Anybody worked on a Crate GLX1200H??

[StratTone]

I'm working on one and it is burning the 1/2 watt 220 ohm R63. The bad thing is I know someone worked on it before me...... He put in a 220 carbon comp 2 watter I guess hoping it would fix it. He then gave it back and said it couldn't be fix. When I got it the R66 1/4 watt was burned and some traces were messed up. I think he basically messed it up worse and returned it to the customer. Anyway I got the schematic yesterday and it has a pot to be adjusted across R83 for 7mv. Anyone know if this is rms or just dc? Thanks. Also if you have any ideas were to look that would be great. I'm just trying to fix this thing for a kid with no money that kind of got the shaft from a tech.

[Enzo]

Idle current readings are always in DC. The complete note says no load, no signal. That implies no AC - as in signal - to measure.

Does the amp function NOW?

[mykey]

the problem being the design, if you do manage to get it working, something else will blow. In other words it's not worth fixing and you don't want to take the blame for it when it catches on fire.
used to have a crate repair center and then started sending them back to the factory because we did not want to be responsible for all the complaints from the customers who were so pissed at the amps.
the factory techs couldn't fix them worth a damn, they would work for an hour or so and then blow up again.
however Reynolds pays 15 cents a pound and it's all cash!
Or they have many nautical uses, such as anchors or artificial reefs.
in other words, quit while your still ahead. (is your insurance up to date?)

[Enzo]

How do you think that will be helpful to anyone Mykey?

Just because you cannot do reliable repair work does not mean no one can. I have been an authorized Crate repair center for over 20 years, and I do not have their amps bopincing back to my bench month after month. Perhaps your troubleshooting is not as thorough as it should be.

it baffles the mind that Crate engineering could be SOOOO bad that every part of all their amp models is totally unreliable. Power supplies won't work, power amps won't work, preamps won't work, effects units won't work. It would be one mighty bad design team that got nothing right and everything wrong. But that is what it would take for an amp to be unfixable just because it is a Crate.

SO thanks a ton for setting us straight. ANything you don't know how to repair must be junk, and the easy things you seem to muddle through OK must of course be first rate.

[TD_Madden]

I had been relieved NOT to see any posts from that source for so long....must be taking a break from AG and AGA.

[StratTone]

Idle current readings are always in DC. The complete note says no load, no signal. That implies no AC - as in signal - to measure.

Does the amp function NOW?

I'm really just working through all the stuff the tech before me did. I found 2 ceramic resisiters .47 that were replaced with .22s. One was open and the other read 1.2 Mohm. Replaced them and then saw more fireworks. lol Now the other 2 .47s are out. I have to get some more since I only had 2. Something is bad messed up causing extreme voltage swings. I really need to get it not smoking so I can trouble shoot.

[StratTone]

the problem being the design, if you do manage to get it working, something else will blow. In other words it's not worth fixing and you don't want to take the blame for it when it catches on fire.
used to have a crate repair center and then started sending them back to the factory because we did not want to be responsible for all the complaints from the customers who were so pissed at the amps.
the factory techs couldn't fix them worth a damn, they would work for an hour or so and then blow up again.
however Reynolds pays 15 cents a pound and it's all cash!
Or they have many nautical uses, such as anchors or artificial reefs.
in other words, quit while your still ahead. (is your insurance up to date?)

lol I hear yah. I wouldn't be messing with it if I was doing it for the money. I just dig doing stuff like this and won't end up charging anything for it if I can get it done without to many hours involved. For sure the time that will be spent on this is far more than the thing is worth but the learning experience to me is worth quite a bit and hell it is kind of fun.

[mykey]

i don't recall saying that it couldn't be fixed, just that it's not worth it. crate amps are more likely the least reliable in the entire industry. (except mesa boogie) but working on it for fun is admirable just for the learning experience.
you have a crate repair center for 20 years? when are you going to get a real job?
after seeing crate amps piss off customers to the point where music stores go out of business, for the first time i realized that there are certain amps that are not worth selling, or fixing. that comes with experience that you don't have yet.
sending these units back to the factory revealed that crates techs don't know how to fix them either. after receiving these from the factory repair center, they go up in smoke. it's the design, not the techs who work on them.
in the meantime you can stick to working on pretend amplifiers. i will work on professional equipment.

[Amp Kat]

you have a crate repair center for 20 years? when are you going to get a real job? .

Speaking of job mykey you still haven't told us what you really do. Is there any way after your pleasant absense you'd like to maybe share that with us ?

after seeing crate amps piss off customers to the point where music stores go out of business, for the first time i realized that there are certain amps that are not worth selling, or fixing. that comes with experience that you don't have yet.
sending these units back to the factory revealed that crates techs don't know how to fix them either. after receiving these from the factory repair center, they go up in smoke. it's the design, not the techs who work on them.
in the meantime you can stick to working on pretend amplifiers. i will work on professional equipment.

mykey your still just as full of crap as you were before. Theres not an amp out there that Enzo or I (and several others) cannot repair,mod and build to work for long periods of time if we desire. It was very nice around here while you were gone so would you do us all a favor and find that place again !

[mykey]

[QUOTE=Amp Kat;34399]Speaking of job mykey you still haven't told us what you really do. Is there any way after your pleasant absense you'd like to maybe share that with us ?

first I worked on pre wiring a 12,000 square foot mansion in San Luis Obispo
for an IP based home automation system (on a $50,000 deposit), then I went to Oxnard and pre wired the panels for a $70,000- 68 station motorized automated drapery and lighting control system, then stayed busy at Cuesta College with 3 Construction Technology classes, California requires electricians to enroll in "ongoing education". I made a trip down to Sun City to straighten out some shorted wiring in a private home, the construction crew melted one of the circuits with an electric jack hammer. Then I overhauled a Goldstar 9020 Oscilloscope and started overhauling a Tektronix 465 scope which has sentimental value to me, (hard to get new parts for that), also re-caped my old B&K 3010 function generator. This morning I was working on my 1881 Richardson / Lode Railroad pocket watch; its a swiss movement which I'm rather fascinated with. I just love that stuff that's hand made from the 19th century (the "gilded age"), when people actually cared about craftsmanship and reliability.
But this last week I was busy replacing the pipes in this old house cause the galvanized started leaking hot water under the foundation and drove up the gas bill.
Then I was kind of busy touring Aunt Janet and Cousin Nancy around, they visited from New York.
All in all, it's been a kick back kind of month.

[bob p]

[mykey]

[QUOTE=Enzo;34325]How do you think that will be helpful to anyone Mykey?

Just because you cannot do reliable repair work does not mean no one can.

Actually I do the most reliable repair work, and that includes weeding out the equipment that's not worth fixing because it will never be reliable no matter who works on it (unless you would care to change the design).
And I'm not really in the mood to redesign any Crates right now.
But it's not a bad amp to learn on...

[Enzo]

Mykey, you are an imbecile.

I hope you apply better reasoning to all your house wiring gigs.

[kms0521]

Enzo, looking for any advice you might have.

I've had a problem for a few years now where my Crate GLX1200H switches intermittently between rhythm and solo, very sporadically. I took it to AmpWerks in Long Beach, CA, but they couldn't find the problem. I have a 3-switch foot switch that controls the switching, as well as turns the effects on an off, and there is also a rhythm/solo button on the amp head. Even when I disconnect the foot switch, I still have the problem, and I notice that without the pedal connected, I cannot switch between rhythm and solo with the button on the head (it stays in solo). Seems like this button might be the issue, but that is so obvious that I would think AmpWerks, who has high scores, would have found that right away.

Very frustrating and distracting when this happens and obviously can't go on stage with this.

Any thoughts? There are schematics in this forum. Should I just replace the switch and see if that is the problem?

KMS

[DrGonz78]

Mykey = SGM

So funny to see this old thread pop up after all these years. Really should start a new thread, if you haven't already, to troubleshoot your amp.