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Topic: Stewart PA-100 Output Problem |
Jeff Watson
From:
Anza, CA. USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2009 10:53 am |
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| I just received (my first solid state amp) a used Stewart PA-100B. I'm running it bridged mono thru a JBL K130. It sounds great but with a guitar plugged directly into it and wide open its not near as loud as say a Fender Blues Jr (15 watts tube). Something tells me that aint right. Should I be returning this to the seller as not functioning properly? |
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Dennis Wallis
From:
Arkansas
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Posted 10 Mar 2009 11:10 am
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| Jeff, It won't put out much sound UNLESS you use a preamp. It needs a pretty hot signal coming in in order to work. I have one that I use frequently and it works great.It will get plenty loud if you use a good preamp. |
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David Higginbotham
From:
Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2009 12:04 pm
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| Exactly what Dennis said! This is not a combo amp like the Fender. |
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Jeff Watson
From:
Anza, CA. USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2009 12:32 pm
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| So a Pod or my Digitech prossesor aren't enough signal to push it (as had been my plan)? We're talking about actual wattage that needs to be thrown at it? I can see I've got to get started educating myself about preamps. |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2009 12:32 pm
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Gotsta have a preamp to drive a power amp. That thing expects to see "line level" input signals, and a guitar is way, way lower than that.
Your Pod should be just fine at giving you enough level. It is a preamp after all. Give it a shot. Also, your little Stewart has screwdriver trim controls that can adjust your gain level as well.
Brad |
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Jeff Watson
From:
Anza, CA. USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2009 1:18 pm
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| I guess I should have stated that I also ran the signal through my Digitech Genesis 3 before I wrote the first post. I just wanted to give an output example that was comparable for everyone without the preamp being used as a variable. Even running through my processor and with the Stewart levels maxed, I get far less volume than I do running that same signal thru a 20 watt tube amp. |
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David Higginbotham
From:
Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2009 1:40 pm
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If you are running your Genesis into the input with the output level up on the Genesis and the properly wired output on the amp to the speaker, you should have ample volume. These amps put out 180 watts into a 4 or 8 ohm load bridged. Do you have a volume knob on your guitar? Cords good? Pickups on your guitar working properly? These can also cause your volume problem.
You should have the speaker wires connected to both positve terminals and none to the negative. That will give you a mono/bridged output. Even with one channel working you would be getting ample volume. If these steps are taken and you still have no noticable output level then there is a problem with the amp. I have never experienced a problem of low volume with Stewarts and I still have 3 of them. |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2009 2:17 pm
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The Stewart requires that you have the bridge-mono button pushed in, and also the speaker connections must be correct. Try setting the amp in stereo mode, and only use one side of it, and see what happens.
I would think you'd have plenty of signal with the Genesis.
Triple check that you have connected the speaker wire to the correct terminals for bridged mono operation.
Brad |
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Jeff Watson
From:
Anza, CA. USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2009 2:39 pm
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| Thanks for all the responses guys. I seem to have everything set up fine and it really does sound great. The volume is just not too impressive. I guess I'm just realizing again how much difference there is in tube watts and solid state watts. Thanks again. |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2009 2:59 pm
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I use a PA200, which is a very similar amp, to play Band In A Box through, and this thing is LOUD. I have played my steel through it with a Digitech 2112 preamp, and it had all the volume I'll ever need.
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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 11 Mar 2009 6:20 am
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| The Genesis 3 has a "Target System Setup" in the Utilities mode where you need to tell it what type of system you're outputting to - in this case, "DIRECT". Go to page 32 of the manual - you're probably still outputting to an amp setting, right? |
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Dennis Wallis
From:
Arkansas
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Posted 11 Mar 2009 3:26 pm
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| The output needs to be a "LINE LEVEL" signal.Anything less will not be hot enough to drive the amp. |
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