Why Unqualified Repairs Are Often Dangerous

[Rabidhamster]

View attachment 5405553 This came into the shop today, customer first claimed that it was working fine then suddenly stopped working, and of course trying to claim the flat rate service program coverage said that nobody tried to repair it,

Obviously this wasn't the case and it came out that "maybe" he and his "highly qualified" electronics buddy from the local repair shop might have "looked at it" but didn't touch anything other than installing a new tube.

Clearly this wasn't the case, there's a metal rod where the fuse is supposed to be, the jack nuts are missing and the fan wires were cut. There was also "magic cure-all spray" spooge all over the inside of amp (including on the power amp module), which may have been the root cause of the failure.

First of all, this is extremely dangerous because depending on the failure mode, it's possible for the bulk supply caps to explode, which can launch electrolyte onto a person's face and into their eyes (a trip to the ER for sure).

Second, this would have likely been a $100 flat rate repair had they not messed with it. Now, it's in the $450-$500 territory.

This is a good way to learn from somebody else's expensive mistake (or lapse of good judgement), and why I stopped supporting non-factory service except at Fender authorized service centers. I see this stuff more and more these days.

Amateurs. A small mouse corpse works so much better as a fuse replacement. The soft abdomen usually doesn’t even deform the contacts

 

[SunByrne]

Hilarious. Thanks, @agedhorse, for the laugh. Been a long time since I've seen someone do a fuse replacement like that. Wasn't on a bass amp but a hifi receiver, and IIRC some major melting was the ultimate result. Too funny.

 

[byacey]

Amateurs! Everyone knows a .22 cartridge fits just as easily.

Riis

It'll let you know too, when it's passing too much current.

 

[roccobass]

Just came back to the thread. Earlier the pics weren't up. Now that I see it, even though I am so non-techie, the caption underneath it should read...

 

[Dr. Love]

In their defense, I’m confident that replacement fuse won’t ever blow…every other component maybe, but not the fuse.

 

[agedhorse]

Amateurs. A small mouse corpse works so much better as a fuse replacement. The soft abdomen usually doesn’t even deform the contacts

They are quite messy to clean up however, and BBQ mouse is not what folks want to see at a pool party either...

 

[skycruiser]

 

[PlatoFunFactory]

“The fan on this amp is kind of noisy.”
*snip* “There ya’ go.”
“Wow! That is much quieter!”

 

[KellyC]

What do you mean, “using braided picture hanging wire as a replacement fuse voids the warranty”?! I thought this was America!

 

[YourGuitarist]

Looks to me like just a "bad" fuse! ;-}

The amp works fine...the wall outlet on the other hand....

 

[baxter_x]

You would have posted that two days ago, we would all have thought: "good joke".

 

[agedhorse]

You would have posted that two days ago, we would all have thought: "good joke".

Unfortunately it wasn’t a joke.

 

[BlueTalon]

Only a live round though? Right?

How else are you going to know when it blows?

 

[DJ Bebop]

View attachment 5405553 This came into the shop today, customer first claimed that it was working fine then suddenly stopped working, and of course trying to claim the flat rate service program coverage said that nobody tried to repair it.

Obviously this wasn't the case and it came out that "maybe" he and his "highly qualified" electronics buddy from the local repair shop might have "looked at it" but didn't touch anything other than installing a new tube.

Clearly this wasn't the case, there's a metal rod where the fuse is supposed to be, the jack nuts are missing and the fan wires were cut. There was also "magic cure-all spray" spooge all over the inside of amp (including on the power amp module), which may have been the root cause of the failure.

First of all, this is extremely dangerous because depending on the failure mode, it's possible for the bulk supply caps to explode, which can launch electrolyte onto a person's face and into their eyes (a trip to the ER for sure).

Second, this would have likely been a $100 flat rate repair had they not messed with it. Now, it's in the $450-$500 territory.

This is a good way to learn from somebody else's expensive mistake (or lapse of good judgement), and why I stopped supporting non-factory service except at Fender authorized service centers. I see this stuff more and more these days.

'Wait, its not long enough, cut it longer!"

 

[mmon77]

Not much to say, besides

 

[PrinceByTor]

for some reason I am reminded of this….

 

[SteveCS]

Yeah, it needed a serious scolding… bad fuse, bad fuse!

 

[jj.833]

Reminds me when I was a kid, there was a flood in my grandad's blacksmith's workshop. The only machine that survived it intact was this large 1930s model of power hammer. Grandad said: 'this is the best fuse ever, it withstood about four floods already, I never had to change it it all 50 years'. My dad looked into the electricity box, and I'm sure you already know what he found inside ;-)

Nice day for you all!

 

[DeepHz]

SHOCKING!

 

[Old Blastard]

I am trying to understand why someone with the smallest blip of knowledge would do so such a thing.

Even I wouldn't do that and I'm to fixing what a howler monkey is to sailing