optimal.

I suggest Listening to this guy he's being 1000% realistic!!

 

[Slevage]

Except when they are not.

Send them my way—— time is in my side—
Repairs are fun though not always profitable—-
Like playing a bass.

 

[Slevage]

They are ok for low current applications but there is a fuse on the live pin which can heat up under heavy load.

I have seen sockets with a circle of charred Bakelite around the live pin because it has got so hot.

Often due to loose fitting plugs—-
There’s a spec for that—- but it’s often ignored.

 

[Downunderwonder]

All the man hours put into this thread would have bought the OP a studio worth of gear.

 

[delta7fred]

Often due to loose fitting plugs—-
There’s a spec for that—- but it’s often ignored.

More often due to the fuse not being gripped properly by the contact fingers, particularly in the old rubber plugs where the pins could move a little.

Thankfully I haven't seen any of those on sale for a long time. Every one I encounter I strip the brass out for scrap and discard the rubber.

The best ones are the nylon bodied, the Bakelite ones are ok but can break especially if you happen to stand on them, the rubber ones should never have been made.

 

[bassstrangler]

All the man hours put into this thread would have bought the OP a studio worth of gear.

Hypothetically, let's hope he would have checked all of it before plugging it in.

 

[seamonkey]

Who know yet what fried. It may be the power supply and it stopped there.

Some clever tech may be able to bypass it with a nice big power brick

Or maybe get the DI to work - there's a lot of tone if the pre-amp still works.