Troubleshooting a Guitar amp

[racefan56]

I have a Crate GX-130C solid state guitar amplifier that I bought used around 4-5 months ago and in the past month or so the sound has started to cut in and out. When it first started doing it after a few minutes of playing one speaker would cut out while the other one would continue working and the one that cut out would come back in after a few minutes. Within the past week sometimes when I turn it won't put out sound through either speaker and I'll have to switch it off and then on again to get it to work. But even after I do get it to work both speakers will cut out again after a few minutes of playing it and then it'll come back in after a minute or so. All the lights stay on (power and channel select lights) so it’s not like it loses its power from the outlet. I've tried it on both on the lead and rhythm channels with two separate guitars and it does it with both. I also have no effect pedals or anything else hooked to so I'm pretty certain it’s something wrong with the amp. I have quit using the amp for now so I don't risk messing something up but I will use it for troubleshooting purposes. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[racefan56]

If theres any information you need that I may have left out I'll be more than happy to try and get the information for you, pictures or whatever else.

thanks

 

[CARRIEOKEY]

same problem

I am having the same problem with my sister's CRATE GX130 C.

 

[bychon]

Well, I'll just bet somebody who fixes this model of amp knows exactly what's wrong, but he doesn't work here. A web search often comes up with the cause of chronic problems with a certain product. Be sure to try that.

It seems to me you have a mechanical problem with the place where the speaker wires attach to the amp. A wire is loose. You have to open up the amp and wiggle wires while several hundred volts is waiting for you to make a mistake.

Bingo. Here's a link to people who have fixed this problem. Go read all about the 4th wire from the connector.

https://www.jemsite.com/forums/f30/crate-gx-130c-keeps-shutting-off-and-turning-on-61641.html

 

[racefan56]

I THINK I have fixed mine; all I ended up doing was pushing down on all the wires one by one that are on the circuit board. It hadn't cut out since I did that, though I only played it for about 5-10 min because there was a problem with the reverb in it (one of the connectors on one of the wires for the reverb basically just fell apart on me when unplugging it). If you mess with it just don't touch the capacitors (No matter if the amp is on or off!) and obviously don't have the amp plugged in while you’re messing with it either.

 

[bychon]

You're welcome.