my dad wrecked my amp

[kinanbezem]

Hey guys i got a randall RG75 and im using a bc rich wmd warbest on it. and it was workin fine till my dad went a bit mental and started to bash it in with a very heavy metal pole. to by surprise he didnt manage to do any visible harm the only noticable change was a small dent in the fabric over the speaker but it doesnt look like its big enough to have damaged the speaker. the only problem i had before was an annoying hum but now every time i switch on my amp and HUGE VERY LOUD pop comes up like 3 or 4 times wen its warming up. can anyone give me any hints on wats wrong or how to sort it. thank u! an extra problem is this annoying humm i move it around the house but its always there i use a very good planet waves lead and its there even if i got nothing plugged in. people say taking out the earth is dangerous so any other suggestions would be very helpfull thank u all.

[tubeswell]

1stly - Can I suggest that if you want to keep playing amps, you seriously probably want to consider moving out of your dad's home? (I fled 'home' when I was 17 because my ole man was similarly intolerable of my interests and lifestyle, and I've been happy for the last 30 years ever since. - But don't call me a home-wrecker tho. I get along with him fine nowadays - but we don't have much contact and I didn't speak to him for a number of years after I left 'home').

2ndly - who knows what's wrong with it? You might want to take it to a tech. Mucking around in tube amps is highly dangerous and can get expensive to fix.

[tedmich]

family members going "mental" with a metal pole is a much greater cause for concern than the amp, but a good tech will fix it up and hopefully you'll have some great lyrical material (and distance) on Dad by the time you are playing again.

[Chuck H]

Your ol' man was doing you a service. You should be playing a better amp...

Seriously, take the amp to a shop for a service quote. Try to get your dad to pay for the quote, and even the service charge if the amp is worth the repair cost. If he won't go for that (after bashing in your personal property with a blunt object) then he has no humility and you should consider either a lifestyle change or a change of address.

Chuck

[Gtr_tech]

1stly - Can I suggest that if you want to keep playing amps, you seriously probably want to consider moving out of your dad's home? (I fled 'home' when I was 17 because my ole man was similarly intolerable of my interests and lifestyle, and I've been happy for the last 30 years ever since. - But don't call me a home-wrecker tho. I get along with him fine nowadays - but we don't have much contact and I didn't speak to him for a number of years after I left 'home').

2ndly - who knows what's wrong with it? You might want to take it to a tech. Mucking around in tube amps is highly dangerous and can get expensive to fix.

A Randall RG series amp is solid state.

[Gibsonman63]

The fact that you posted on this forum tells me that you are at least a little interested in trying to fix the amp yourself. Providing that you know how to solder are familiar with the required safety precautions, it would be worth a peak inside for the obvious before just blindly turning it over to a tech. (No offence intended to the techs).s

I would check the larger components (Filter caps etc..) for signs that the solder joints were broken by the impact. You may have to remove the main board so and look at the bottom while you gently try to wiggle things around on the top. Check for signs of burnt components, sometimes you can smell it as soon as you open it up. If this amp is a combo amp and nothing is loose or looks fryed inside, you try another speaker cabinet.

Once you rule out the obvious, then it is time to start trouble-shooting with a schematic, take it to a tech or get a new amp...

or take up the harmonica... just don't bring one to my gigs!

[Regis]

When I was a kid and played loud annoying guitar, my dad used to beat me but never the amp.

[mike_mccue]

I guess I was lucky... my dad just used the circuit breaker.

:-)

Good luck with your amp.

best,
mike

[Glasgow]

What is funny to me is that when I read the original post, I wasn't thinking the Dad was being anti-amp; the image in my mind was that the Dad was having such a riotous time performing in proximity of the amp, he had a heavy-metal moment with his mike stand or something.

I sure hope my imagery turns out to be true, or else you'll need to heed the advice given above.

[Chuck H]

wOW!?! I hadn't even considered that as what happened. How cool would it be if you were in your practice space "rocking out" and your dad/mom/wife/kid jumped in all excited and said something like "F@%K YEAH MAN" and bashed in your amp with a mic stand. I mean, I'd be upset about the amp (since I build them and it's a lot of work) but I'd be really happy about the event itself.

Chuck