Thinking about buying an Egnater amp? Time to think again

  • Thread starter Thread starter mezzyjezze
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mezzyjezze

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Firstly, I want to say this post is about a very specific problem that is probably only relevant to a very small portion of you.

The original Tweaker 40s were equipped with cheap power transformers that have been breaking down like an epidemic. When Egnater learned about this, they switched the transformer out for a better one and have been selling the newer TWK-40s with the better transformer. What they haven't done is owned up to the responsibility of their own cost cutting measures. If your Tweaker 40 isn't under warranty and that faulty transformer blows, you're going to be out of a couple hundred dollars at least. It could blow right after your warranty expires, or it could blow sooner than that, and if you're not the original owner they won't help you. Through no fault of your own you've wound up with a useless amp. Power transformers are the number 1 thing companies like to save money on, because as long as it doesn't break, a cheap transformer doesn't affect the performance of the amp. In this case, Egnater made the wrong choice trying to be cheap, and they wound up with this fiasco. An Egnater spokesperson told me the only people still complaining about this issue are the people who's amps aren't under warranty. Of course that's the case - they've hung us out to dry. Cheap, faulty transformers have been the ruin of many would-be successful startups. Egnater is big enough to shoulder this blunder, but they've alienated their customers. If this was an isolated case, I would respect their decision to deny free service without warranty. But this isn't an isolated case. This was a major screwup. My amp technician in Boston has had 4 TWK-40s come in in the last month, and you don't have to guess what was wrong with them. For all of you happily under warranty, you can keep smiling and think I'm whining about something that's perfectly fair. For those of you with Tweaker 40s who don't have warranty - sell it fast, before it fails you. I promise you, it will fail, and you'll be left with a dead, worthless amp, unable to sell it. Your only option will be to put several hundred dollars into getting a better power transformer installed. You've been warned.
 
How can you tell if you have one of the beefier/upgraded transformers? I bought a Tweaker 40 head used at GC and the PT was the culprit...was within the 30 day return window, so I took it back. I wound up getting a NEW Tweaker 40 head...I love the amp...and of course this one has warranty coverage. Would be nice to know whether it's the original transformer design or the newer, heavier one.
 
Yes I would like to know how to tell also I just bought one but who knows how long it sat on the shelf at guitar center!
 
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