Bass amp help/question

[Denis]

So, yesterday afternoon I was practicing with the Dano (replacement neck installed) and the Fender Bassman Compact (solid state) and all was well. Put everything away and went to a cookout in the afternoon, where I saw Pamlicojack and talked basses for a while.

This afternoon I pulled them out again and absolutely no sound out of the amp at all. The on/off switch light's on, fuses good, compressor light flickering and dead silence. Took the speaker out and it's in perfect condition, including the wiring. Nothing is looks or broken, so I suspect something on the board is bad or the "transformer" for lack of a better word, has gone bad.

Ideas? Thanks!

[Pilgrim]

Try a different cable connecting instrument to amp - they can break.  Also, double-check every switch and knob on the bass and the amp.

Assume NOTHING about any connection - often the problem is solved by pushing a cable all the way in, or by turning up an unnoticed gain control.

[Denis]

Just tried a different cable with the Telecaster on the amp and still no dice. The Master dial is at 8 with all the others (volume, bass, middle, treble and compressor) between 4 and 8. No dice. Seriously, I changed NO settings between when I put it away last night and when I pulled it out this morning. This is perplexing...

[Pilgrim]

Any engineer types know what kind of voltage he should see from tip to ring on a speaker cable with the other end of the cable plugged into the output of an amp?

[rahock]

Like Pilgrim said, look hard at all connections. Also , when you look at those connections, check the color of the solder too. If you find one that is considerably darker in color than the others, it could be a solder joint gone  cold/bad.  Everything appears connected but the solder isn't doing it's job. Sometimes a visual check  can catch this .......sometimes not.
I had a problem a few years ago that I looked right at  a dozen times and still didn't see. It took a pro to point it out to me. Pissed me off too, the SOB spotted it in seconds. After he pointed it out to me , it was obvious  . Moral of the story......I didn't know what I was looking for until he showed me .
Rick

[Pilgrim]

Just tried a different cable with the Telecaster on the amp and still no dice. The Master dial is at 8 with all the others (volume, bass, middle, treble and compressor) between 4 and 8. No dice. Seriously, I changed NO settings between when I put it away last night and when I pulled it out this morning. This is perplexing...

Is that a combo amp?  My first thought was that it was a separate amp and cab.

You could polish the contacts on the fuse and check it with a continuity meter...make sure it's good.

Aside from that, seems to me you don't have a lot of options before having a tech look at it.

[Denis]

Thanks everyone. I looked at everything I could think of without getting all electrotechy on it (not my strong suite), so I called Darren Riley's shop and am taking it in this evening. From my description of the problem he's pretty sure there's a bad solder joint somewhere. What stinks is that both of the reputable amp repair shops around here have a 2-3 week backlog. Could be more, could be less.

I think I need a spare bass amp.    Maybe one of those swell tuck and roll Kustoms from the '60s or '70s.

[Pilgrim]

You might consider a moderate size amp and a separate 2x10, 1x12 or 1x15 cab.  They're very portable and they give you more mix & match options down the line.

[Denis]

Cool, thanks! I realize everyone has their favorites but have you any suggestions?

[Highlander]

I use a 1970 Hiwatt 100 and am trying to put a 1968 Marshall 50 back into serviceable order as a back-up - both are viciously loud...     

Never used trannie amps (Mark, just don't...  ) ...

[Pilgrim]

Balancing portability and power is always a challenge.

My thoughts....

If you need only as much power as the 150W in that Fender, there are a number of worthwhile amps.  I'm a cheap type, so I tend to think in terms of used Peaveys (heavy but solid), Ashdown, Gallien-Krueger and even Behringer, although many people don't like Behringer because they copy other manufacturer's equipment.

When I think about it, the GK 400RB is one of the most-acclaimed workhorse amps in history. It pushes 200W and isn't overly large or heavy. There are usually some on Ebay.  Here's one that closes in a couple of days: http://tinyurl.com/p2z2ho .  People seem to hang onto this amp forever and praise it for dependability.

If you don't have a more powerful amp than this and think you may need one in the future, then I'd go 300W or more, and just turn it down for low volume applications.

[rahock]

GK Backline 600 head goes for $300 new at GC. 300 watts/4 ohm and 180 watts/ 8 ohm  and they sound great. Best bang for the buck out there IMO.
Rick

[Denis]

Last night I saw a used GK Backline 600 head for $199 at a local guitar shop. Should I get it?

[rahock]

Talk them down a little. I bought mine used but in perfect condition for $100. You can get a brand new one from Guitar Center for $299.
Honestly, the main reason I bought mine was because I knew it had hardly ever been used and the price was right. I had no idea that I would like it as much as I do. They really are a great sounding lightweight head and they have a nice little 10db cut switch for use with a preamped bass.
What kind of cabinet are you going to use with it?
Rick

[Denis]

One of the guitar shops here has a '72 Fender 4x10 Bassman 10 I'm thinking about. It's in pretty good condition and they want about $550 for it.