Minininjarob

Hi all, would appreciate some input, as I am prone to buying lots of stuff I don't need, including tools! Basically I am quite new to bass (4y) but have been into electronics and woodwork for a long time. As such setting up my own basses has been pretty easy for me, and I've set up some friends basses (free of charge) which they have been very happy about (including a Status Graphite Black Beauty which was scary, I took it completely apart and machine polished the lacquer over the carbon fibre!). Long term I'd like to start a business doing it to help with what will be a fairly crap pension. For a start I'd like the kit to do basic setups, also fret leveling and crowning, replacing nuts. Not full on luthier yet, baby steps first! So what are peoples recommendations for kit that I would absolutely need, and which products are best for it? I don't mind spending money for good tools (god knows I've got so much money in specialist cycle repair tools!) but I know some cheaper options are just as good and save money. Hopefully this might be useful for other people too. Thanks all!

I've reinstalled the fender ones now, thanks for the help everyone.

I wasn't trying to hijack a thread, I gave a quick post with my experience and people kept asking me questions! I didn't blame Dave, he did what he could I think, its just important to understand they can't help with everything rather than just have blanket praise that they are always amazing. If you want to ignore my experience that fine, I don't mind. Maybe I think its more to do with the fact that some modern amps, while lightweight and small, just aren't as fixable as older ones, which is why I don't own or want one. Also do they have to provide such good service as they break down more than other brands? I really don't know, and I don't think it would be possible to find out with any accuracy, so it would be unfair to assume that. Its great they give good service but I'd rather have an amp that never breaks down personally. (btw the sex panther ref was awesome, made me smile!)

Thanks!! I tried everything and couldn’t find this.

As the title says!! Don’t need to report them just don’t want to see their posts. Any ideas??

Well thankyou for, as usual, just telling me I’m wrong without offering any useful help. I don’t know why you single me out to look down on. Thankfully there is someone I am working with via DM who is helpful and we are working together as we both have the same issue, and we have managed to figure out the best steps forward. And that’s all I’m gonna say on this thread.

I’ve got someone who is helping me via DM. I have almost taken it apart now so I can see the tracks underneath, but yeah you’re right that’s a primary circuit relay, no idea what it’s doing there but when I can see the layout it’ll make more sense. Checked the only thermistor I can find on the board and that’s working fine, it’s attached to a transistor in (I think) the input stage which isn’t bolted to the heating. Got some other things to check too. Grr I hate these sorts of circuits. Wish I still had all my electrical testing stuff I had when I was much younger (and I could remember anything that was taught me! It’s fun to try and relearn it all though).

Thanks. I wonder if the temp sensor is cooked? I will see if I can find it and test it.

It’s used for bedroom practice and for gigs too, I can’t remember when he said it cuts out but it’s enough to make it fairly useless.

Thanks for that. Without a schematic I just assumed the relay was for the fan as it’s a 12v one same as the fan, and it’s next to the fan header. Really interesting info, thanks very much - I wouldn’t expect a low stressed relay to go that easily anyway so the fact it will probably be something else is bad news but might save me a lot of time. Will sell it for parts probably. I did read up that the fan should come on briefly when you start it up and it doesn’t do that so I am assuming that it’s something to do with the fan control, but if it’s heating up and cutting out so easily then maybe there is multiple problems - maybe the amp sections are struggling and getting too hot, then the fan circuit or temp sensors have given up from overuse. Who knows?

Definitely. Pic of relay here, white connector to the right is the fan connector. Wish I was working on my own GK amp instead, not that it will ever break down anyway. 😂

So I was told that it had some “vintage” pickups in it when I bought it. Because I can’t stop spending money I bought some new pickups (Tonerider) but I started checking the current ones. Resistance is 11.1ohm and the markings and design I have now found come from Fender American Standard P, so they are actually quite good ones. 🙄 But the pads behind them looked like bits of car sponge so I got proper ones and some black screws so I can at least adjust them properly now!!

Ashdown Little Giant. it works ok but the fan doesn’t kick in, it’s supposed to on start up for a second to test it then it comes on when it gets pushed and warms up. It’s doing neither. So it’s either the fan relay that’s gone (which I can’t find an exact match of at the moment to replace) or the signal to it, or the temp sensing part of the circuitry. It’s a shame as it works ok apart from that and the person I am trying to fix it for can’t afford a new (even 2nd hand) amp so he’s amp less at the moment.

Yeah just measured the at 11.1 ohms for the pair. Don’t need the Tonerider pickups I bought then!!!

It was Dave Green who replied to me. Said the amp was a now obsolete model and he couldn’t really help. His only suggestion was to wire the fan it so it runs all the time. Which isn’t much good when it’s used for bedroom practise. I don’t want to start buying components and trying them out (I think it might be the fan relay but not sure yet) as it’s just a waste of money, and it’s a fiddly PCB as well. Going to do some more testing to see if I can narrow the problem down but if I can’t figure it out it’ll be going in the bin. Or selling spares and repairs. I’m not saying they are useless btw just that they aren’t always perfect, for whatever reason it might be in my case.