Peavey 6505+ & Mesa Tverb Sound Issues

[Charvel1975]

So last Sunday we had practice and let the amp warm up for about 5 minutes, went to go play and the amp seemed to have lost it's punch, checked my wireless, plugged straight in, different cables, etc? What was weird too on my Epi LP custom when I was switching between pickups there seemed to be a volume drop, now my Epi weights a ton and has the SD JB bridge, Jazz neck and normally if I switch to the neck pup I have to turn the volume down for it because it distorts and has higher output than the JB!

Everything seemed fine at practice the week prior with my 6505+ head running to my marshall 4x12. The only thing I've done since I got it was put in the EH 6L6's I got from a forum member here a while ago in it and switched some of the preamp tubes around, took some Ruby's outta my Mesa Tverb head and put them in the 6505+ along with some of the other stock 6505+ preamp tubes. I picked up a big can of CRC electronic contact cleaner but haven't had the time to take the amp outta the chassis and go thru with the CRC on the pots, etc I'm just ready to take the 6505+ to Guitar 'N' Amp Doctor in Canton, OH and have them check through it, clean it up and do the Bias Mod and then get some tubes from the Valve Queen.

My Mesa Tverb head something else is going on with it, I'm thinking it might be tube related or something with the effects loop? I know when I was tube swapping on the Tverb to the 6505+, the preamp tube sockets and a couple power tube sockets were pushing up into the chassis? It has Mesa 6L6GC's and in the preamp combination of Mesa 12ax7's, EH, JJ and some Ruby's I think? Was thinking of trying the large bottle TAD 6L6GC-STR's and put a Tungsol 12AX7 in V1 first and tung sol's/chinese 9th gen the rest?

 

[Charvel1975]

I just sent an e-mail to Laura at Valve Queen

 

[stephen sawall]

I would try the amp with a different guitar, cords & cab that I know works before deciding there is a problem with the amp..... or try the guitar, cords & cab with a other amp first.

 

[Charvel1975]

Got a reply back from Manny from Guitar 'N' Amp Doctor in Canton, OH said he's been in both these models and there might be tube, dirt, capacitor issues? I'll probably get new preamp tubes from Laura at Valve Queen for the 6505+, don't know about having the Bias Mod done on it, is it really that beneficial?

 

[stephen sawall]

I never did the mod to my amps .... just get hotter tubes if you are worried about cold bias. I crank the poweramp & use a THD Hot Plate .... So I am not really effected by the bias issue.

 

[Charvel1975]

Got a show Friday, just plugged the 6505+ switched to 16 ohm on the switch on the back into my marshall 4x12 running 16 ohms, was messing around with the controls and they're definitely scratchy, etc. Amp seemed to have lost some low end thump. You guys think it will be fine for the show Friday? I'm going to take it to a tech sometime next week hopefully, been hearing good words about Pat "Manny Cahill that runs Tube N Guitar Amp Doctor in Canton, OH

 

[stephen sawall]

No way to be able to tell from here.

 

[Charvel1975]

So last Sunday we had practice and let the amp warm up for about 5 minutes, went to go play and the amp seemed to have lost it's punch, checked my wireless, plugged straight in, different cables, etc? What was weird too on my Epi LP custom when I was switching between pickups there seemed to be a volume drop, now my Epi weights a ton and has the SD JB bridge, Jazz neck and normally if I switch to the neck pup I have to turn the volume down for it because it distorts and has higher output than the JB!

Everything seemed fine at practice the week prior with my 6505+ head running to my marshall 4x12. The only thing I've done since I got it was put in the EH 6L6's I got from a forum member here a while ago in it and switched some of the preamp tubes around, took some Ruby's outta my Mesa Tverb head and put them in the 6505+ along with some of the other stock 6505+ preamp tubes. I picked up a big can of CRC electronic contact cleaner but haven't had the time to take the amp outta the chassis and go thru with the CRC on the pots, etc I'm just ready to take the 6505+ to Guitar 'N' Amp Doctor in Canton, OH and have them check through it, clean it up and do the Bias Mod and then get some tubes from the Valve Queen.

My Mesa Tverb head something else is going on with it, I'm thinking it might be tube related or something with the effects loop? I know when I was tube swapping on the Tverb to the 6505+, the preamp tube sockets and a couple power tube sockets were pushing up into the chassis? It has Mesa 6L6GC's and in the preamp combination of Mesa 12ax7's, EH, JJ and some Ruby's I think? Was thinking of trying the large bottle TAD 6L6GC-STR's and put a Tungsol 12AX7 in V1 first and tung sol's/chinese 9th gen the rest?

Sorry to bump an old thread.. Tested the 6505+ and some of the controls on the front panel are crackling. When I checked the tubes for microphonics, looking from left to right on back, far left v4 phase inverter position sovtek 12ax7LPS was not glowing at all. Second tube from right v1 shared channel gain stage tube is microphonic jj ecc83 s, next to it v6 gain stage for rhythm channel makes some noises when tapping on it, not as loud as when tapping v1.

Positions v3, v5 and v6 have groove tube 12ax7R's in them but I read online somewhere that a lot of 6505+ owners say not to use Russian tubes in v5 cathode follower position? The power tubes I still had the EH6L6's in it, from left to right - far left 2 tubes glow fine but far right 2 only glowing at base of tubes? On to the Mesa last week when I clicked over to the Red channel it started making a LOUD squealing, popping, hissing noise?! I e-mailed Amp N' Guitar Doctor in Canton, OH to see how soon I can get both heads in as my band has a show Saturday, November 30th

 

[glpg80]

You're over analyzing. For one you cannot judge a tube by the heater glow. You sure as hell cannot judge a tube with microphonics based on looks alone.

You really cannot judge based on looks at all simply because not all triodes are heated in a single tube.

Second thing is that your 6505+ has either been been stored in a damp place and the copper traces of the pot began to oxidize, you have not played the amplifier in a long time allowing the traces to oxidize, or you simply have dirty pots that need cleaning.

With the Tverb take all of the preamp tubes out of it and fire it up. See if it still does it. If not, you need new preamp tubes.

So you should have all of the pots in the 6505+ cleaned and refreshed along with all of the tube sockets and effects loop jacks while you're at it, and get a new set of either power or preamp tubes for the Tverb.

 

[Lord Toneking]

Shoot me a text. You can use my 5150 for your show if you want

 

[cardinal]

On the 6505+, if it's just dirty pots that's no big thing. Just clean them (use Google to find what you need and how to do it. Easy process). And if it sounded fine before you started messing with all the tubes, PUT THE OLD TUBES BACK IN. See if that fixes it before you start chasing anything else. I've had brand new tubes that cause trouble right out of the box.

For the T-Verb, I've (sped) read your post a few times and sorry, I can't figure out what the problem is your having.

 

[Charvel1975]

On the 6505+, if it's just dirty pots that's no big thing. Just clean them (use Google to find what you need and how to do it. Easy process). And if it sounded fine before you started messing with all the tubes, PUT THE OLD TUBES BACK IN. See if that fixes it before you start chasing anything else. I've had brand new tubes that cause trouble right out of the box.

For the T-Verb, I've (sped) read your post a few times and sorry, I can't figure out what the problem is your having.

I still have the factory tubes for the 6505+, the one JJ that was in the V1 position was microphonic and I'm pretty sure it was one of the factory preamp tubes. The one next to it in V6 position that sounded microphonic too is a Groove Tube 12ax7R and 3 more of those are in positions V3, V5 & V2. The Mesa started making loud buzzing, popping & crackling noises on the Red channel.

 

[Charvel1975]

Here is a list of all the extra tubes I have right now:

6-Groove Tube 12ax7R's: I originally bought for the T-Verb when I went to do it's first retube sometime around 1999, I think I even bought a matched quad of Sovtek EL34WXT+ at the same time for the T-Verb but wound up selling those, shouldn't have sold them

4-Sovtek 12ax7LPS's: One of them that's in the V4 phase inverter position in 6505+ isn't glowing at all and was before

1-Groove Tube 12ax7C

4-Ruby 6L6GCM-STR's from 6505+

4-JJ 6L6GC's about 5 years old or so bought for T-Verb from eurotubes.com

 

[moronmountain]

On the 6505+, if it's just dirty pots that's no big thing. Just clean them (use Google to find what you need and how to do it. Easy process). And if it sounded fine before you started messing with all the tubes, PUT THE OLD TUBES BACK IN. See if that fixes it before you start chasing anything else. I've had brand new tubes that cause trouble right out of the box.

For the T-Verb, I've (sped) read your post a few times and sorry, I can't figure out what the problem is your having.

I still have the factory tubes for the 6505+, the one JJ that was in the V1 position was microphonic and I'm pretty sure it was one of the factory preamp tubes. The one next to it in V6 position that sounded microphonic too is a Groove Tube 12ax7R and 3 more of those are in positions V3, V5 & V2. The Mesa started making loud buzzing, popping & crackling noises on the Red channel.

My UL had a loose power section filter that caused noise and volume loss. I think you're getting close to needing to have someone take a look at your amp. You also said a couple of the tube sockets were pushing up into the chassis? I wonder if your PCB is warped and that some of your traces have come loose making them lose full contact?

 

[glpg80]

I typed out everything you need to do to check your amplifier. It does not seem like you even bothered to read the text?

Either narrow it down to the preamp or power amp or simply send the amplifiers off for repair and borrow toneking's. If you have original tubes involved I can almost guarantee you need a retube and some TLC to jacks/sockets.

 

[Charvel1975]

Shoot me a text. You can use my 5150 for your show if you want

Thanks again man for letting me borrow the 5150 for the show!! I'm taking both the T-Verb & 6505+ to Manny at Guitar N' Amp Doctor in Canton tomorrow

 

[Charvel1975]

Well my Mesa Tremoverb is fixed, here's what was wrong; numerous cracks on the circuit card, circuit board was loose from inside the amp, vibration was shaking the tube pins loose so he resoldered & retensioned all the tube sockets, Rtv'd the circuit board back down to where it belongs. Big shout out to Manny at Guitar N' Amp Doctor in Canton, OH!!