D-Lab Electronics Repair Shop No problem found Fender Marshall guitar amps

Have you taken your amp to the shop with an issue and of course it works fine there? Well, that happens at D-lab quite often. Usually, we just blow it off, have some drinks, share a meal, talk the talk. Some say, I have the magic touch. I just believe it's circumstance. However, I always wonder when they leave, will the phone ring in a few hours! Either way, I enjoy the challenge, friendship, living life. Yes, this is not my typical video. I wanted to invite you into the shop, live a day after work with me.

[@richardmolby9189]

Very cool video. I love it when you have guests and family in your videos. This really made me smile.

[@smstiao-tecnologia]

Take care of Mr. Terry, your way of taking your work and the way you expose it to your audience are very cool and I am sure that your customers always deserve and are privileged for their professionalism, attention and company. One more time, congratulations on your beautiful work!

[@normjacques6853]

From one Norm to another....Get yourself a new guitar cable!! Stay away from the cheap ones....and have a backup handy! Great tone out of that little Fender! Terry...You're the best, my friend! I know way too many techs that would have barked and griped because Norm was 'wasting your time!' If only they all had your skills...and personality! :-)

[@normanlight]

Thanks 'other' Norm! And you're right, Terry is there to truly help out, and downright dirty with his knowledge of amps and electronics. Highly recommended!

[@normjacques6853]

Norm....Yeah, he's a special guy, and a rarity these days! I was a tech, for many years (now just a few weeks from retirement), but got off into another aspect of electronics, so never developed his kind of unique skills! I do still play in a couple of bands, myself, though (bass)! As such, I have to depend on other techs when i have more severe problems, and I sure wish we had our own 'Terry' out my way! :-)

[@normanlight]

He's one of a kind!

[@billdyke9745]

Always take along a solid state backup just in case. Better to look half-assed than whole-assed. No repairing, but it was fun. Nice playing, nice people, nice dawg wandering through with a sceptical look in his eye...

[@discoveringhorseracing3078]

I'm betting on the cable last used!

[@smstiao-tecnologia]

Ok mr.Terry, very grateful to respond and was just a way to interact with you and your friend. I'm your fan since Brazil ok.

[@normanlight]

Vc e do Brasil?! Legal! Vou la em Dezembro!

[@smstiao-tecnologia]

Olá mr.Norman , sim do Brasil São Paulo Capital e seja bem-vindo!

[@jcmcclain57]

Given it was 4-6 months back... I have to wonder if there was some type of thermal issue from going cold to warm. I see that in some gear from time to time.

[@RJ-rn2uv]

That has happened to me before. I have lost amp volume at gigs and rehearsals, but I have always traced it to having a bad cable. Don't panic ! When that happens ; Put your amp on stand by Unplugged & re-plug all your rig Check that everything is getting power Turn your amp back on Check if your volume is back If not: start wiggling your instrument, amp & patch cables to determine if one cable is bad Check that your not pulling your instrument cable out of your guitar output jack turn your effects on one by one to see if you lose volume when pedals are engaged if all fails : then your amp is bad! If you have made it this far ; One handy tool to have is a LED continuity tester to check your cables. Cables MUST be unplugged.

[@Wade6242]

Bad cable maybe! Nice sound Norm.

[@d-labelectronics]

We agree

[@cartematt]

Or bad AC at the venue.

[@avhcbeaver2]

I repair those fenders all the time, wick out the solder on those 2 white resistors in the middle of the board and add in some good 60/40 and you'll be fine. The cheap stuff fender uses melts and breaks contact.

[@jimtalltheislandbrothers6639]

Had the same happen on a gig with a fender hot rod deluxe. Turned out it was those two resistors that they had soldered touching the board causing overheat. A common problem with the hotrod deluxe models.

[@budandbean1]

Been there before, hated it! I had a brand new Telecaster and after several weeks I showed up for a show, plugged up and... nothing. I could hear the amp humming so I knew it was most likely something else. Changed cords, what else? Turns out the bare capacitor lead under the metal selector, tone, volume plate had somehow gotten bent and was resting on the bare ground jumper canceling out all signal from the guitar. To this day I have no idea how it happened, worked one day, didn’t the next. It was crazy 😜.

[@rickymize8673]

I repaired one of these it was the volume pot the middle part of the trace was gone the Marshall

[@williamreadon9052]

low input voltage? they do run all kinds of extension cables on stage and one bad connection can screw up lots of things or just one, just a thought

[@ringostarr4520]

The best way to uncover a no fault situation is with the amp owner right there playing the amp. I have been given amps with a no fault situation and it takes longer than this video did to figure out there is no problem with the amp. For good measure with symptoms described above I will clean the effects send/return jacks.

[@mfowler8808]

Yup I've had so many guys with bad guitars, bad cords, loose tubes or they put the tube index in off some which is possible on a lot of tube sockets.

[@GB-iy3wt]

Thanks as always for the great vids!

[@SwanseaTitanFan]

Hey Terry, ever stationed at Heyford in the 80's.

[@petercornell2002]

Nice player! Maybe Terry could make you some quality cables to alleviate the feelings of unease...... Good luck with your trip.

[@normanlight]

Thanks! :)

[@kenhancock8931]

first, cheers terry. thx 4 ya videos

[@jeffkellogg76]

Hey Terry, I have a Fender Stage 160 solid state 2/12 combo amp that has a constant low frequency hum when turned on. If you try to play a guitar through it the hum is the prominent sound. I have used DeOxit on all the pots and switchs and have checked for loose and obviously burnt components but still have a hum. I was hoping to bring this amp to you with a couple bottles of red wine to try to get you to repair a NON TUBE AMP. I do own a Fender Dual Showman that is in perfect working order, but bought this amp only because it is a Fender. I live near Lansing and assume that you are near Kalamazoo from your river story video. I will gladly bring the amp to D-Lab for the repair. Thanks for your time Jeff ' Gonzo the Guitar Guy 'Kellogg

[@d-labelectronics]

Hi Jeff, That issue sounds like a shorted output transistor. Check them with an ohm meter. You should not see under an ohm in any configuration. If they measure OK, my next guess is a bias shift caused by bad solder joints. That req's pulling the circuit board and giving a close inspection. I live just north of Battle Creek (Pennfield) Right now, I am booked solid in the shop, little time to lesson the load, so cannot accept more work at this time.

[@jeffkellogg76]

D-lab Electronics thanks for the info, I will look at the output transistors. Thanks again for your time. If you are ever north of Lansing near Elsie, I have a stash of fine reds, some imported,some domestic. I would love to share a bottle with you and get to know you better. Been a subscriber to your channel for couple years now, really like your content. Keep up the great videos

[@dhpbear2]

So, the Marshall is there for its 5-year "solder touch-up" ? :)

My HRD was in mud for 4 days.I went to the best guys in amp repair.I got a new Celestion. That amp will make you beg.It's first gen Mexico- 1999 maybe You would love to have one. Even better ,you have a Tele ! Nonetheless,when you bring your amp to practice and it wets the bed, how is anything else so depressing? How about when you bring it to a gig? And all of us with Fender and Marshall amps have been there.For many years.They just die. And take you along with it

[@ojjenkins7110]

I didn't see you flex the cable. Oh well, was that the same cable??

[@umajunkcollector]

patch cords often can be trouble, try the same cord?

[@tatialo37]

taht beer looks glorious!!!

[@roberthurless4615]

1$ for the diagnosis, 99$ for the beer. lol

[@pir869]

Marshall MG30DFX,i just repaired one,input jack ground switch was mangled though not the evident issue,no bloody volume on clean,crackly and not no vol using the treble pot,so i desoldered the vol,bass and treb pots on clean channel a spray with kontact PR refit and it's working fine,some other pots are a bit noisy just a tiny bit so i'll tear it down again and go for a full service,i hate the awfull distortion ,no touch sensitivity,so i'll be modding that and adding a FX loop too. I only really work on tube stuff most of the SS amps have bad board tracks ,dry joints,cheap manufacturing ethics bad skills persons assembling these amps in india or china,work subbed out by fender or marshall or any other big name making big bucks on cheap made amps,and people ask me "can i justify the price of a hand built tube/valve amp" then shell out for SS crap,even the tube/valve amps are pcb based and they give problems,not that a pcb is bad,just the manufacturing techniques are bad,marantz use pcb's i don't hear much of them crapping out after a year of use,which says a lot, because the pcb guitar or bass amps get moved around a lot and the pcb's can't take the shaking about and vibration in transit,plus most musicians don't realise tubes need to cool down before moving the amp around,light metal filamentary structures when hot get soft and can sag and deform easier than when cold. This also is a good reason to not buy a combo amp as the back wave sound pressure shakes the crap out of hot tubes/valves,and place thick foam under the head amp on top of a stack to absorb the vibration. I design and build amps,the last thing i want is for an amp to come back for repair prematurely,and it's always tubes,or a tube burns out and causes other failures,mostly due to bad handling proceedures. I also play so i know how hard they get pushed,but if it can bring some dosh in because of bad handling so be it. Have a glass and salute the uneducated....cheers.

[@rickymize8673]

Tell him to check polarization at the bars on the outlet get a outlet tester

[@w7hrcgreg]

Terry a OLD TECH PROVERB ( " YOU CAN'T FIX A WORKING AMP " ) or what else you are working on...

[@Rzzmtzz]

a Deacon Blues fan!

[@normanlight]

Nice job catching that :)

[@gawful44]

Deacon Blues, at 14 minutes!

[@dhpbear2]

5:32 - I have better luck with triggering on Tek scopes when the mode is set to 'NORMAL'

[@d-labelectronics]

Yes, the jitter on the scope was due to triggering. My channel switch is a bit dirty. D-lab needs to do a little PM. TD

[@tatialo37]

taht would be a perfect evenong amps dinner and beer!!!!

[@matthewf1979]

I wish ALL tube amp manufacturers would stop putting sockets on pcb's. I've turned away so many people with Fender Hot Rod series and Marshall JCM2000 amps. It's a real shame too, they are actually really good sounding amps, but replacing parts or entire boards can easily surpass the actual value of the amp.

[@thesuccessfulbarber]

Could be a bad pot on the guitar or cable

[@smstiao-tecnologia]

Hi Terry, do not you like beear ?

[@d-labelectronics]

I do, but it fills me up. I usually enjoy one or two (beers) when doing yard work. The wine fits better in the shop and of course expected on D-lab presentations.

[@russellhltn1396]

Any tech says this has never happened to them is lying. Either lying about it never happening or lying about being a tech.

[@tatialo37]

add me to your list!!!

[@d-labelectronics]

Roger that Sir, welcome to D-lab

[@mikecamps7226]

Yep probably a bad cable since the issue migrated to 2 amps.....probably a broken wire near the jack ends or a bad solder joint for the ground wire at the jack. Typical failure due to age & use...wear and tear. But then again its a circuit board amp and board mounted input jacks which fail.....just plain junk jacks and design. People who design computer board layouts should stay away from doing layouts for vacuum tube amplifiers

[@embreesmith7613]

buy better Cords ..!!thanks for being able to actually play ..:)

[@d-labelectronics]

Roger that man

[@normanlight]

Such an underrated compliment... thank you sir!

[@BlueberryStinkFinger62]

I was a firm believer in Tube Amps up until 2009 when i bought a Marshall MG 100FX..i haven't used a Tube Amp of any kind since..and most likely won't..love the solid state/modeling Amps

[@randelcross]

Same instrument....both amps, same cable both amps... hummmm! just sayin'