Tube Amp - Volume Loss

aesova · Newbie Alert Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1

I have a little practice amp, a 10watt Epiphone Galaxie 10. It has one 12ax7 preamp tube and one 6l6 power tube. Both are fine, and to be sure, I swapped them with other tubes, and got the same results: The sound is fine, but extremely quiet. It sounds like a 1 watt amp. It used to be at least loud enough to fill a small room - living room etc. but now it is inaudible unless both gain and volume are cranked. No hum, no fuse problems.

Any thoughts?

michael

zappa jr. · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:46 am Post subject: Tube amp _ Volume loss

Several things may be causing your problem....
Cord/ Crimped, Knotted cords can partially break on the inside and cause only partial signal to reach amp(please don't think i'm silly for suggesting this as many overlook their "favorite" cord)
Guitar/ loose or broken wire connection can cause same problems as above. (did you check both guitar and cord on another amp?)
Tubes/ is it possible your replacements are weak or dying? tubes generally FADE over time and could still sound good just not very loud.
(common with power and preamp tubes such as 12ax7/6L6)
I have found EBAY to be an exceptional place to buy tubes...usually HALF of retail price.
Just make sure you buy tubes that have actual test #'s and not just say "tested" as these could barely test in good range and still be listed as "test good". Some INCREDIBLE DEALS to be found there!
I buy and sell tubes there all the time with great success and find it to have a wider selection of variants of tubes you may be looking for.
My ebay name is withheld so as to not appear as a solicitation.
If none of these solve your problem, it may require a Franklin Fix(money)
and your local tech to check the capacitors in amp.
Please Keep us informed as to your progress, I am particularly interested in the solution to this problem for my future reference.
Much Luck,
Zappa, Jr.

zappa jr. · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:49 am Post subject: Tube amp _ Volume loss

one more thing...
Did this problem happen suddenly or gradually?
as a rule of thumb,
Sudden would tend to indicate wires/connections and
gradual would tend to indicate tubes or caps.
Zappa, Jr.

gnappi · Tadpole Joined: 13 Aug 2006 Posts: 18

ilovemacintosh · Not So Newbie Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 9

Loose or broken wire connections must be the main problem.

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McIntosh MX135 Audio/Video Control Center - Download the MX135 Audio/Video Control Center Catalog by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

BritishSteel · Sea Monkey Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 14

Do yourself a huge favor if you plan on buying tubes Call Eurotubes / JJ Tubes they will hook you up with what you need for the application you want. I cannot recomend them enough. I buy all my tube from them an probably always will. They will hand pick and voltage match tubes for you if you want them hotter or colder. They will never sell you what you don't need.

russ@savage · Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 4:39 am Post subject:

The output transformers on those things are pretty, um, little. There is not much to them, and low output is a tell tale sign.

chrisplaysmesa89 · Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 12:36 am Post subject:

i mean epiphone amps have a very bad rep when it comes to quality not a performance amp at all but great practice amp i have a epiphone a mesa and a kustom i love the mesa