Why is it doing THAT? | Rift Weekly Update |

PLEASE NOTE: This is not a tech channel, but simply a show-and-tell. It is not designed to give advice and support on vacuum tube amplifiers but to show what I get up to each week in the workshop.
I deliberately keep tech talk to a minimum, or at least to a point where it’s understandable to the casual viewer. There are other channels more suited to that level of detail.
I do not do reviews, either paid or unpaid. My opinions are entirely my own and do not represent those of others.
All comments are welcome but those deemed unhelpful, rude, inappropriate, or unsavoury will be reviewed and possibly censored.
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Fender DRRI, PR18, Carr Mercury, WEM
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EQUIPMENT I USE
Wire Strippers - uk.rs-online.c...
Knipex Snips - uk.rs-online.c...
Oscilloscope - uk.rs-online.c...
Signal Generator - uk.rs-online.c...
Soldering Station - uk.rs-online.c...
Chisel Tips - uk.rs-online.c...

[@jonniegibbins]

Jeez! I jumped out of my skin when you hit that Carr! I'm using headphones - my ears are ringing now. Should have warned us headphone users to turn them all the way up to fully enjoy deafness 😂

[@richclayton5785]

You made pretty quick work of that….well done.

[@pietervanballaer]

Hahaha, I wasn't ready for the Reverb mayhem when you hit that Carr.

[@heavymetal6910]

Chris come over to N.Ireland if you want to see piledriving summer rain and clouds as black as a coal scuttle

[@weschilton]

Send us some of that rain in SoCal, please! 😆

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Gut says ; " Bad Earth" somewhere, maybe dry lead -free solder joint on mercury?

[@marccarter1350]

Ha, i live in the UK, we had a dry day today, horray!

[@dyamariv3628]

Really loving the step by step diagnosing parts of your videos Chris! I'm an amateur amp tech and this diagnosing part is an awesome way to learn! Cheers

[@user-jy3us9rl7n]

faraday cage.... might work. depends on the wavelength you want to block. the original wave wasn't solid, was it? it lookd a bit like chicken-wire, I think. the holes must be smaller than half the wavelength you ant to block. like a microwave, where you can still look inside.

[@henryhunter5026]

Enjoyed the video but I was wearing headphones and you nearly deafened me with that reverb noise. I hate the way that Fender build their amplifiers these days, they look very vintage outside but the electronics are a nightmare to work on. For example it looks like a very involved job just to clean or replace a pot in the Princeton as they are all connected together on a long printed circuit board which prevents any easy access .

[@davidlovellbass4761]

Enjoying the Wem update as I have one that needs the same treatment

[@twintriode]

Eh high 90's for the next 5-7 days in central Ohio. I think I'd rather have your rain.

[@LPCustom3]

It may only be 10 volts, but the bias at 230v will be slightly different than at 240v…😵‍💫

[@ddw132]

As. Carr Mercury owner ( issues free) in interested to see where this leads

[@frankcarter6427]

that carr is nearly 3 grand!! unimpressive

[@jasonsomerville2504]

Really struggling to find incandescent bulbs these days...need to make a dim bulb tester myself... anyone know a source for those bulbs you'd be happy to share?

[@RiftAmps]

They're sold at trade counters under the 'rough service' designation

[@garycrant4511]

I'm gradually getting back into taking interest in my Amps again, after a very long lay off due to lengthy family health issues. Right, that's the sob story out the way.. My question is: I have valve Amps which have been left unused in storage for up to 10 to 15 years. They were brand new and only powered up at home a few times. Hopefully the storage room is still dry and clean. Though I am worried about mildew until I get to see them again. So if they are not too dusty or mouldy, will it be safe to power them up immediately. Is it possible components will no longer work due to being unused for so long ??? eg, Laney Lionheart, Haydon Mofo, Blackheart, VHT, Epiphone, Vox, Wharfdale, etc. Apart from the Laney & Hayden, mostly good quality budget priced Chinese Amps.. A couple of years ago I dug out a Fender Vaporizer for testing. Still looked mint. It switched on and the indicator lamp lit up. But stayed absolutely silent. Obviously a worry if any of the other Amps have also gone off in storage. Cheers.

[@MichaelSmith-rn1qw]

The electrolytic capacitors can deteriorate in an amp, even if it hasn't been used, especially for as long as your amps have been idle. You should bring the amps up slowly on a variac to re-form the capacitors. You only get one chance to do this, if you first power up the amp at full power, you will lose the ability to re-form the caps. You should probably take the amps to a tech to do this, and at that time they can also measure voltages and confirm the overall health of the amps. I had not used a Fender Bassman amp for about 6 years, and plugged it in and started playing. Within a few minutes one of the filter caps "blew" spewing the electrolytic liquid all inside the doghouse. I quickly shut it off and luckily did not damage the power transformer.

[@garycrant4511]

@@MichaelSmith-rn1qw Many thanks. That's not what I'd hoped to hear, but definitely what I need to hear. I'll probably be best just finding time to dig them out for a visual check for mildew.. Then sort out a plan later after looking for a local amp tech. What's always put me off is not knowing how to tell if a tech is the real experienced thing like you, rather than just a chancer with a soldering iron.. Is there some kind of professional directory ? cheers again.

[@bigtguitars7312]

Is the cut switch wired in the wrong way up?

[@PaulFakler]

Really enjoyable and informative video. Is there a reason, though, that you would not simply email or call Steve Carr? He is fairly legendary for being helpful in all things involving his amps, including the occasional troubleshooting issue. Seems like it would be a ton more efficient than guessing and troubleshooting on your own.

[@RiftAmps]

Why would I guess? I make informed diagnostic decisions based on the evidence in front of me. I also don’t learn anything if someone else gives me the answer, the process is important :)

[@PaulFakler]

@@RiftAmps Sorry, man, "guess" was a bad word choice. :-) I guess I was assuming that you charge by the hour, as most good techs do here in the states, and that it would cost the customer a lot less if you just got some help from Steve. And it seems to me that you would learn the same thing either way, one would just take a bunch less time. But if it is a flat fee deal, then have fun!

[@mcsniper77]

Class A amps get hot doesn't matter how many watts they have. This is their true curse.

[@danielsaturnino5715]

European plugs are not polarized . I would check which one is the live and neutral and mark it on the plug and adapter. Not that it makes a diference where I live. We die like man.

[@markN-pm2ws]

"Sitting in an English work shop waiting for the sun. If the sun don't come, You get a tan from standing in the English rain." "Goo goo g' joob"

[@rodneykroetsch2924]

Thats some funny, clever stuff, my man 😂