ashdown peacemaker 40

[uglyelliot]

Can anyone give me some advice about an annoying fault with my amp.
Switch on - ok. After about 2 minutes, mains hum and some strange crackling and popping noises, amp can suddenly go very loud , needle moves, this continues intermittently for about 20 mins then everything settles down ok. I've looked at the pcb, can't see any dry joints but two resistors have obviously got quite hot and have shaded the board.

thank you

greg hall

[Enzo]

First, get a new 12AX7 tube. Then substitute it one tube at a time for each one in the amp. This could be something else, but sounds to me like a bad or failing tube. If you replace a tube and the symptom stops, then you found the answer.

[uglyelliot]

12ax7 valve

Thanks, will try

greg

[Le Basseur]

two resistors have obviously got quite hot and have shaded the board.

Hi Greg,
Here's what happened to a Pacemaker 40 that I got on repair a while ago (picture 1,the one with the EL84):
The glue used for keeping in place some bigger components has melted and burned out (even the corresponding socket was flooded with that gunk) making that tube to work intermitently.
I just hope you don't have such thing happen in your amp (cleaning the mess was a PITA).
About the two resistors with some burning marks on the PCB beneath them,maybe you'd want to replace them just to be sure.I suggest installing the new resistors using some little ceramic spacers (as found on older kitchen-or-whatever heating elements),see picture 2.
I use these spacers each time when a given resistor is getting hot enough.
First,extract the suspect resistor(s) and clean the PCB in order to get clear holes.Next,bend the new resistors' terminals,put the spacers and get the wires through the holes.You'd want to bend the resistors' terminals UNDER the PCB before you solder them,keeping a fair grip/pressure to the resistor body (this is for avoiding the ceramic spacers to rattle if the resistor is loosely soldered).
I use this gimmick every time when needed and it gives great results with no complaint returns.
HTH!
Regards,

[acorkos]

i just opened up an ashdown peacemaker 40 with hot glue melted everywhere and down into 3 tube sockets....PITA is right

[J Martin]

I had a customer's amp in here awhile back with the same problem. Those upside down reverse tube sockets were not available yet so I had the customer call the factory and raise hell. They sent those Korean sockets all the way from England. There was another time a customer had to wait almost six months for a set of output transistors for his Ashdown bass amp. I hope those guys have their act together by now.

[Enzo]

it seems to me all the English companies have a hard time getting parts to the USA. But I don't know why anyone would order transistors from England.

[J Martin]

Those transistors couldn't be found anywhere in the states. I turned the project over to another tech who is better that I am with SS stuff. My business is "Vacuum Tube Audio" mostly guitar amps and old HiFi with some studio gear mixed in. Ashdown couldn't specify an equivalent either. It was still under warranty.