could my Tourmaster have a bad tube???

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prsplayer_2000

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I've been gigging my TM combo regularly since I got it in February. Normal gig schedule is 2-3 gigs per week. The amp sounds great, and has been very reliable until yesterday.

We were doing an outside gig, from 2-6 PM. We were under a canopy, but it was still HOT. Anyway, the amp played flawlessly until the end of the last song. I was playing the clean channel (which I do 90% of the time), and pushing it a little with a modded Blues Driver. About halfway into the song, the amp makes a loud farting noise, and goes silent. I switch to one of the other channels, and the sound comes back. When the song was over I shut the amp down and let it rest for a few minutes (maybe 2 minutes). Turn the amp back on, and guess what - the clean channel is back.

So, here's my dilemma. Is it possible that the 12AX7 for the clean channel is bad? Or maybe the heat was just too much for the amp to handle? Any help resolving the problem is appreciated. I have gigs coming up again the weekend, and I really don't want to gig without my Tourmaster. Thanks!!!!!!!!!
 
Yes it probably is the pre amp tube in V1 if the problem only happens on clean. Its the first tube you see when you look into the back of the amp pull it and put a new one in. Should solve the problem. We have had terrible luck with these JJ verified Groove Tube pre amp tubes. Not an issue with the amp!
 
Thanks Jeff. I'll try swapping the tube. Glad to hear it's not something more serious. I'd hate to have the amp out of service - it's become my main gig amp!!!
 
Well, a new tube seems to have cured the problem. I found a NOS RCA 12AX7 in mt stash, so I threw it in today. It sounds really nice.

After replacing the tube, I actually think the stock tube had been going bad for a while. About 2 weeks ago I started noticing a slight loss of clean headroom on channel 1, but I thought it was just the hotter pups in my PRS. With the NOS tube my clean headroom is back.

I won't have a chance to gig the amp again until this Friday, but I may have a chance to open it up a bit at home this week. Hopefullly the problem is solved.
 
The only issue we have had with this amp has been pre amp tube failures. The common issues are my clean channel sounds like bacon sizzling, or my distortion channels sound like bacon sizzling or the amp sounds like its farting out intermittently. V1 V2 and V3 are the usual culprits. A great example of what we do at Egnater modular. Sovtek wa 12ax7's they very rarely fail. But the GC stuff needed GT tubes and not Sovteks....they now see our side and any other Egnater in GC will be loaded with Sovteks.
 
What about the chinese preamp tubes, they seem fairly reliable. My VHT came with Ruby, chinese.
 
Jeff Hilligan":5fu2ap2i said:
The only issue we have had with this amp has been pre amp tube failures. The common issues are my clean channel sounds like bacon sizzling, or my distortion channels sound like bacon sizzling or the amp sounds like its farting out intermittently.
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Yep, that's exactly what mine was doing. First the sizzling sound, then the farting, then nothing. Now, the RCA 12AX7 I put in there sounds georgeous. I have a few more 12AX7's in my stash, so I'll probably replace V2 and V3 just in case. Thanks for the heads up!!!!
 
Well, I gigged the TM three times this weekend (with the replaced tube in V1). The amp performed beautifully all weekend.

BTW, this amp LOVES pedals. I know, with 4 channels to pick from I really shouldn't need pedals. However, I have a Monte Allums mod BD-2 that never really liked any of my other amps. It LOVES the Tourmaster. It has a really believable "tweedy" sound that I could never get before.
 
prsplayer_2000":f8potyr2 said:
Well, I gigged the TM three times this weekend (with the replaced tube in V1). The amp performed beautifully all weekend.

BTW, this amp LOVES pedals. I know, with 4 channels to pick from I really shouldn't need pedals. However, I have a Monte Allums mod BD-2 that never really liked any of my other amps. It LOVES the Tourmaster. It has a really believable "tweedy" sound that I could never get before.
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Glad to hear things worked out with the tube change. I'm about to start using my TM 4212 for gigs and I'll probably go ahead and change out the tubes soon. Thanks for the heads up.

I can 2nd the fact that the TM loves pedals. It's great to have such diversity in an amp and be able to use your fav pedals on top of that.
 
Have you guys found a pedal to get a more 'modern-metal' vibe out of that 4th channel? (like many posters have already said here.....I love everything about the Tourmaster except the 4th channel)
 
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