Amp problem - help?

[tewksbdg]

So I have a 5 watt tube amp from the brand Splendor (made by Hitachi), probably from the early/mid sixties sometime, I imagine. I usually turn it up to full volume and it sounds absolutely fantastic - fender champ-like - but I have a problem.

Due to my own idiocy, I left it on for at least one, possibly three days at full volume until the fuse blew. The lamp for this amp uses an obsolete socket, so when it burned out, I never replaced it. Therefore, I didn't know it was on. My bad.

So anyhow, I replaced the fuse (1Amp) and it blew immediately when turned on. This is not good.

Before I spend way more than this amp is worth to get it looked at by a tech, does anyone think this is a problem that might be easily and cheaply solved by replacing the tubes? Or is it probably something more than that? I'm afraid it's probably not good news...

[Mars Amp Repair]

Well,
It's possible it could be an old filter electrolytic cap that was leaky from being 40yrs old & finally gave up the ghost and possibly took the recitfier diodes with it.

It is also possible that the power transformer also gave up the ghost trying to feed leaky filters.

You need to get your ohm meter & try to find the short. you can measure the rect diodes and filter caps in circuit at least to tell if they're dead shorted.

If everything seems to be coming up shorted, you'll need to start disconnecting at least one end of the components to accurately determine what is shorted.

Sorry, if forgot to ask if you have a meter or even know what I'm talking about ;-]...glen

[52 Bill]

Glen is right on all counts, but failed to mention that it could just be a bad tube as well.

[Don Moose]

You may find R.G.Keen's most excellent Tube Amp Debug Page useful.

[tewksbdg]

Thanks for all the advice - I don't actually have much of an idea what I'm doing, but it's a fairly simple amp design and this might be the time for me to learn. I do have a DC meter, but I think I'll get a book to a) learn how to do minor work on amps and b) how to not kill myself. Both of those things are important!