Help! My Amp is sick....

Steel guitar amplifiers, effects, etc.

Moderator: Shoshanah Marohn

Post Reply
Dave Long
Posts: 112
Joined: 11 Jan 2001 1:01 am
Location: Charlotte, N.C.

Help! My Amp is sick....

Post by Dave Long »

My Peavey Sessions 400 amp sounds like it is breaking up...sorta like the tremelo is on, but it's not.....like a tube is going, 'cept it aint got tubes...like it's battery is low. 'cept it aint got one. Know what I mean? Anyone out there with any tips?
gary darr
Posts: 359
Joined: 25 Jul 2000 12:01 am
Location: Somewhere out in Texas

Post by gary darr »

I'm not sure about the session 400's but if it has phase shifter or the string effect make sure they are all the way off. I know every now and then one of them gets accidently turned on my session 500 and throws me for a small loop, hope this helps

------------------
sho-bud,session 500,american standard strat,shecter tele,peavy classic 50
User avatar
Dave Zirbel
Posts: 4170
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Sebastopol, CA USA

Post by Dave Zirbel »

I have an old Vegas 400 that was breaking up on me. The volume would shift with the attack of certain notes and volume swells. I finally figured out that the pots were dirty and bought some electrical contact cleaner called Deoxit D-5. It fixed my problem.

Dave
User avatar
Jack Stoner
Posts: 22087
Joined: 3 Dec 1999 1:01 am
Location: Kansas City, MO

Post by Jack Stoner »

Check to make sure it's not something external to the amp. Many times a bad cord or bad volume pedal pot can cause the same symptom.

Run each knob through it's full rotation while the amp is on and see if you get any noise. If it's a dirty (or bad) pot you should get some static or noise as you move the pot. Also check the speaker jack and cable.
Mike Brown
Posts: 5027
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Meridian, Mississippi USA

Post by Mike Brown »

Be sure to take a shielded cable and connect the loop between the PRE AMP OUT and the POWER AMP IN. Then, connect a second cable shielded cable between the send and return jacks in EFFECTS PATCH 1, then EFFECTS PATCH 2. Also, connect another cable between the PRE EQ PATCH send and return jacks. If any of the above "loops" are not working properly, this will complete the loop. Also, check the LOW GAIN input.

Please feel free to contact me toll free at 1-877-732-8391 to discuss. I will be glad to help in the solution.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation
Dave Long
Posts: 112
Joined: 11 Jan 2001 1:01 am
Location: Charlotte, N.C.

Post by Dave Long »

Thanks for the inputs. I went through the verious things mentioned (it does not have the patchs). Hosed it down with the Deoxit D-5, but alas, it still sounds pretty ill. Should it go back to Peavey? Or to a local dealer?
User avatar
Jack Stoner
Posts: 22087
Joined: 3 Dec 1999 1:01 am
Location: Kansas City, MO

Post by Jack Stoner »

I'd send it to Peavey. You know it will be right when you get it back and their service charges are not outrageous. Turnaround time seems to be better than many shops.
Gene Jones
Posts: 6870
Joined: 27 Nov 2000 1:01 am
Location: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
Contact:

Post by Gene Jones »

*<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 06 May 2002 at 09:41 AM.]</p></FONT>
Mike Brown
Posts: 5027
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Meridian, Mississippi USA

Post by Mike Brown »

If you'd like to send your chassis to the Peavey factory, prepay it and pack it to UPS or FEDEX specifications so that it will be covered by insurance should it become damaged enroute to us. Include a note of symptoms and a daytime phone number of where you can be reached. Also, inform us of the method of payment, ie; COD or credit card. If you will let me know what the tracking number is, I'll try to meet it at our receiving dock.

If you wish to discuss this with me, feel free to contact me toll free at 1-877-732-8391. Maybe we can figure out a solution.

Thanks for choosing and using Peavey.
Post Reply