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Topic: Flaw in my Milkman amp - a cautionary tale! |
Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2013 10:30 am |
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My amp was awful last night, we opened for Lindi Ortega.....guitar channel fine, steel channel completely choked and quiet..........I had to keep my volume pedal all the way down, if I let it up even a little bit the sound died completely, as if the tubes weren't working right, couldn't do swells.....kept turning the volume up, usually have it at 4, turned it up to 9, should have been shaking the walls, but it didn't get the extra volume back, had to play all the way on or not at all...I couldn't believe it was the amp, it is built like a tank...but I checked all my cables, etc., and they were all OK...
Connected it all up today to figure it out...It turned out that the screw holding the volume knob had loosened and the setting never got above only 2.5, no matter where it was set... there was just enough tension in it to make it feel like it was turning, but not enough to actually turn the shaft, so it didn't occur to me that it was the knob...
Luckily I figured that out before taking the amp apart........so, word to the wise, tighten all your knobs! Sometimes it is the little things that happen at a gig...
So, I guess I've finally found something wrong with Milkman amps....since everything else is SO right, this was all I could find not to like...and yes, it was pretty easy to set right...
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 18 Nov 2013 11:12 am
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Steve, that is such a major problem that you should have gotten rid of the amp. Sending it to me would have been the smart thing to do. 
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Tim Marcus
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 18 Nov 2013 11:27 am
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I guess that's a good flaw to have - maybe the amp was telling you to turn down in its own way 
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Milkmansound.com |
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Dave Bertoncini
From:
Sun City West, Arizona USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2013 11:48 am
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| That's the limiter |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2013 11:53 am
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This forum needs a "like" button...I'm getting just the answers I was hoping for...I deserve all the comments, I was in a panic at the gig, and it all would have been so easy if the answer had occurred to me...
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Bill A. Moore
From:
Silver City, New Mexico, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2013 5:07 pm
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| Steve, my daughter called me in a panic friday, she couldn't shut the water off in her tub. I rushed over there, turned off the water main, and found nothing wrong. Turned the water back on, and discovered the knob turning on the shaft! Same problem as yours! |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 18 Nov 2013 6:49 pm
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| Bill A. Moore wrote: |
| Steve, my daughter called me in a panic friday, she couldn't shut the water off in her tub. I rushed over there, turned off the water main, and found nothing wrong. Turned the water back on, and discovered the knob turning on the shaft! Same problem as yours! |
I don't know about that Bill. If Steve had water pouring out of his amp, that would be a real problem. And, being a Milkman amp, it would probably be milk pouring out of it.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2013 7:49 pm
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My wife just mentioned that I should have asked her what was wrong....she knew already that I've had a screw loose for a long time....
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 19 Nov 2013 3:32 am
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Steve ,
I 've been playing with a screw loose all my life !!.... ......Perhaps this amp is the perfect fit for me ? ......Glad you found the problem ....Little things like that are the first things to be overlooked !!......JIm |
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George Redmon
From:
Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.
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Posted 19 Nov 2013 11:42 am
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| Well Steve, thats not a gonna change my mind about buyin one. Now if tim couldn't git the color i wanted that might just perswade me to look elsewhere. just kidin. George |
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Abe Levy
From:
California, USA
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Posted 20 Nov 2013 1:39 pm
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I had a similar problem recently. Turned out to be a slipped string on my emmons volume pedal. All the way to the floor and my vibrosonic sounded like a champ. Luckily my good friend Tim Walker suggested checking the pedal. Sure enough, the string slipped and it was barely getting to half volume on the pot. Easy fix!
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Mostly Pre-1970 guitars. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 20 Nov 2013 1:46 pm
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Tim--do you recommend that I send my Milkman back to you to get the knobs tightened? I'm leaning that way....
Also, a pictorial demo of which end of the amp goes up, which end goes down would be helpful. I can never remember which is which. |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 20 Nov 2013 2:00 pm
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Hey, look guys, at least I've gotten beyond the point of "Oh no....no sound coming from the amp!! Oh yeah, it is still on standby.."
And I find it plays equally well right side up or upside down, and gets better cooling airflow when upside down....
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Roger Crawford
From:
Griffin, GA USA
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Posted 20 Nov 2013 3:30 pm
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| I just hopeTim sends you a replacement knob since it's under warranty! |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 20 Nov 2013 7:03 pm
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Naaw, just a screwdriver with instruction manual.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Tim Marcus
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 20 Nov 2013 7:26 pm
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both Righty Tighty and Lefty Loosey were great steel guitar players 
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Milkmansound.com |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 24 Nov 2013 9:56 am
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| is there a milkman knob mod for under $500? |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 24 Nov 2013 11:14 am
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| Steve Lipsey wrote: |
| My wife just mentioned that I should have asked her what was wrong....she knew already that I've had a screw loose for a long time.... |
Don't feel bad Steve. My screw has been missing for years. 
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Tim Marcus
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 24 Nov 2013 12:45 pm
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| chris ivey wrote: |
| is there a milkman knob mod for under $500? |
and on cue Ivey chimes in about the cost
its like a broken record
For what its worth - Steve can tighten the set screw and he's back in the mix.
In contrast, I have had knobs completely shear off of amps made by your favorite manufacturer while in transit to a gig - they are made with plastic shafts, mounted directly to a circuit board and are terrible quality. One shock to the face and the pot shaft breaks with the knob still on it requiring an expensive repair (or in my case, that knob was never touched again)
Milkman amps use high quality CTS pots with solid brass shafts - the knobs may come and go but the pots will last forever. I will keep sending Steve Replacement knobs and fix his amps for him no matter how much he beats them up.
_________________
Milkmansound.com |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 24 Nov 2013 1:07 pm
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| that was a joke tim! i gave it up to you once before. now it's your turn to get a sense of humor. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 24 Nov 2013 1:54 pm
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I've had the same thing happen to me. In my case, I thought the pot was dirty, so I worked it back and forth...only to find that it didn't "stop" at 1 & 10.  |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 24 Nov 2013 2:31 pm
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And it wasn't a Tufnel...
(I was born on Tufnel Day: The calendar went to 11)
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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