HarryPotter Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Basically it's my church amp, it's about 20 months old and hasn't missed a beat until today. It comes on OK, but the output is barely audible, even with the input levels bouncing off the end stop (and no I don't do this normally). I had no tools to take an peek and ended up running through the house PA with my crappy old zoom bass efects unit (I only use it as a tuner lol). So any ideas while I try and find the wiring diagrams? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 It's probably still under warrantee. If it's that young, that's what i'd do. Does it have an effects loop? If so you could monitor the FX send to see if it's the pre-amp, and you could feed the FX return from your pedal to see if it's the power amp. Other than that no idea (i'm only in here to see if my thread got replies!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryPotter Posted January 31, 2010 Author Share Posted January 31, 2010 I'm fairly certain it's something in the power section as I did exactly what you suggested - oh and I'm about to reply to the swops thread amigo :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryPotter Posted February 2, 2010 Author Share Posted February 2, 2010 According to Ashdown I 'may have blown my speakers' W T F ??? So for 2 years, I change no settings, never drive it too hard, treat it with kid gloves (it lives in a church after all) and then all of a sudden, inbetween uses the speakers blow??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 [quote name='HarryPotter' post='732779' date='Feb 2 2010, 12:12 PM']According to Ashdown I 'may have blown my speakers' W T F ??? So for 2 years, I change no settings, never drive it too hard, treat it with kid gloves (it lives in a church after all) and then all of a sudden, inbetween uses the speakers blow???[/quote] This is not the first time I am reading about Ashdown speakers going pop. Warranty claim for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryPotter Posted February 2, 2010 Author Share Posted February 2, 2010 It's 2 years old though, so I'm guessing it's out of warranty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_the_bass Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 That's pretty much what they told me - Foxtrot Oscar. I stuck a Hartke driver in mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryPotter Posted February 2, 2010 Author Share Posted February 2, 2010 I'll test it to see if they're right, but does anybody know where I can get 2 10" bombproof speakers? Bombproof meaning that they can stand up to very mild use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 [quote name='HarryPotter' post='733035' date='Feb 2 2010, 03:11 PM']I'll test it to see if they're right, but does anybody know where I can get 2 10" bombproof speakers? Bombproof meaning that they can stand up to very mild use.[/quote] If it is the speakers, although output section seems more likey, Ashdown will probably sell you some new drivers (go for the neos and save a ton of weight BTW) which will preserve the sound you're used to and they'll be right for that cab. However, you may not be feeling too Ashdown friendly at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Is there an output for an extension cab on the back? - My money's on a popped transformer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryPotter Posted February 2, 2010 Author Share Posted February 2, 2010 [quote name='ezbass' post='733094' date='Feb 2 2010, 04:16 PM']However, you may not be feeling too Ashdown friendly at the moment.[/quote] You may be correct in that assumption :-P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryPotter Posted February 2, 2010 Author Share Posted February 2, 2010 [quote name='Hamster' post='733102' date='Feb 2 2010, 04:22 PM']Is there an output for an extension cab on the back? - My money's on a popped transformer.[/quote] The ABM combo is effectively an amp with a cab bolted underneath it, the speakers connect to the head via one of the amps speaker outputs. I'll find out when I get a chance to test it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Protium Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 [quote name='Hamster' post='733102' date='Feb 2 2010, 04:22 PM']Is there an output for an extension cab on the back? - My money's on a popped transformer.[/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanP2008 Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 [quote name='Protium' post='736451' date='Feb 5 2010, 05:29 PM']+1[/quote] ... being a solid-state amp, there is *no* output transformer. One of the best things to do immediately (once to are sure its not the speakers) is to take a lead from the line out or effects send to the effects return of another amp. If there is a good signal there, then the problem is certainly in the power amp. Then if you are feeling brave, you could take the amp out of the cab - 4 plastic plugs on the top of the cab, a screw underneath each one... On the power amp pcb there are two big (1.25") DC fuses - probably 10AT (T=slow-blow). Check whether they are blown or not... If blown, then it is certainly a problem with the power amp. If not blown, it might or might not be the power amp, but there is little else left now. There is an output relay that might have failed, some thermal over-temp switches that might have failed..... and a few other things. Btw - a simple message to ashdown via their site will get you the schematics immediately - but that's only useful if you know what to do with them... I guess they would take it in for repair... they'd be sure to sort it.... ... or you could aways use magic, Harry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Protium Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 [quote name='AlanP2008' post='736525' date='Feb 5 2010, 06:36 PM']... being a solid-state amp, there is *no* output transformer.[/quote] No one mentioned an *output* transformer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanP2008 Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 [quote name='Protium' post='737416' date='Feb 6 2010, 05:20 PM']No one mentioned an *output* transformer.[/quote] I was responding to... [quote]Is there an output for an extension cab on the back? - My money's on a popped transformer.[/quote] ... which seems to associate "output" with "transformer"... my mistake if that wasn't the intention... If the mains transformer has gone, it won't be quiet - it'll be silent... Alan (In fact I have a MAG 400 head here with a "popped" transformer - it's blowing mains fuses, although if it had failed open rather than short, the fuses would be ok, but it would be just as dead...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Protium Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 [quote name='AlanP2008' post='737461' date='Feb 6 2010, 06:06 PM']I was responding to... ... which seems to associate "output" with "transformer"... my mistake if that wasn't the intention... If the mains transformer has gone, it won't be quiet - it'll be silent... Alan (In fact I have a MAG 400 head here with a "popped" transformer - it's blowing mains fuses, although if it had failed open rather than short, the fuses would be ok, but it would be just as dead...)[/quote] Sorry for confusion. I had a similar problem to the OP with a MAG300 head which turned out to be a faulty mains transformer, everything worked just with a very low output. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethnalgreen Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 [quote name='HarryPotter' post='732891' date='Feb 2 2010, 01:23 PM']It's 2 years old though, so I'm guessing it's out of warranty [/quote] A warranty is something offered either by the retailer or the manufacturer at their discretion. They don't have to offer one. Outside of any warranty, your consumer rights are extensive and, in this case, whatever the fault is, you may have a case for a product being supplied which is unfit for purpose or having an inherent fault. The challenge is that, after six months, the onus is on you to provide evidence to that effect. Extract from [url="http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/consumer-rights-refunds-exchange"]http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/...efunds-exchange[/url] : [i]Where the goods are faulty, take them back within 6 months and the shop has to prove they WERE NOT faulty when you bought them. After 6 months you must prove they WERE faulty when you bought them. By law you have up to six years to make a complaint, but this doesn't mean goods must last six years, they must last what most people would consider to be a ‘reasonable' length of time. So if there is wear and tear that breaks the product then the likelihood is you have no claim. Yet if it was an unreasonable fault, you do. If there is an argument over whether the goods are faulty or not – the burden of proof is on the consumer. [/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryPotter Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 Well, finally got around to trying it, it's deffo the amp and not the speakers. Ran my Warwick Profet 3.2 through the speakers and it not only works fine, I'd say it has a lot more grunt that the ABM ever had (and I wasn't running it particulalry hard). Had the head out, there's nothing obviously amiss. Time to go back to Ashdown to see whats what methinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryPotter Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 Bit of an update and a result - spoke with Ashdown, carried out all the checks they asked me to, they decided it was broken, and although out of warranty they would repair it gratis as a good will gesture, all I had to do was ship it to them. Sent it to them Thursday, they got it Friday, I got it back Today. They'd replaced the rear PCB as it was faulty (and they have, the Speakons are diff colours and the board looks different). Works fine, fingers crossed its 'fixed' for good now. Another good result for Ashdown Customer service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanP2008 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 [quote name='HarryPotter' post='784993' date='Mar 24 2010, 06:55 PM']Bit of an update and a result - spoke with Ashdown, carried out all the checks they asked me to, they decided it was broken, and although out of warranty they would repair it gratis as a good will gesture, all I had to do was ship it to them. Sent it to them Thursday, they got it Friday, I got it back Today. They'd replaced the rear PCB as it was faulty (and they have, the Speakons are diff colours and the board looks different). Works fine, fingers crossed its 'fixed' for good now. Another good result for Ashdown Customer service.[/quote] That's about as good as it gets... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 [quote name='HarryPotter' post='784993' date='Mar 24 2010, 06:55 PM']Bit of an update and a result - spoke with Ashdown, carried out all the checks they asked me to, they decided it was broken, and although out of warranty they would repair it gratis as a good will gesture, all I had to do was ship it to them. Sent it to them Thursday, they got it Friday, I got it back Today. They'd replaced the rear PCB as it was faulty (and they have, the Speakons are diff colours and the board looks different). Works fine, fingers crossed its 'fixed' for good now. Another good result for Ashdown Customer service.[/quote] Customer service -- one of the many reasons why I have always liked Ashdown. This is great to hear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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