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I am brand new to the forum, so greetings to everyone out there. I live in Madrid, Spain and recently bought a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue in the UK. In the shop I purchased it from they said I would be fine with a two-pin adaptor for continental power sockets. When I received the unit I just couldn't wait to plug the thing and start playing some blues!!! Man, was I in for a surprise. The beauty cried like a crazy beast when I plugged it!!!! I turned it off and then waited a few minutes and retried. The thing started up, then died out completely on me. The fuse in the British plug is fine, but the thing passed away! Any ideas? Yes, I know, I shouldn't have gone for it, it had such a good price compared to the local shop! I took the risk and look at me know! Thank you for your insights and keep rocking.
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Is it set up for UK or is it a 120 ? What # does it have on the transformer. Should be a # starting with 7 ? Edit and oops my bad I for some reason thought it was a PeaveyLast edited by Amp Kat; 04-22-2009, 06:04 PM.KB -
Hi Sam, welcome to the forum.
Is the amp new or used?
What does the sticker on the back side say? - Voltage 230V? 120V?
Is the fuse in the amps chassis (back side) OK?
Did the amp cry when you switched it on or just by pluggin' it into the wall socket?
Assuming you switched it on - was the stand by switch in on or off mode?
Did you have a guitar in the input while you switched it on?
I know that's a lot of questions but we have narrow down what happened.Comment
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Thank you guys for the quick and kind responses! Let's see if I get all the details you mention right!
1. The noise: When I turned it on the standby switch was on standby
2. The wattage on the back says 180W and then 230 V - 50Hz.
3. The transformer. I will have to open it up to see if it's fine.
4. The fuses. I guess the unit has one 5A in the British plug and then a 1,6 250 V
5. I had a Clapton Signature Strat plugged in the second time, when it died?
6. I turned it on the first time without an axe plugged because I had read that a salesman suggested this to a reviewer for the tubes to warm up for a few minutes the first time!
Thank you again for the prompt reply! I can't believe I have such a beuty staring at me there all numb!!!
Sam
BTW I had replacement fuses for the 1,6, but I wonder if attempting to change them will void the warranty? At least I know the 5A in the three-pin plug is OK as I had it checked in the local Electronics shop!Comment
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We have a voltage chart here where I do my 9-5...according to it, the UK has 230 mains and the typical domestic mains voltage in Spain is 127 or 220 volts.Comment
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I see, I also have a Marshall Vintage Modern bought in the UK too and works fine with same voltage apparently (different cable tough!). The Fender Super Champ XD I bought in Germany has the same Wattage as the Marshall and the Fender BD casualy I have here! What a pity, being so ignorant of this things!
SamComment
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I didn't realise, but one of the Groove 6L6s is broken, literally exploded (the glass, that is). Could it be that turning on the amp would cause a tube to explode like that? The thing is that just one is that way! Now I am puzzled, because I wonder if this happend during shipment. If if did, I didn't notice. Would getting a new tube solve this or is it that the UK amp really won't work in the Continent and that's the cause for the tube breaking? I can't believe this luck! BTW, not numbers on the Transformer!Comment
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The broken tube would explain the loud noise. Tubes can make sounds like that when they die, due to drawing way too much current. The glas wouldn't shatter caused by this. The glas may be shattered in the shipping and that's why the tube died. If the fues are OK you might put in a fresh pair of tubes and try the amp again.Last edited by txstrat; 04-22-2009, 08:12 PM.Comment
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Thank you for that! It is a shame I don't remember seeing if the tube was broken when I opened the package! So perhaps an explanation could be (just to clarify so I can go back to the store with a clear story):
1. The power tube is shattered during shipping
2. The amp is switched on and the noice is caused by the broken valve
3. The second attempt with a guitar connected results in the internal fuse dying too!
It would be great to see were the internal fuse is located to change it, though. If anyone has any ideas it would be great.
So, in the end, the tube is the problem and not the power/voltage issue, hopefully I will be able to use the BFD after all. Fingers crossed! Thanks again, it is much appreciated!!Comment
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I don't know the BD good enough but if there is a fuse holder on the outside of the chassis it should be located near the place where the power cord goes into the amp.
The fuse blows when too much current flows, to protect the rest of the amp.
I hope the broken tube was the whole story. Good luck.Comment
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I've seen broken tubes on new amps but more often, they drop out of their sockets when they are mounted upside down (such as the fender hot rod series) and then end up broken in the bottom of the cab with glass everywhere and in everything because the little metal tube grabbers didn't grab the base of the tube aggressively enough.Comment
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Thank you guys, for all the help! Hopefully I will come back with a happy ending!
Best,
SamComment
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