Continue to Site

Welcome to our site!

Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

  • Welcome to our site! Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

5150 troubleshooting - Please help!!

Status
Not open for further replies.

matt minds

New Member
Hey guys.

I'm new to this forum, and I actually made this account specifically to ask this question. I play in a hardcore band as one of two guitarists, and I play live out of a Peavey 5150 head that I recently purchased off of a good friend of mine. The head had it's problems at first, and I learned about a variety of common 5150 problems, such as the volume loss problem that I read about everywhere, easily solved by contact cleaner in the jacks in the back.

The main problem I am experiencing is that it's simply not as loud as it should be. When we play as a band, I'm often up as far as 7, when the other guitarist in the band is around 2, and he still overpowers me. He also played out of a 5150. It's extremely irritating.

All of the power tubes and preamp tubes are new (I know because I bought them and installed them myself). There are 2 JJ 6L6's and 2 Svetlana 6L6's, and 5 mesa 12AX7 (ECC 83). I did not test any of the new tubes in my troubleshooting process. I have all new monster cables for my set up that I recently purchased (at the same time I bought the tubes), and I run through a Boss NS-2. I have tried without the pedal; no difference. I run through to a 6505 cab at 16 ohms, and I am always extremely tedious in how I'm set up, and how long I let it warm up, etc. I never leave my standby on long and I take extremely good care of my equipment.

After the cost of the 5150, the tubes, and the cords, I'm flat broke with no money to spend to take this to a tech. I don't want to keep stressing the amp by putting it on 7, and it still not being as loud I should be. Any suggestions, or anyone with similar problems? I heard that there was an easy fix, but the person that told me could have just been blowing smoke at me.

Please help. Thank you
 
For a start NEVER buy Monster cables - they don't help anything, and just rip you off - you've wasted a LOT of money for nothing.

The most common fault on valve amps is the anode loads of the triodes going high or O/C - check the voltages on the anodes - pins 1 and 6.

You're also not stressing the amp by putting it on 7, the numbers are totally meaningless.
 
The most common fault on valve amps is the anode loads of the triodes going high or O/C - check the voltages on the anodes - pins 1 and 6.
Or the decoupling caps on the HT rail....They become leaky and pull the volts down...
 
I think what Nigel and Chippie are saying is that there is no easy fix.
 
I think what Nigel and Chippie are saying is that there is no easy fix.

noted hahaha

Nigel: I saved some bucks on the monster cables and dodged the price bullet, so that's why I got them.

Other than that, I am by no means an electrical engineer. So, what I basically want to know is whether or not by me taking a look at this stuff myself if I can cause any permanent damage to the amp? If so, should I just be better safe then sorry and cut my losses money wise, and take it to a tech?

Btw, thanks for the input, guys.
 
I am assuming you have no tech background. I doubt it, but if your band mate has the same amp, maybe he would allow you too swap tubes, and see if you can find a bad one. Like I said I doubt he will, but that is your best bet. Other than that you should take it to a shop.

One other thing. I would not own a tube amp without a complete set of spare tubes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest threads

New Articles From Microcontroller Tips

Back
Top