Egnater Tweaker 15 | No Sound - Real Time Diagnosis

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[@steveclark9370]

Glad to see someone respecting what someone has sent to be fixed...No one wants to hear that their baby is ugly. Hundreds of "I'm working on a Marshall Hendrix used in 67" videos...while appreciating the Ferraris, tell me how to fix my Honda. Good, relatable content.

[@R_Rod]

More people out there with blues juniors and katanas than with vintage AC30s. I own both vintage and modern amps and enjoy all your content equally. I was actually excited to see your katana video, very interested in your take on it.

[@midwestrepairdesk]

This is awesome. I own a Tweaker 40 and it was cool to see a video about something not talked about much online. I would love to see more inexpensive amp repairs! Great videos mate!

[@jvanb231]

I like how you treat customers and their equipment with respect.

[@BlugubriousMusic]

As an owner of this amp (Egnater Tweaker 15) and a vintage all-original vintage 1962 Brownface Deluxe, I really appreciated your comments at the end. I could never have bought the Fender (Family heirloom) and I rarely play it... but very cool to say you treat them all with the same respect. Enjoying your channel since I found it this weak!

[@jeffbrooks7246]

Love your comments at the end because it is so true it is their amp, perhaps that is what the customer can afford and you treat it like it was any other high end amp because of that. Nice.

[@SkyscraperGuitars]

I just love the commentary as you're filming.

[@gigmandrew8975]

You are a class act. Thanks for all of your hard work you put into your videos.

[@AndiPicker]

Early Tweaker 25 Power trannys fell apart on the UK models too - I had mine rewound and the guy that did it said that the spec was well off and was also the reason for appalling tube life. Totally reliable since the rewind. Incidentally, Egnater offered to sell me a replacement PX for about £50 less than the price of the amp - bless them.

[@jaronensley]

Lyle, love it! You've done great work for me, but I'm not sure how unintentionally hilarious you are. Would love to have beers and pizza!

[@PsionicAudio]

Any hilarity is purely intentional. ;)

[@imannonymous7707]

Another great video. Yes i agree you do feature alot of the classics and i dig that, but i also enjoy the pros tour of current products , a look under the hood so to speak . I learn so much and save myself money . Your doing us all a great service bro. . Peace man✌

[@zbaby82]

Good job. I believe the customer will be very happy.

[@MooCow2X2]

How appropriate. I own one of these but it’s still perfectly functioning. I was always under the impression the problem amps were the 40 and 88’s. Whereas the 15 was rock solid. Bad transformers due to a supplier pulling a fast one.

[@passionplayer7]

Fantastic tones from these little guys and great for the money! If only they would fix those issues. I know Egnater was given bad parts for a little while and was switched out without their knowing and have been dealing ever since.

[@BadToad1963]

A friend brought me his Tweaker 15 with "no output". The output impedance selector switch had disintegrated. Not sure how that could happen. I replaced it with a quality rotary switch which required cutting a notch out of the PCB. Worked like a charm.

[@bluesbondsman]

I use a product called a Tone Preserver that regulates wall voltage, I have measured as much as 128 volts at my wall socket so... None of my tube amps get more than 114 to 117 volts! I think USA wall voltages are a HUGE problem for currently produced tubes and for whatever reason the 6V6 variants tend to go kaboom easier than others. The tweakers are fine sounding amps.

[@goodun2974]

At about 9:20, that style of 6V6 are usually referred to as "ink bottles", with some kind of powdery dark grey or black coating on the inside of the glass. Lots of vintage 6V6GT's were made that way up to the late 50's or so at which point most manufacturers switched to using clear glass bottles. I haven't been able to find out what the coating is made of or the electronic purpose of applying it to an output tube. Some small-signal tubes use similar internal coatings as a shield but a beam power tube such as a 6V6 doesn't need to be shielded. Some ink bottle 6V6s seem to have their own special sonic characteristic but I don't know that I'd recommend using them in an amplifier that runs at really high voltages because it might tend to reflect excess heat back towards the elements of the tube instead of letting it pass out through the glass as infrared energy.

[@seanweatherford1251]

A year late, but here you go. Early power tube manufacturers had difficulties in getting the beam forming plates and grids lined up so portions of the electron beam would shoot out of the inner structure and smack into the glass. This caused secondary emissions and noise. The solution was to coat the inside of the glass with a conductive graphite bearing mixture which resisted secondary emissions and drained off the electrons. By the late 50s early 60s manufacturing had improved and the grey glass was dropped.

[@Impractical_Engineer]

I had one of these amps and really enjoyed it. Got mine used for $250 but ended up putting it into a trade for a guitar. Would probably get the 40 watt next time as I think that has switchable channels. Love the video and respect you didn't just replace the tubes you checked it out first and made sure everything was operational. Love the channel.

[@robertschultz4100]

your take is always interesting.. and well balanced

[@clownhands]

Fun, straightforward video. Thanks!

[@eddiebobcat3183]

Rank amateur here. Have had my tweaker 15 with similar symptoms on my garage bench for two years. Watched other videos, read some Gerald Weber books, tried to follow the schematic now and again. Will try again in a few days following your lead. Thanks for posting.

[@clarkeblacker]

You would do well to point out why inexpensive (and many very expensive) amplifiers are not built with service and longevity in mind. Few modern electronics are. It takes intent, care, and labor to build amps such as Blackface era Fenders and other workhorses through the1950s and 1960s. That's why they are still here. Even PCB work can be rugged if it is designed to be. It is all about intent.

[@kasakka]

Really nice video to see the ins and outs of the problem solving process. I like that you go the extra mile to fix not only the issue but also any other problems that might be there so the owner of the amp doesn't have to bring it back to you for other problems anytime soon.

[@ericcarpenter3263]

I have a Tweaker 44 combo and the power transformer shit out. Replaced it with a Mercury Magnetics and been running it like crazy since. Been 3 years now, works great. I love that thing, great amp. The foot switch was kinda bad but I don’t really use it.

[@mattchase3153]

Had one of these and loved it. Great little amp.

[@BradsGuitarGarage]

The meat and potatoes amps are just as important as the classics. If not more. Someone just starting out would treasure the living f***k out of that thing, just like I did with my first multimeter!

[@PsionicAudio]

I started with a Gorilla (horrible thing). Graduated to a Stage 85, thought I had it made in comparison. I loved that thing. Most of the current entry level amps today sound much better than either, and have so many sounds available. In that way I'm jealous of today's starting players (the entry level guitars now also kill anything I could choose back in the day). I mean damn, I could take $600 now (what, $300 in '85?) and pair a Katana with a used PRS SE or a Squier Vintage Vibe. And that's a giggable combination. So yeah, I'm jealous of today's baby players. I just wish the Katanas etc lasted longer. I remember mowing lawns to get that Stage 85. I would have been devastated to have to save up all over again two years later.

[@hendrikusdetuinman8360]

Dude, you are a solid guy with a great attitude!!. Love watching the video´s and getting some knowledge of the inside of amps. Cheers from Holland.

[@r.weaver3769]

I gig with a BJ, I have a lot of mesas that if broken a travel out of state to repair or try to fix myself, I recapped my 81 Mark IIb, but the newer stuff. The Egnater has caught my attention tho.

[@Olivil]

I like getting a teardown and your opinion on modern relatively-inexpensive amps! I've seen the insides of a black panel Fender a thousand times! Much less so with e.g. the new 68 Custom Pro Reverb. I'd love to see you do a Marshall SV20 for instance.

[@BradsGuitarGarage]

"I know that watching me fiddle with fuses does not make for a great video...". So far, 1400 people would beg to differ.

[@jonnybeck6723]

Another great Vid... thanx Lyle

[@Cheguebuddha]

I have the Egnater Tweaker 15 with their upgraded transformer ... what was it called ... something with "R" , sounds great into a 1x12 Jensen P12R RI alnico speaker! Tele heaven!

[@Shiloh7377]

Well said my friend, well said.....

[@kentjackson3830]

Hi Lyle, I would think there are many people out there buying their first Tube amp who would love to hear some frank honest evaluations of the less expensive tube amps coming out of China. As an owner of a Monoprice Stage Right SB20 50 watt head I would love to see / hear insights about this amp's strengths and weaknesses. I'm not under any delusion that I got something for nothing. This amp goes on sale for as little as $364 shipped for free from the US, it's hard for me to believe that it will last very long. Having said that, I've gotten some really incredibly great tones from it. I've had mine apart and looked for obvious issues like cold solder joints or sloppy build quality. The biggest issue I found was a very thin PCB but i'm in no way qualified to give a professional opinion as you are. Having watched your videos for a while I am starting to think the SB20 is built nearly as well as some of the newer high dollar stuff I see come across your bench. One important note, I have owned both the SB20 head and the Combo version the SB12. In my experience this amp really starts to sparkle when plugged into a 2x12 ( 2 Vintage 30's ) cabinet as you have in your shop. The Combo is essentially the same exact amp mounted upside down in a very well constructed cab. I just wasn't a big fan of the Celestion Seventy 80 speaker it comes with. It just doesn't do the amp justice. Thanks for all the great informative videos.

[@PsionicAudio]

I don’t think that many local players are buying such amps. The most recent cheap Chinese amp that came in was a B52 Marshall copy. Its PCB for the EL34s was terribly burned. Ridiculously inadequate traces with no heat planning. I declined that amp as it would cost more than the amp’s value to fix and there would be no guarantee some other calamity wouldn’t happen six weeks later. I’m skeptical of all the free lunch amps out there.

[@kentjackson3830]

@@PsionicAudio I certainly can't speak for local players that most likely provide the majority of your walk in business. Catering to your customer base is just common sense. I was thinking more about your growing number of KZbin viewers and subscribers. I also totally understood and agreed with your recommendations on the B52 Marshall. The video was none the less interesting and informative. The customers/viewers on KZbin do however contain a growing number of people like me that appreciate the things that tube amps do but didn't feel informed enough to identify a good tube amp investment, especially in a buy to try market. There is so much conflicting information out there. Sometimes a calculated risk for a small investment is a better move. If I knew 1/10 of what you do I could see a little better into this amps longevity. Maybe I'm wrong but I think there are many youtube viewers that would tune in. Either way, thanks for the education.

[@PsionicAudio]

Have you seen my Amps Under $500 video?

[@kentjackson3830]

@@PsionicAudio Yes I have. Both videos are well done and I don't disagree with your picks either. I've watched quite a few reviews of both the DSL40CR and the AC15 . The AC15CH and the DSL20HR are both on my short list now. If I had known as much 8 months ago I might have gone with one of these even with the additional cost of a separate speaker cab.I don't regret buying the SB20 head and their 2x12 cabinet. The amp is still working well, for now. I've had it open to have a look around a few times, No burned PCB yet. When I buy my next amp head I'll already have the speaker cabinet. The Vintage 30's sound even better when you only pay $315 for a loaded 2x12 cabinet. In one of your videos I think you mentioned a good electronics course to take for beginners , can you remind me what that was?

[@Fatherflot64]

My Tweaker 15 combo killed power tubes constantly. Sent it back to Egnator and the "fixed" one did the same thing.

[@DetroitWrecker666]

I'm about to take another crack at an old amplifier I had to set aside a few years ago. "No output" issue. I'm going to give it one more shot. Otherwise, I'll prolly convert it to something else.

[@garycole4287]

Lyle is amp worth buying ?

[@robertsharpe1106]

What’s the best way to reach you to discuss getting the JMI upgrade made to my AC30 TBX? Love your videos!

[@PsionicAudio]

Well, give me time to reply and don't reach out on multiple videos. ;) I'm a one man show and I don't check emails every day. Just can't. I'll reply soon.

[@robertsharpe1106]

@@PsionicAudio Thanks for the response! Sounds good, and I'll look forward to hearing from you.

[@Kollar-Guitar]

If I use a brown box and set it to 100v would that save the life of the power transformer?

[@kgrant67]

How common is the transformer issue question I'm watching videos because I'm looking to pick up a used one. If everything works fine on it now what are the odds of the transformer being a problem. Is it something that's going to happen eventually guaranteed or is it something that might happen in one in 20? I'm sure you don't have stats but maybe a general idea? Thanks. Too bad that otherwise great amp would have an Achilles heel like that

[@PsionicAudio]

Extremely common on the Tweaker 40. Less common with the 15. Given the low used prices these days, probably a pretty safe bet.

[@jacobbockover1628]

I really would like a fancy amp but today im looking at orange rocker 15s and tweezers. I am interested in the fender super sonic but im unsure if they come new with problems or if people just really like to screw with them

[@PsionicAudio]

Super Sonics are noisy and you will need to spend $300-400 to keep them going once the cheap filter caps go.

[@mikecruise6991]

What you think about the 40watt tweeker 😎🎸

[@PsionicAudio]

Good sounding circuit plagued by terrible quality power transformers. I do not recommend.

[@auntjenifer7774]

So with the modern tweakers are the power transformer still under stress if ran at 120 !?

[@PsionicAudio]

I don’t know. I’ve read that they’ve fixed that but I would have to have multiple examples to test to confirm that. I hope so. Nice little amps otherwise.

[@jeffbieber1111]

What if you have no power, no lights but the tubes glow besides the pre-amps? Renegade

[@dressedtosmellgood]

check the fuses.

[@JordanWieber]

I have one can I send it in to you?

[@kosmicwizard]

shouldn't it have 2 6V6s in it?

[@kosmicwizard]

I see you misspoke, apologies for the previous comment.

[@hatsubaichuu]

D5 vs F5 for pots? Got a preference? Does it matter?

[@PsionicAudio]

I clean with D5 then lube with F5.

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

I blew up one of these back in 2014 due to needing to crank it at a gig where I couldn't be micd. Was in a very small venue too but it still wasn't loud enough. Blew the ol filter caps. Pretty good stuff for just one gig. I ended up using the cab for a 5 watt tweed Princeton circuit build. I wouldn't wish one of these amps on my worst enemy. What goods an amp if it can't be actually used?

[@bpy4073]

I would have thought you would have checked the fuses first then the tubes that's what i would have done then let the tech take over.

[@PsionicAudio]

I am the tech.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Money well spent. This amp will last a long time now.

[@GIBKEL]

That was 6V6 was smoked!….like a Volkswagen recovered roach.