JCM 2000 DSL50 WATT, Problems!!!

[Drewfish86]

Hey all , ive hd my DSL JCM 2000 for a year and a half now (meaning it s out of warranty by 6 months) i have trated it like a baby , always let it warm up before standby and cool down before power off.

Over the last two weeks the amp output started to come on and disappear (was weird when i moved closer to the amp it came back or when i moved or tilted the head a bit id have output gain) Anyhow, now there is nothing , i flick the power switch, wait for it to warm up (which it musnt be or may not be) and flick the standby switch and there is no output. Also nothing is heated up as you can usually see all the tubes lit up like candles when you look thorugh the grill at the back of the amp. If someone could help me i would really appreciate it. I feel a repair shop could say anything is wrong with it and i could loose out.

Regards,

Drew

[Amp Kat]

It most likely blew a heater fuse inside the amp. When is the last time you changed your tubes ? That's the biggest problem with these amps and changing them before they do damage is a vital necesity.

[Drewfish86]

Thanks

thanks so much for your help , well the amp is only a year and a half old and was brand new so there shouldnt have been any need to change them. Where is the heater fuse located ? I checked the two fuses at the back behind the power button and they were ok. I presume they are not the heater fuses?

Regards,

Drew

[Enzo]

That fuse is inside.

Where did you get the idea that tubes "only" a year and a half old couldn't be failing? New tubes right out of the box can be bad - happens all the time.

And where did you buy your Marshall? Here in the USA, don't Marshall amps have a 3/5 year warranty? Tubes are only covered 90 days, but everyting else should stil be covered.

[Drewfish86]

Thanks Enzo

oh ok sorry i did not know. Ok well my marshall came from AUS , i got a one year warranty with it , well if it is the tubes ill jsut replace them wih Mesa tubes no doubt. However could you direct me to my heater fuse? So that i can check it. Is there anything else you may think that could be the problem? You read my first message in this thread i gather?

Thanks for your expertise Enzo , big help

Regards,

Drew.

[Enzo]

SOmewhere inside. ALways work with the amp unplugged from the mains, the voltages it uses inside can KILL YOU.

It won't be a hidden secret, just fuse in a clip on the board somewher, I don't recall the layout.

SInce it seems to respond to movement, I might also consider the bridge rectifier for the tube heaters. Marshall amps often have a problem with that bridge coming free of its solder. Reinstall or replace that bridge. After that, could be many things.

[rf7]

There is a heater fuse next to each power tube socket on the main circuit board. Should not be too hard to spot them.

[Enzo]

Isn't there one for each power tube and also one for all the preamp tubes? Or something?

[Drewfish86]

Ok

I just wanna get this damn thing fixed :P Dont really trust a repairer , they could say anything is wrong with it

[Enzo]

Well as someone who runs an amp repair business to make a living I really appreciate remarks like that. I work hard to fix people's stuff, I skip my lunch break to be here at a time convenient for the customer. I pass up other opportunities for the same reason. I answer questions spending far more time that I really should, just to be helpful. I don't charge for it. I spend a couple hours a day online helping less experienced people learn how to do what I do without paying me for it - people like YOU. I ask nothing in return other than a little respect, and there is no charge to you. SO let me tell you , comments like yours make me feel real warm and fuzzy inside.

All these years of helping people, and I could have been just making stuff up. Apparently building a reputation as an honest repairman was wasted effort. I guess me thinking that people talk to one another and ask things like "Gee, who does good repair work around here and treats people fairly?" was stupid of me.

I once had an asshole call me up wanting to bring his Fender Rhodes piano in to the shop for repair. But he then said he wanted to make an appointment for the actual repair so he could stand there and watch me do it so I didn't charge him for work I didn't do. Said that to my face. I told him to shove his Fender Rhodes piano up his ass and never walk into my shop again, thank you very much.

Every time I accept someone's personal check, I run the risk of it bouncing. I have had people walk into my shop and steal things. I have people bring in a speaker with a blown driver, and I fix it, then they come in the next day with the identical speaker claiming I didn't fix it right, the driver doesn't work. They thought I would not notice the serial number was different.

I have cheap bastards come in and complain that I should charge less to work on amps that are less expensive - as if my time is worth less on some amps. They piss and moan if I sell a set of tubes for more than Musician's Friend does.

And at the end of the year, I still cannot afford to put a new roof on my house. I still have to keep the furnace set at 55 degrees all winter - not just at night, but all day long. The only kind of meat I can afford is ground. Apparently i should just be ripping people off.

Merry Christmas dude.

[Alex R]

Yeah them repairmen, lying chiselling bastards, no wonder they all drive round in BMWs and send their kids to private schools.

[52 Bill]

Alex R: I really hope that was said tongue in cheek.

Enzo: Right On! Why is it that some people can't get over the fact that not all repair people are crooks. How many times have you done a simple fix free on the spot for someone, and not even gotten a civil thank you?

I sit here and read pages and pages of your tech advice that have saved people thousands and thousands of dollars and sometimes I notice that some of the posters here even don't even bother to post a simple thanks. Maybe you should start charging for your advice, prepaid via PayPal or something.

Well in the short time that I've been here, I've learned a lot from you and for that, Thank You!

Drewfish86: Good luck with your amp. I hope that you come to learn that not everyone's out to get you.

[Alex R]

Maybe you should start charging for your advice, prepaid via PayPal or something.

- well there is a lot of value being given out here. It's possible by the way to make a donation to support the forum itself, which is voluntarily run - there's a link 'make a donation' on this page:
http://archive.ampage.org/

Enzo's advice has helped me build my business; I'd be delighted to be able to show my appreciation of that in some way other than by being polite. Or sarcastic...

[mytco]

Sadly, I agree.

I too spent much time, money, and effort building up my repair business only to wake up and realize that it wasn't worth it. I was tired of dealing with wannabee rock stars and 50 something dudes who would buy that broken vintage analogue delay at a pawn shop for $15 bucks and whine that it would cost more than $15 to fix it ("...well now you're ruining my great deal.") Too many people who think they know what they're talking about (...well I know what's wrong and I could do it myself so it should only take you 5 minutes.)

I quit!

Now there is one less repair shop in my neighborhood. Bad for the consumer.

Those who do not appreciate the repairman feed the disposable society. Most musicians don't realize that the price point for disposable gear is somewhere around $400.

How many TV repair shops are in your neighborhood now? What are you going to do with that $2,500 flat screen when it goes on the blink?

Is that where music gear is headed?

Drewfish86, you should be more respectful as this website is frequented be many repairmen who give out this knowledge for FREE! Unfortunately for you, you will most likely be in to see a repairman because, in my experience with these amps, Enzo's diagnosis is spot on and you do not have the knowledge to do the repair yourself. And you will be paying for time not parts. And it will be more than 5 minutes. And it will probably be $45/hour or more.

[Jag]

First of all let me say, Enzo you are may favorite reason for coming here. Many has been the time I've posted thinking "I hope Enzo replies to this one"!

There are a significant number of other contributors here who I hold in equal esteem. Some who immediatley come to mind are Steve Conner, Stokes, Loudthud, Bruce/Mission and many others. Thank you to each of you and the many I have not mentioned.

My bread and butter is in the IT industry. I own a company that does consulting and systems administration for small to medium sized companies. I have many of the same issues in that industry as have been mentioned here. Funny thing is, I never get those complaints from any client that has actually had me or my staff work for them, it's always the "shoppers".

Just today I had a potential client complain that my hardware supplier charges way too much money. When I asked what they meant I was told, "we checked Staples price for a printer and it was over $1,000.00 dollars cheaper"!!! "An inkjet printer for $80.00 dollars is not near the same thing as what's required for a 200+ user shared printer that will be used for presentation documents" was my reply! You know what their reply was? "That's the same lie the last two consultants told us"!

Is it Friday yet?