HELP!! damaged tube socket

syscokid said:
In the pic of the tubes, I'm noticing a label that states Cryoset Certified. What's that all about?
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They are cryogenically treated tubes. Personally I think it is a bit of snake oil but they were the only supplier I would get Ruby EL34BHT tubes from at this time at a reasonable price, so I went with them. Hopefully the set they have sent me is fine. They have a 100% positive rating on eBay so I am hoping that means that their tubes work.

Cryoset Online Store
 
Was able to borrow my mate Nick's 5150 II for tonight's show, much easier to deal in my sound than it was using another friend's Blackstar the previous night.

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Get my 6534+ back on Friday (most likely) and then back into the jam room to prepare for a demo recording session two weeks from now
 
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Today sometime ... he's going to call me when it's done.

There were a few more issues than just the tubes and the tube socket. Apparently there were a few dodgy solder joints, something with the screen resistors, and the chassis was not aligned properly in the housing. So far I have a rough quote of $150 for what he's done so far, will be more if he has to change more parts. I have supplied four new preamp tubes and four new power tubes that cost me $230 all up. Hopefully after all this it runs fine until it needs another set of power tubes, which he suggests should be changed every two years, with preamp tubes every second cycle (every four years).
 
Yeah I hope so. This amp was always a monster before, I hope he doesn't sweeten it up too much.

The fact that I am sticking with the Ruby EL34BHT's hopefully helps it retain its character
 
Dave, IvanH is a fellow countryman of yours and has been awesome in helping me learn and to actually find issues with a few amps and to fix them. I am sure if you have any questions on what your amp tech says or did, he can help you understand the effects of the work.
 
Okay, I've got it home but it was too late to fire it up and have a listen. Ended up costing me just $150 on top of the cost of the valves. Apparently he desoldered the board and resoldered it, replacing the lead-free solder with old school 60/40 solder. The lead-free crap was cracking and poorly done.

Here are some photos of it taken just now:

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Looking at the back of the amp in the photos above, you can see the following preamp valves (from right to left):
V6 - Tung-Sol 12AX7 (green channel)
V1 - Tung-Sol 12AX7 (input tube)
V2 - Tung-Sol 12AX7 (red channel)
V5 - Ruby 12AX7 AC5 HG (effects loop)
V3 - Ruby 12AX7 AC5 HG (red channel gain stage)
V4 - Sovtek 12AX7LPS (phase inverter)

The power valves are a matched quad of Ruby EL34BHT valves.

As I mentioned, Frank had to realign the chassis because it was protruding past the protective amp housing at one end and the grill and corner cap weren't in properly. Here's that corner after Frank fixed it:

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Here's that corner the day it arrived (best photo I have, sorry):

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I could never have fixed those soldering and alignment issues like that in a two lifetimes. Something to be said for taking it to the best guy in town!

Frank is known in Adelaide as THE guy to go to for amp repairs. Thankfully he was able to give me priority to accommodate my recording schedule. I think he was also a bit curious. There are only a handful of 6534+ amps in Adelaide and this is the first one he's worked on.
 
So glad you have a good guy there. My amp went to a supposed good guy once. I learned my lesson too late.
Now I fix it myself and am learning as much as possible to know diagnosis and circuits and theory so as to truly know when amps are good to go or in need of maintenance.
 
When I thought I needed some amp work a few years ago I contacted my mate Cheese who has been in several bands and has a Mesa Recto (which can be cranky beasts) and asked him who he goes to. I know he is a fussy and anxious guy around stuff like this so I thought if anyone would have sussed it out completely it would be him. He said that Frank was the only guy he'd trust with his amps, and to not bother with anyone else. So I called Frank up and explained to him what seemed to be be the issue and he reassured me that it was probably just dirty jacks and gave me all of these tips on tests to do and how to clean the jacks with contact cleaner etc, at least ten minutes on the phone and no money in it for him. Later I took an old bandmate's amp to him and he fixed it perfectly and got it back to us in time for recording. Then I had problems with a bass amp and he gave me free advice over the phone again. Same when I started having troubles with this one. So by that time I was pretty confident that if I needed professional help he was the guy. In two years from now I will take it back to him for another set of power valves and a bias. For that he only charges around $50 in labour, even though he's in demand. Great guy.
 
I had thought the guy I used as to be of like skill and service like Frank was to you because a friend had used him and had good results. But I was wrong. Having learned a number of lessons as a result, I now understand what a real expert is vs. a hack who claims to be able to fix it the right way. Sadly it took losing a potentially GOOD Original 1972 Marshall Power Transformer to find this out.
 
Oh there is another guy named Frank here who sells and buys amps. Some people will tell you that he's brilliant, but my experience and the experience of a lot of others is that he will always find expensive components to replace in your amp (even if it is fine) and replace them with garbage. Now he CAN fix things properly and do an honest job but he only does it when your band is jamming in his practice rooms every week for years on end and he can't afford to alienate your whole band. So he rips off other people to compensate for the good deal he is giving to the few who can endure his awful rehearsal rooms.

The repeated free and good advice and the testimonials of friends who had received similar treatment convinced me, plus the reputation he has among people who have had amps fixed by him. Everybody. Not just a chosen few. This other clown always seems to be desperate for you to bring your amp in. Can't trust people who can't attract steady work, especially when they have been building and servicing amps for over thirty years. He should be getting so much work that he's turning it away if he was any good.
 
Yup, Dave. I am a lot more savvy consumer as the result of a few bonehead decisions. The previously mentioned one was not impulsive either just done without complete enough research. I now know a lot more due to study and advice of others such as yourself. Thanks Brother. I sure hope your amp is perfect for your needs now.
 
Dave Sloven said:
Hopefully after all this it runs fine until it needs another set of power tubes, which he suggests should be changed every two years, with preamp tubes every second cycle (every four years).
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I bet if you pick his brain a little more on this, he'll tell you that this is not engraved in stone. Too many variables from the design of the circuit, layout of components, and how hard you drive the amp will alter the frequency of changing those tubes. You definitely want to avoid operating an amp with weak or bad power tubes. Preamp tubes could last decades. Sounds like Frank is in the camp of running the amp in tip-top shape, and minimizing an opportunity for the amp to fail.

If you have the time and resources, at least pull the power tubes and have them checked at least every 6 months. If you do replace the preamp tubes every 4 years, by all means, send me all the used ones... :wink:
 
We recorded the demo today, the amp worked fine. Had issues with the wiring in my yellow SG and my Explorer too that had to be fixed at the last moment but we got it done with a loan from my parents. Now the computer is on the blink, that's why I have been quiet. Expect to see the demo on Bandcamp on August 5th. Hopefully my computer is working properly again soon
 
Here's a photo of the amp at AGS Studios (Hackham, South Australia) before we placed the microphones in front of the cab. You can also see my Explorer and SG Special Worn Yellow in this photo.

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My bass also saw some action, as our bassist used it for a couple of sections. All three instruments spent time with Peter at Dr Guitar in Huntfield Heights last week for adjustments and repairs.

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With the aid of a genuine NOS Mullard tube straightener I have since switched V2 and V5 so it is as follows (looking at the preamp from the back, ordered right to left):

V6: Tung Sol 12AX7 (RHYTHM)
V1: Tung Sol 12AX7 (INPUT)
V2: Ruby 12AX7 AC5 HG (LEAD #1)
V5: Ruby 12AX7 AC5 HG (LEAD #2)
V3: Tung Sol 12AX7 (EFFECTS LOOP)
V4: Sovtek 12AX7 LPS (PHASE INVERTER)

Sounding extremely badass. The lead channel is sounding darker, more chewy, less strident than when I had the Tung Sol in V2. I was happy with the clean channel so I left the Tung Sol in V6.

Please note that while the location of the tubes was correct above I had V3 and V5 in the wrong order and incorrectly labelled. The effects loop is V3, and it is the one next to the phase inverter.
 
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