Likely the only Straight Ahead amp issue you'll ever see (probable user error)

[Pete McAvity]

Heya, all. I think I killed a Jay Ganz Straight Ahead amp. It can be done, and here's how I suspect I did it: I run a Spectrum preamp into it, out to two 8Ohm JBL K130s via a mono Y connector cable. The two speaker cables used for the cabs are unshielded speaker cables, don't know about the Y. I had preciously used a different Y adaptor that was rigid & switched to the new one, which worked for a coupla practices- then no sound, no fan, power light illuminated. I switched out to my backup SA amp & used it for a seven hour video shoot- no probs. Fired the backup up a few days later & started to get that bad unhappy electronics smell. Immediately turned off & let it cool, then proceeded to run just one 8Ohm cab without splitter.
Theories? Did this new Amazon purchased splitter cable possibly allow too much variance in resistance for this ss amp? I'd like to resurrect it if possible & potentially mod it to two outs for 8 vs. 4 ohm. And avoid killing my other one.

Thanks,
-Pete

[Jerry Overstreet]

I defer to Jay of course, but I think SA500 amp is rated for 4Ω so two 8 ohm speakers in parallel should be fine equalling 4Ω total. Of course, two 4 Ω speakers wouldn't be at 2.Ω.

Looking at your sign., looks like you have done this configuration before.

I haven't used this amp, but I can tell you I fried an opamp in my Walker SS amp by using one of those splitters. I'm not sure what type of y out one needs for speakers, but I'm guessing it's different. I dunno how it happened, but it somehow shorted out one speaker resulting in a blown opamp.

Shouldn't be any issue to have Jay repair it, but of course the main thing is finding the cause and preventing future damage....and he can probably help there too.

[Pete McAvity]

I defer to Jay of course, but I think SA500 amp is rated for 4Ω so two 8 ohm speakers in parallel should be fine equalling 4Ω total. Of course, two 4 Ω speakers wouldn't be at 2.Ω.

Looking at your sign., looks like you have done this configuration before.

I haven't used this amp, but I can tell you I fried an opamp in my Walker SS amp by using one of those splitters. I'm not sure what type of y out one needs for speakers, but I'm guessing it's different. I dunno how it happened, but it somehow shorted out one speaker resulting in a blown opamp.

Shouldn't be any issue to have Jay repair it, but of course the main thing is finding the cause and preventing future damage....and he can probably help there too.

Thanks Jerry. I messaged Jay here & haven't heard back. Fortunately I haven't shanked the JBLs.

[Jack Hanson]

Heya, all. I think I killed a Jay Ganz Straight Ahead amp.

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger, Pete. I don't know how or why, but mine worked for about a week. It was good when it lasted.

[Dan Kelly]

I took the way more expensive but safer approach. I bought two Straight Ahead amps to power the separate left and right outputs of my Sarno Revelation pre-amp. I affixed the amps on to a rack mount shelf and put it in my 4U Rack. See the pic below.

Yes. Certainly more expensive than using a splitter but a good clean way to get a stereo (dual mono?) effect from the Rev.

ganz 2.3.jpg

[Pete McAvity]

I took the way more expensive but safer approach. I bought two Straight Ahead amps to power the separate left and right outputs of my Sarno Revelation pre-amp. I affixed the amps on to a rack mount shelf and put it in my 4U Rack. See the pic below.

Yes. Certainly more expensive than using a splitter but a good clean way to get a stereo (dual mono?) effect from the Rev.

ganz 2.3.jpg

I think you're on to something, Dan. I'll likely go that route once I replace/repair this one.

[Jim Pitman]

I fixed a Ganz once with similar problems. I recall a resistor inside was burnt. I recall replacing it with same value but higher wattage one, I also stood it off the board so that air would circulate better around it.

[Bob Sigafoos]

I’m a little late to this party but let me pose a question, this signal splitter ( mono Y connector cable) was it designed for headphones or splitting a signal to a preamp or power amp? Was it designed to pump 100 watts thru it to feed the speakers? Maybe the internal gauge of wire wasn’t designed for a high wattage signal to flow thru it and it failed to work because it shorted out. Test the failed y adaptor with a continuity test to see if that’s the problem. Just thinkin and drinkin !