Peavey Nashville 400 problem.

Frode Bjoernstad · Post by **Frode Bjoernstad** » 4 Jun 2008 10:41 pm

I bought myself a Peavey Nashville 400 this week. The seller informed me that it wasn’t 100 % reliable, and dropped out from time to time. I got it to a great price, so I took my chances. It worked perfect for one night in studio, but when I turned it on last night it was nearly dead. I tried to turn and tweak the EQ pots hoping it was just a bad connection somewhere, but then after some very "trebleish" popping and scratching it went absolutely silent. I get sound plugging the guitar straight into preamp return on the backside, so I guess it’s somewhere in the preamp area.

I think it’s an early nineties model, and it haven’t seen much use at all. Never been gigged with, and kept at home.

Are the any common problems with these amps that I can look into, or is this unusual? I thought these were the most reliable amps there is.

Frode

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 5 Jun 2008 2:14 am

There can be problems with some of the jacks in the amp. Connect a guitar cord between the preamp out and the power amp in and see if that does anything. If not, connect the guitar amp cord between the effects loop out and the effects loop in. If either one of these makes it work again there is a problem in the contacts on the jacks. Sometimes just plugging in and out a couple of times will operate the jack contacts and fix them, but if it don't it will have to be taken apart and contact cleaner sprayed on the jacks to try and get them going.

If it's not a jack problem, it COULD be one of the Molex connectors inside. If yo have to get into it, Disconnect each Molex connector, spray both the male and feamle pins with contact cleaner and then reconnect. Same way with the "flakey" Molex connector for the reverb.

If this doesn't fix it, it's time for a trip to the repair shop. Although you will have to ship it, the Peavey factory repair center is the best option (and their prices are very reasonable).

Frode Bjoernstad · Post by **Frode Bjoernstad** » 5 Jun 2008 2:44 am

Thanks for great info Jack. I will try this tonight .

Just to make sure:

Connect a guitar cord between the preamp out and the power amp in and see if that does anything

By this you mean pre amp in out on the backside of the amp?

connect the guitar amp cord between the effects loop out and the effects loop in

And by this you mean the “pre EQ Patch” on the faceplate of the amp?

I will also pick up some contact cleaner on my way home today, and go over the Molex connectors as well.
Shipping it to the Peavey factory repair shop is not an option from Norway

I guess the Norwegian distro has a deal with a repair shop though. Will check that out if your tricks doesn’t work.

Eric Philippsen · Post by **Eric Philippsen** » 5 Jun 2008 4:32 am

First thing I do when my 400's act up is check the Molex connector under the chassis. The connector links the reverb pan with the circuitry. Two nights ago at a club I sat down to play and the my setup sounded like a motorcycle. I wiggled the connector around and that cleared it up. I've mentioned it before that it'd be nice if someone offered some kind of simple conversion kit for those connectors such that they were replaced with RCA jacks. I mean, other than maybe a rare occurrence, how many times have you had a problem with the standard Fender amp reverb/RCA connections? I'd buy one of those kits for each of my 400's.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 5 Jun 2008 6:41 am

Maybe that's why mine is emitting an annoying "POP" sound every once in a while...

Frode Bjoernstad · Post by **Frode Bjoernstad** » 5 Jun 2008 9:52 am

Jack Stoner wrote:There can be problems with some of the jacks in the amp. Connect a guitar cord between the preamp out and the power amp in and see if that does anything.

I'll be darned ... it works like a dream with a cord like this. Thanks a lot Jack!

I guess that means that the problem is with one of the preamp in/out jacks? Can I just leave it there ? I wont be using the preamp in/out jacks anyway.

Curt Langston · Post by **Curt Langston** » 5 Jun 2008 10:32 am

Can I just leave it there ? I wont be using the preamp in/out jacks anyway.

No, you don't want to do that. That is not fixing the problem.

Frode, this a common occurrence. This happens with the 112 every once in a while as well. Unplug it, pull the chassis and spray the preamp out/power amp in jacks with contact cleaner/lubricant and plug a cord in and out several times back and forth to "brush off" the jack connectors.

Then you're good for another 15-20 years!

Peavey equipment is just hard to beat.

Frode Bjoernstad · Post by **Frode Bjoernstad** » 5 Jun 2008 1:51 pm

Curt Langston wrote:
Can I just leave it there ? I wont be using the preamp in/out jacks anyway.

No, you don't want to do that. That is not fixing the problem.

Frode, this a common occurrence. This happens with the 112 every once in a while as well. Unplug it, pull the chassis and spray the preamp out/power amp in jacks with contact cleaner/lubricant and plug a cord in and out several times back and forth to "brush off" the jack connectors.

Then you're good for another 15-20 years!

Peavey equipment is just hard to beat.

Yes.. I'll do just that. I shopped some CRC contact cleaner spray today, and I'll go over all the jacks. I'm just too darn happy that this wasn't a major fault in the amp. I need to be sure it it wont break down on stage as I think I'll be using it quite a lot this summer...