What's wrong with my Laney?

MatthewShreddery

It's a VH100R

Tried using my Laney yesterday and all I could get out of it was a very quiet, weak, slightly distorted tone.

I tried all the channels and got the same sound at all levels.

It was working perfectly 2 weeks ago, then I returned back to work, where I leave it set up and it's not working.

I've tried various settings on the FX loop, and fiddled with the level knob on the back, as I know this can act as a sort of master volume in certain applications.

All the power valves are glowing as normal. I think perhaps it might be a preamp valve.

Any ideas?

ICBM

Try plugging the guitar into the FX return and see if you can get any sound. That will help narrow down where the problem might be.

Check your speaker cable too. If you don't have a spare one a guitar lead will do to test it for a short time at low-ish volume.

MatthewShreddery

Cheers ICBM - will give it a try.

MatthewShreddery

@ICBM

I tried the FX loop. As you may know the VH100R has a rather complicated array of FX loop options. I tried connecting my guitar to the return of each FX loop (Clean, Drive, plus the Insert on all 3 settings).

I could hear the guitar coming out of the speakers, but only very very quietly and not distorted.

I tried the speaker cable - made no difference.

I've also noticed that the reverb does not seem to be audible when testing the amp. Not sure if this is significant.

What's strange is that when I left the amp worked fine, 2 weeks later it's not working. Do amps just mysteriously die like this?

Thanks for your help.

ICBM

Valves can just die for no apparent reason, especially if the amp has been moved and bumped, or (very rarely) if stored somewhere extremely cold.

If the signal from the FX loops is very quiet it may just be that the loops are at a high signal level and the guitar is too low - that would probably also explain the lack of distortion. Or it could be related if both are caused by the fault - the most likely culprit would be the phase inverter valve, usually the one nearest the power valves. Try changing that first.

MatthewShreddery

I tried replacing the PI valve - no difference.

ICBM

Try all the other preamp valves one at a time, and if none of them fixes it then it's probably off to a tech - it could still be something simple, but you'll need to do some investigation inside. (Unless you're good at that yourself.)

MatthewShreddery

OK I'll do that.

I'm definitely not doing anything technical myself as I haven't a clue!

Thanks

MatthewShreddery

@ICBM

I tried each preamp valve. No change.

It's gonna have to go away to be fixed.

If you know any techs in Hampshire please let me know. (I'm gonna look in the amp tech discussion now)

Thanks ver much for helping and sorry to keep asking you specifically.

ICBM

No problem. You know one of my hobbies is trying to fix things by remote control, it keeps me amused .

I don't know any good techs in Hampshire, sorry.

Hopefully it will be something fairly simple.

MatthewShreddery

The amp is on the tech's bench.

He had a quick look while I was there. 

I really hope he can fix it. Not had much luck with amps TBH.

MatthewShreddery

@ICBM - this may interest you

All fixed now!

Apparently some dodgy soldering was the problem:

Thanks to John at Sound Superior Guitar and Amplifier Repairs

ICBM

Was that like that from the factory?

MatthewShreddery

No, I bought the amp from a guy who apparently services amps and sells them on. 

Another problem was that it was biassed way too hot.

Nerine

That looks... Err... Yeah.....

MatthewShreddery

Unfortunately I didn't get an after shot to show how it looks now.