Oh God - Please Say it Ain't So!!

[marko]

Last night, we moved my 2 year old self built Express to a new recording spot at my buddies house. One of my band mates actually placed and reconnected my amp while I helped with the drum kit - bad mistake!!! I fired up the amp, the power light came on, but when I kicked her off of stand-by something popped inside and the amp died. After giving a quick once over, I noticed that the strain relief on the power cord had been pulled out of it's mounting during the move and evidently shorted against something inside the amp. The power fuse did not blow, and the amp is most certainly DOA. I haven't actually cracked the case yet but wanted to see if I could get some advice on how to go about the troubleshooting process. Do I assume a blown Power Tranny? How do I test the PT to see if it's damaged or not? I built the amp from a Ceriatone kit, and used Moose's iron.
Any help you can give in resurecting my baby would be very appreciated.

[CGP]

Hello,

I would start by opening it up and looking for burn marks, shorted wires (both to ground and to each other). Maybe de-solder the power cord and check for continuity (with a multimeter) across the power transformer primary. If it shows an open circuit (high ohm reading) then it is blown and needs to be replaced (seems unlikely though). If it shows near zero ohms then it might be OK. While the power cord is disconnected check it for continuity and for shorts. Hopefully the problem is confined to the this area. Best of luck.

Dave

[rooster]

If you put this amp together you will get this figured. Honestly, reading your blow by blow account, I would easily suggest that there is nothing wrong with the amp - except maybe you have a bad pwr tube that didn't like the journey - and the cord pulled out at the strain relief.

But pull it out of the box and look for signs, just as the other poster suggested. If you discover that the pwr tranny is blown - I would be very very surprised. Very very very.

You do have another set of pwr tubes?

[Noel Grassy]

Yat! Good GD news.
I bet you gentleman added years to marko's life!

That band mate was probably feeling like a big oaf when the amp came up
shitty. In marko's position I wouldn't have handled the situation silently that's for sure.

[marko]

Thanks to you all for the help and encouraging words! I hope to tear into the amp this weekend - work has kind of gotten in the way of more important things over the last couple of days. Anyway, once I get into the diagnostic, I hope I can rely on you guys for some help in the very likely event I'll need it!

Yeah, I wanted to cry when the amp went poof - and then kill our bass player - but he's 6ft 6 and I didn't want to piss him off! Besides he was just trying to help.

Now if it would have been our drummer...........

[skyboltone]

Thanks to you all for the help and encouraging words! I hope to tear into the amp this weekend - work has kind of gotten in the way of more important things over the last couple of days. Anyway, once I get into the diagnostic, I hope I can rely on you guys for some help in the very likely event I'll need it!

Yeah, I wanted to cry when the amp went poof - and then kill our bass player - but he's 6ft 6 and I didn't want to piss him off! Besides he was just trying to help.

Now if it would have been our drummer...........

It's just a burnt cord. The plastic strain relief is a problem with these amps. I haven't found a good cord/strain relief combo that I like yet. If you have some skills I suggest you put in an IEC cord connector. It has to go in kinda at an angle to fit but you'll never have this happen again.

[drhulsey]

... I suggest you put in an IEC cord connector...

Amen

[marko]

She lives!!!!!!!!

A new power cord (Ive got an IEC on order and will install it as soon as it gets here - skyboltone thanks for the tip!!) and new power tubes - rooster, you nailed it! She's breathing silky hellfire once again!!!

Thanks to you all for your help and encouraging words.

Can anyone tell me why the slo blo didn't fulfill it's sole purpose in life?

[guitarsnguns04]

congrats on getting her back up and running. As far as not blowing the fuse goes...you shorted the incoming wall voltage before the fuse.