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Topic: Dead Peavey Reno 400 |
Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 25 May 2006 10:41 pm |
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| I'm not looking for a diagnosis, but am generally wondering what goes wrong with a solid-state amp (Reno 400 in this case) that renders it dead...and can it be worth repairing? I vaguely understand the workings of tube amps (and know enough to stay out of their innards). But solid-state? Whole 'nother deal. I got a nice price on this Reno from a store where I used to work. They thought it worked and had seen and heard it powered up. I get it home and--nothing--no sound, no LEDs, no hum. Other devices work in the plugs where I tried the Reno. Any thoughts, observations, hard lessons learned from cruel experience are appreciated. |
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Jerry Erickson
From:
Atlanta,IL 61723
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Posted 26 May 2006 4:13 am
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| It could be the ac cord,transformer or some parts in the power supply if there's no led lighting up. You could pull the chassis out and ship it back to Peavey if you can't find anyone in your area to work on it. Also, you should test the speaker to make sure that it works too. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 26 May 2006 4:18 am
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Do you see any bullet holes? Because I recall that Johnny Cash said he shot a man in a Reno once.
--could be as simple as the on/off switch too. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 26 May 2006 4:54 am
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The unit is fused interally and it could be a blown fuse.
But, too many possibilites without having a tech look at it. |
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Mike Brown
From:
Meridian, Mississippi USA
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Posted 26 May 2006 5:04 am
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The factory Peavey Service Center will be glad to repair the amp for you. Send it to;
Peavey Service Center
Attn; Repair Dept.
412 Hwy. 80 East
Meridian, MS 39301
Please include a note with your phone so that we may call you for a credit card number.
Thanks,
Mike Brown
Peavey USA |
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Robert Leaman
From:
Murphy, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 26 May 2006 5:15 am
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| If you remove the amplifier chassis from the enclosure, some shipping cost are saved. I'm sure that Mike Brown can test the amplifier without its speaker and reverb unit although something may be faulty with those components as well. |
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Willis Vanderberg
From:
Petoskey Mi
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Posted 26 May 2006 6:09 pm
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I have had first hand experience with the Peavey repair folks. You will get a expert repair at a reasonable price and the shipping back to you will be reasonable also.
Don't settle for anything else.
Bud[This message was edited by Willis Vanderberg on 26 May 2006 at 07:09 PM.] |
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Garry Vanderlinde
From:
CA
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Posted 27 May 2006 10:20 pm
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| At least check the fuse before you mail it anywhere...or maybe just spit in the back and whomp on it. |
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Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2006 11:55 am
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Garry--
I almost got to use a favorite Prairie Home Scandinavian-ism on myself ("Oh, fer dumb!") except I *did* check the chassis and if there's a fuse there, it's only where Brother Brown's Ancient and Sacred Order of Inducted and Certified Technicians can find it. Instruction manual mentions nothing regarding a fuse...all of which, I suspect, reinforces my original observation that solid-state amps are utterly different beasts.
For the moment, the amp's been returned. It would have been forgotten had I been successful at a random eBay find. Yesterday, I logged in with three minutes remaining on a Nashville 400 under $200. It used to belong to the late Ed Black, who for my money played on the greatest (not most complex or harmonically baffling) psg cut of all time--Michael Dinner's "The Great Pretender," discussed at length in the Pedal Steel Forum about a month ago. I was leading for about 20 seconds, but had no business bidding at all, and it's the last two seconds that count. Still, the bidder who beat me got a deal--$222 and change. |
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Mike Brown
From:
Meridian, Mississippi USA
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Posted 6 Jun 2006 9:59 am
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If you send it to the factory for repair, please include the reverb pan and reverb harness(wiring) to ensure that we check the complete chassis out for you.
Mike Brown
Peavey USA |
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Garry Vanderlinde
From:
CA
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Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 19 Jul 2006 5:48 pm
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Not that anyone has been hanging in tingling suspense through two holiday weekends and on into late July, but I did take the Reno 400 to the nearest authorized Peavey repair center (Virtual Systems Technology, Pasadena). Their diagnosis and estimate: a couple of fried/busted/disconnected (I forget which) output transistors. Repair cost: $140 which covers two transistors (about $5 each) and two hours labor.
It wasn't as inexpensive as I would have hoped, but not as horrible as it might have been. But I'm out of my depth here, other than not being particularly shocked at a $60ish/hour labor rate in the big city.
Does this sound reasonable? Significant backstory: I'll be into this very cheap. Had it worked in the first place, it would have cost me $100 to buy. Friend/store-owner took it in trade but didn't really know what it was or what to do with it. So my worst-case scenario is $240 (and he may go lower than $100 since I took all the initiative to get it looked at). [This message was edited by Ben Elder on 19 July 2006 at 06:49 PM.] [This message was edited by Ben Elder on 19 July 2006 at 07:34 PM.] |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 20 Jul 2006 7:11 am
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I would send it to Peavey. Their labor rate is lower, and who else knows as much about these things as the factory that made them. I've sent lots of stuff to Peavey's service department and the average bill is about $50 to $75. I have had some repairs run more, but they were pretty extensive and time consuming, such as fixing a Tubefex with extensive battery leakage damage.
Compare that to an older Polytone amp that Polytone Company would not even work on. The amp worked, but was distorting. I sent it to their recommended tech in Dallas, and 3 months and approximately $250 later I got it back. The amp was still not as quiet as I expected, but I wasn't going to go through that again, so I sold it.
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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
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Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
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Posted 20 Jul 2006 9:05 am
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| I think Peavey is running 45.00 an hour. I would pay the Peavey Factory repair folks 60.00 an hour if I had to! Their work is second to none. |
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Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2006 5:51 pm
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| It's all academic now. Electric bill just arrived--$457. Same period last year: $267. I'll just be paying for the estimate on this formerly 210-watt doorstop. (Garry V: I'll be in touch when Santa is approaching Fullerton.) |
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