Vc15 issue

suspiciousminds

Had a reply from laney via email saying contact these: http://majelectronic.co.uk/

ICBM

suspiciousminds said:

Theres an input and an output?

Power and output, but what makes you think the output one is dead?

suspiciousminds

Well tbh, the two were just over 50 quid so i thought if it goes in to be repaired, i'll have to travel to get it fixed so i'de rather have the parts beforehand, and if one's not needed i'll flog it on.

jpfamps

It's not actually a huge or very expensive job to replace it, luckily. Laney are good with supplying parts.

They used to be, but recently have stopped supplying independent repairers (like me).

jpfamps

I should add the mains transformer on the LC15 is a fairly lamentable effort.

ICBM

jpfamps said:

They used to be, but recently have stopped supplying independent repairers (like me).

That's a pain… I haven't needed one for a while so I hadn't found out! Any idea why? (Outsourcing to China and not keeping UK stock?)

jpfamps said:

I should add the mains transformer on the LC15 is a fairly lamentable effort.

I've never been very impressed with anything about them, to be honest.

jpfamps

ICBM said:

jpfamps said:

They used to be, but recently have stopped supplying independent repairers (like me).

That's a pain… I haven't needed one for a while so I hadn't found out! Any idea why? (Outsourcing to China and not keeping UK stock?)

jpfamps said:

I should add the mains transformer on the LC15 is a fairly lamentable effort.

I've never been very impressed with anything about them, to be honest.

Don't know they don't sell spares directly.

Too much aggravation would be my guess.

You have to order through a Laney dealer. There is now a dealer on the street, so I've managed to get the transformer. I did try to order through a couple of other dealers, but they couldn't be bothered.

suspiciousminds

Yeh, the email i recieved from them directed me to the people i've ordered off.
Had a much closer look today and tested all the fuses which are ok.
I can see a wire coming from one of the valves going to the larger mains transformer and it looks like its got hot and the plastic "ballooned" - you can just make it out in this pic between the white and blue wires:

suspiciousminds

Well, dropped the amp into salop music centre tuesday and got a call today saying i can pick it up tomorrow so happy days, looks like the transformer was the issue.
Cant wait to try it now!

fretfinder

I've got one of these and a few years ago it developed a similar problem, turned out it needed a new transformer and since then, touch wood, it's been ok. Good luck with it, they're not bad amps for the money and take pedals well - if they don't break down too often!

suspiciousminds

I love the sound from it tbh,
I've been using my little fender 15r in the meantime whilst the vc has been broke and the difference in sound is massive.
Cant wait to pick it up!

stickyfiddle

I had a very early one if these- killed its transformer in the first week. The replacement I got was fine for years though. Brilliant amps

MPH

stickyfiddle said:

I had a very early one if these- killed its transformer in the first week. The replacement I got was fine for years though. Brilliant amps

The early ones did have problems with the transformers.

Did the early ones also have an actual spring reverb?  As opposed to the digital ones they currently have.

ICBM

It really puzzles me how Laney seem to get a bye for serious build quality issues like this (and others) when other companies get rightly criticised for similar ones.

I'm not a fan, to be honest.

stickyfiddle

MPH said:

stickyfiddle said:

I had a very early one if these- killed its transformer in the first week. The replacement I got was fine for years though. Brilliant amps

The early ones did have problems with the transformers.

Did the early ones also have an actual spring reverb?  As opposed to the digital ones they currently have.

Yeah, mine did. Wasn't spectacularly good though. I only use it as a slight cushion rather than the full lush Fender thing so no problem, but it wouldn't surprise me if the digital verb on the newer ones was better.

ICBM

stickyfiddle said:

Yeah, mine did. Wasn't spectacularly good though. I only use it as a slight cushion rather than the full lush Fender thing so no problem, but it wouldn't surprise me if the digital verb on the newer ones was better.

It is, and it doesn't break as much either. Although I have had one through which did.

suspiciousminds

Picked it up this morning - was indeed the mains transformer that failed - looks like its overheated.
Its all ok now though and even the standby led operates as it should.
Funny enough ever since i had it, it would take a good few seconds for any sound to come through, which i thought was normal but now it works straght away.

suspiciousminds

The engineer also told me that if a want to change any valves its straightforward and wont need "re-biasing"?
Given that, other than the stock valves in it, are there any that improve the sound?

ICBM

Which speaker does it have?

suspiciousminds

Its got a jensen in it.