| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic Could it be just heat? Twin blew a fuse
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  Could it be just heat? Twin blew a fuse
Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 27 Jan 2013 8:20 pm    
Reply with quote

My twin just blew a fuse. I wasn't pushing it real hard, but somebody had pushed it against a seat, so it couldn't breath. It was really hot, though. I'll get another fuse in the morning. I guess I'm wondering whether something else caused it or if poor ventilation can do it.
Not in the mood for a repair bill
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger
Stephen Cowell


From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 27 Jan 2013 8:52 pm    
Reply with quote

It might have got hot enough for one or more of the finals to 'cherry up'... when they get real hot, the cathode starts to go into extra emission, causing more bias current to flow.

Is your fuse of the correct rating and type? Might be time for a bench check by your friendly amp mechanic... if your tubes got that hot your matching and bias needs to be checked again.
_________________
Too much junk to list... always getting more.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Kyle Everson

 

From:
Nashville, Tennessee
Post  Posted 27 Jan 2013 9:48 pm    
Reply with quote

I've had that happen with twins in downtown Nashville a good bit. bad power is a common cause. if everything checks out ok with your tech, a good defense is a variac, which allows you to regulate the voltage your amp sees. power here can vary from 70-80 to 130-140 volts! your fender prob wants to see 120 average.
View user's profile Send private message
Keith Hilton

 

From:
248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721
Post  Posted 28 Jan 2013 2:14 pm    
Reply with quote

What is the proper amp rating of the fuse?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 28 Jan 2013 2:40 pm    
Reply with quote

4A Slow blow. I am NOT near the amp at the moment, and it was dark last night, so I am merely assuming it had the right value.

EDIT: When I assume something, I make an assu me.
It only had a 3A Slo-Blo
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger
Keith Hilton

 

From:
248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721
Post  Posted 28 Jan 2013 9:10 pm    
Reply with quote

I think that is what my 100 watt Fender Vibro Sonic has, 3 amp. I had the same problems you are having Lane. Nothing was wrong with the amp. I personally think it was a power supply problem in a couple of places I was playing. It has not happened since those two times the fuse went, and all I did was replace the fuse.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 4 Feb 2013 11:04 am    
Reply with quote

Put new fuse in it. Now it's humming even without a guitar plugged into it. I am wondering if I should take it to the shop, or just teach it the words
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects


Last edited by Lane Gray on 4 Feb 2013 9:36 pm; edited 2 times in total
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger
Stephen Cowell


From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 4 Feb 2013 12:49 pm    
Reply with quote

Lane Gray wrote:
Put new fuse in it. Now it's humming even without a guitar plug into it. I am wondering if I should take it to the shop, or just teach it the words


Yes... it might have shorted (then blown out) a final tube... in which case you're firing on 3 cylinders. Or it might have popped a filter cap... either way, it's telling you (humming to you) the 'take me to a tech' tune.
_________________
Too much junk to list... always getting more.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 4 Feb 2013 1:20 pm    
Reply with quote

No distortion when it plays Tele or steel. I forgot to mention that part, but yes, it is on the way to the tech
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger
Bill A. Moore


From:
Silver City, New Mexico, USA
Post  Posted 4 Feb 2013 2:44 pm    
Reply with quote

Years ago we were out in the sticks playing a gig when the Bassman started distorting, and I could see one of the power tubes flashing blue in time with the distortion. I took 2 tubes from the Twin, and replaced the flashing one in the Bassman, and we got through the night. After, I pulled the tube from the bass amp to put the Twin back together, but the guitar player wouldn't let me, said his amp never sounded so good.
I don't think he ever played with all 4 tubes again!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 4 Feb 2013 2:47 pm    
Reply with quote

You called it, Mr. Cowell. V10 shorted out a grid screen, taking out the fuse. A new set of Groove tubes is on order.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger
David Mason


From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
Post  Posted 4 Feb 2013 6:19 pm    
Reply with quote

You know, in the past few years, they've started making these things called "transistor" or "solid-state" amps, you might wanna look into that. When they short out they don't just blow a fuse, they usually burn the place down, which would serve the cheapskate right for providing substandard power in the first place. The nerve of these people.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 4 Feb 2013 6:26 pm    
Reply with quote

I got 3 of them newfangled Trans sister amps.
The Evans 500, PeeVee LTD and Session 500.
And the Twin sounds better than them.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger
Darrel Roberts

 

From:
Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 4 Feb 2013 8:13 pm     Twin
Reply with quote

Lane Gray wrote:
I got 3 of them newfangled Trans sister amps.
The Evans 500, PeeVee LTD and Session 500.
And the Twin sounds better than them.


Copy that on the Twin, Lane. Got a Vibrosonic and a boutique SS. Vibro gets the nod every time. Love them tubers.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Chris LeDrew


From:
Canada
Post  Posted 4 Feb 2013 8:27 pm    
Reply with quote

Have you got a reissue or a hand-wired original? The reissues are notorious fuse-blowers. I returned two Custom 15's for this reason.
_________________
Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com
View user's profile Send private message
Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 4 Feb 2013 8:55 pm    
Reply with quote

Reissue. My amp tech offers rewire to point to point boards. If it happens again, I may do that.
But it appears the tube went first
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger
Jeff Scott Brown


From:
O'Fallon Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 4 Feb 2013 9:04 pm    
Reply with quote

Lane Gray wrote:
Put new fuse in it. Now it's humming even without a guitar plug into it. I am wondering if I should take it to the shop, or just teach it the words


I get it. Funny. Wink



JSB
_________________
GFI Ultra S10 Keyless
Peavey Nashville 112
Goodrich L120, BJS, Peterson StroboPlus HD
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Dan Beller-McKenna


From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
Post  Posted 5 Feb 2013 3:05 am    
Reply with quote

I had a RI twin which went stone cold dead on me one day without any warning. took it to the tech who informed me that it has an internal fuse as well that sits on the PC board. How annoying!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Stephen Cowell


From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 5 Feb 2013 8:52 pm    
Reply with quote

Dan Beller-McKenna wrote:
I had a RI twin which went stone cold dead on me one day without any warning. took it to the tech who informed me that it has an internal fuse as well that sits on the PC board. How annoying!


The internal HT fuse protects the transformers... much better to replace the fuse than one of the transformers! I had a Peavey Classic 20 that had a thermal fuse inside the power transformer... let it get too hot and too bad, time for a new transformer... unless you're an adventurous sort, like me... locate it and bypass it! Sell the amp soon, though.

I have an Orange Tiny Terror (not good for steel!)... it has the high-voltage fuse available on the back, and the normal fuse is internal... opposite of your situation. Any amp using EL84's should probably do this, since they do tend to go *zorch* after about 2 years of use, taking out the HT fuse.
_________________
Too much junk to list... always getting more.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Bill Howard

 

From:
Indiana, USA
Post  Posted 14 Feb 2013 12:09 pm     Caps??
Reply with quote

I had a friend who had a twin kept blowing fuses and getting hot, He took it to tech who put new caps in fixed it,,,
View user's profile Send private message
Howard Montgomery


From:
Topeka, KS US
Post  Posted 14 Feb 2013 3:14 pm    
Reply with quote

The internal fuse on the Twin Reissue is for the heaters circuit. Thinking of relocating mine to the back panel just in case. It is a 10A slow blow fuse. I don't know when they added it, as I don't see it on older schematics or layout drawings.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Larry Bressington

 

From:
Nebraska
Post  Posted 14 Feb 2013 4:57 pm    
Reply with quote

A capacitor might have come loose from it's connection, seen solder melt before on Valve amps. Also seen melted Power transformer wire shorted due to heat and age.
_________________
A.K.A Chappy.
View user's profile Send private message

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron