Fender stage 100 ? very weak dist sound

[Enzo]

There are two main caps, one filters the +45v and the other filters the -45v. Both caps go to ground, one has its + side to ground and the - side to -45v, and the other has its - side to ground and the + side to +45v. COnsequently each one has one leg to ground - so they have a common connection. There SHOULD be 45v on the non-ground ens of each cap, one of each polarity of course. You don't have the -45v.

I mention D56, 57. D54,55 are the +45 rectifiers, and your +45 is OK. I need to know that there is sone negative voltage on the non-striped end they are the -45v rectifiers.

Those two diodes come together on that end and connect to the filter cap C64.

R158 is connected vrom the hot pin of one cap to the hot pin of the other. It SHOULD have 45v and -45v on its ends. Your reading verifies there is no -45v.

Your circuits are on printed circuit boards. There are stripes of copper on this board, and they take the place of wires. The parts on the board are soldered to these stripes of copper. The stripes TRACE a pattern around the board, so they are called "traces." Just like a wire, a trace goes from point A to point B. If there is a crack or break in that copper trace, then the trace is said to be open - in other words the path is no longer complete. This is the same sense as we say a switch is open when it is off.

If D56,57 have some -30v or something like that on the end I specified, but there is no -45v at the cap and R158, then I have to think the circuit path from the diodes to the cap is open.

Note, if this is the case, it might just be a mechanical thingand something caused a crack. However, if we find the trace burnt open - the copper stripe got hot and vaporized away - then after we repair it, it might just burn up again from something we cannot yet detect that has ben wrong all along. We won't know until we get there. Hazards of the repair game.

[Jam]

Stage 100

Ok I checked C63 one side was -0V and +45.2V and C64 was -0. and -.2V and I also check I dont know if it helps I checked C66 had +22.8 V and -22.8V Iam not sue what they do

[Enzo]

How about the two diodes D56,57. You won't find -45 therer, but if you have about -30 or so, then I really think there is an open between them and the cap. Since that -2 is pretty consistent all over, I think once teh voltage gets to the cap, it will get everywhere.

[Jam]

stage 100

I was looking on the green side and between D56 and D57 and the C63 I dont if this is the right wy to do it but I used cotinuity on meter that makes the beep noise and from put A to B I get noting so I desolder the - side on the C63 and looks like the little eye loop deal on the green side looks like its half way off and making contact to the other side is their any way to fix this ? and do you think this could be my problem? Thanks

[Enzo]

On the circuit board, the copper traces are coated with a green laquer. if you sand away the green coating, the copper will be exposed. You cannot solder to the green coating, it must be scraped off to expose the copper for soldering. FIne sandpaper would work, as would a razor blade or Xacto knife used as a scraper. I use a stiff fiberglass brush eraser myself.

C63? Didn't we have the 45v on it? Wasn't it the C64 with only 2v?

Follow the trace from the point where D56,57 come together over to the filter cap leg. If there is no continuity along that trace and you cannot find a break in it, then tack on a wire from A to B. If you do see a break - for example if the came came loose and tore off a piece of the trace - sand away the coating and place a pieve of bare wire across the gap and solder to the remaining trace on either side of the break.

[Jam]

Stage 100

You were right it was C64 that had -2V so I scraped the green stuff and I and solder to the copper trace. I tested and now I got -45V on Q15,17,19 is their any where else to check? is their start point and the out point? were you should have a certain volts?

[Enzo]

You have restored the power voltage to the circuit, so does it work now?

If you can determine exactly where the copper trace was broken, I recommend scraping off the green stuff on either side of the break, then solder a piece of bare wire across the break, soldering on both sides of it. This way we are not relying on the solder alone to bridge the gap - it might crack. Soldering a wire across the gap makes it reliable. The wire takes hte place of the trace in that area, so to speak.

If it was just a matter of failed solder connections, then redoing them is enough.

[Jam]

Stage 100

When I got the amp put back together it worked. but I had two more questions Is it bad to turn the amp on with the speaker not hooked up ? and the reverb dont work I think its the reverb tank where is cheap place to get a reverb tank? I want to thank you for your time and all my dumb questions I have learned so much from you and hope some day to know as much as you your the man Thanks

[Enzo]

SOlid state amps do not care if they are loaded. You can crank them all the way up without a speaker. But tube amps MUST have a load.

Disconnect the reverb pan and measure resistance across the little jack at each end. One end will show about 100-200 ohms or something. The other end somewhere from half an ohm to, I don't know, maybe 100. In any case, it will either be open or correct. it won't be wrong. SO any indication of resistance means it is OK. That is a simple measure of the thing. FLip it over and look at the little black and green wires inside. Any broken off?

If the pan is bad, look for a number on it in the format:4EB2C1B. Might even be exactly that. That number is the pan type. A reasonable place to buy them is www.tubesandmore.com