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Topic: Help: Fender Steel King distortion |
Dan Cooper
From:
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2010 12:30 pm |
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Hey all,
My Steel King has recently developed the following symptom: distorts at any volume, thin sound. This happened quite suddenly, was present when I turned on my amp at last rehearsal. Sounds fine through other amps, so it's not guitar, cables or vol. pedal. I know this is a shot in the dark, but can somebody clue me in to the most likely suspects?
Best,
Dan |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2010 1:47 pm Steel King distortion
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| Got room for me to join your club? Mine sort of does the same thing, except at low volume. When I crank it up, I think the distortion is still there but is being covered up. It is also thinner sounding than it is supposed to be at any volume. I am back to my Evans FET500. Going to get the Fender to the shop as soon as I can afford it. |
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Dan Cooper
From:
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2010 8:36 am
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Hey George,
Yes, I sadly welcome you to the club. Let's resign as soon as possible!
Does this say anything to someone out there with a good understanding of electronics (Ken)?:
I noticed Resistor R119 was definitely burnt, although it still read 10 ohms. I replaced it, but to no avail. Why did it burn out? I don't understand what it does in the circuit. R119 is located at A4 in the Steel King schematic, first page.
http://www.fender.com/support/amp_schematics/pdfs/Steel_King.pdf
Dan |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2010 4:37 pm Help: Fender Steel King distortion
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| This probably doesn't help any, but on mine, if I go out of the XLR direct on the back of the amp to another amp or mixer, there is no distortion. |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2010 6:56 pm steelking
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Dan,
have you tried isolating the speaker (running your speaker thru another amp or your amp thru another speaker? Bring it by if you think that might help.
Steve Spitz |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2010 6:57 pm steelking
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Dan,
have you tried isolating the speaker (running your speaker thru another amp or your amp thru another speaker? Bring it by if you think that might help.
Steve Spi |
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Ron Randall
From:
Dallas, Texas, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2010 7:16 pm
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FWIW
Leaving an electronic tuner in the circuit will cause distortion.
IMHO
R2 |
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Dan Cooper
From:
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 5 Feb 2010 10:39 am Re: steelking
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| Steve Spitz wrote: |
Dan,
have you tried isolating the speaker (running your speaker thru another amp or your amp thru another speaker? Bring it by if you think that might help.
Steve Spitz |
Duh.  Ahem. Thank you, yes, it does appear to be the speaker that's causing the problem.
Dan |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2010 10:23 am Speaker issue
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Dan,
If you would like to hear your amp thru a JBL or Black widow, I have one of each loaded in a cab if you want to bring it over. Also have the Fender Emminence that came in the 90`s Custom Vibrosonic, which is most likely similar to yours (when it worked) for comparison.
Best of Luck,
Steve Spitz
866 4054 |
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Dan Cooper
From:
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2010 2:13 pm Re: Speaker issue
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| Steve Spitz wrote: |
Dan,
If you would like to hear your amp thru a JBL or Black widow, I have one of each loaded in a cab if you want to bring it over. Also have the Fender Emminence that came in the 90`s Custom Vibrosonic, which is most likely similar to yours (when it worked) for comparison.
Best of Luck,
Steve Spitz
866 4054 |
Hey Steve,
Very kind of you, my friend! But I now have to retract again: I believe the distortion is caused by the amplifier after all.
Nevertheless, your reminder to proceed methodically hasn't fallen on deaf (only tinnitic) ears.
Gotta come out and hear you again soon. I hear you have Cranston playing with you, too!
Dan |
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Thom Ferman
From:
Las Vegas, NV, USA
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Posted 11 Oct 2010 9:47 am
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Hey Dan, did you ever track down your distortion problem with your Steel King? Second time I've played mine on a gig last night and I was getting a crackling sound at higher volumes, mostly on low notes. First time for using direct out, sound man said he couldn't here crackling in FOH. I was running gain and master about half. All tone controls were close to half as well. I find it hard to believe I'd blown the speaker but that's what it sounds like. I gotta try using an external speaker and see what I get.
_________________
Thom Ferman
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Bill Moran
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 11 Oct 2010 1:52 pm
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I put a 1501-4 Black Widow in mine. Won't be blowing anymore speakers ! 
_________________
Bill |
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Dan Cooper
From:
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 11 Oct 2010 2:19 pm
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Hey Thom,
I never did track down the problem. It wasn't the speaker in my case. I had to retire it and am relying on the Peavy Nashville 110 and a Fender Dual Showman Reverb - which I can actually fix if need be! |
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Thom Ferman
From:
Las Vegas, NV, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2010 12:53 pm
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Hey Dan, After a little preliminary investigation I found that I was getting buzzing/distortion if I bumped the instrument cable plugged to the input connector. Different cable, same result. I'm suspecting I've got a cold/cracked solder joint on the input connector. I'm gonna assume the input connector is PCB mounted and subject to any kind of stress or tweaking of the instrument cable connector housing. Had the same problem with a Peavey amp not too long ago. My "blown-up speaker" sound on low pitch/high volume notes was probably just the cabinet vibration causing an intermittant connection. I'll tear into it this weekend and see what I can find out. Hopefully a little solder and heat in the right places will clear it right up. I'll bet a less than solid input connection might be causing your "thin" sound too. Try plugging in and moving the input cable around a little to see if the sound changes or drops out altogether.
_________________
Thom Ferman
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