New Mesa amp….off to amp tech

  • Thread starter Thread starter BRENTrocks
  • Start date Start date
BRENTrocks

BRENTrocks

Well-known member
I picked up this 1997 Boogie Rocket44 from a dude locally Sunday.

He said he has had it for many years and rarely played it.

I was rocking it today. Sounds amazing!!! But then I started experiencing volume loss and then it would come back. I shut it down right away.

I’m gonna take it to my amp guy and have it re capped. It’s 25 years old. Probably needs it.


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Shouldn't need re-capped at that age, but if it has sat around idle for years then it possibly does. Worst thing for a tube amp is to sit idle.
Maybe they can be re-formed?
 
dave74 said:
Shouldn't need re-capped at that age, but if it has sat around idle for years then it possibly does. Worst thing for a tube amp is to sit idle.
Maybe they can be re-formed?
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I was told by a retired tech on a Mesa FB page that this 6 pack of caps are near failure because of the fact the the edges of the plastic coating has shrunk.

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Those are great sounding amps, takes pedals amazing. I had to choose between this amp and a .22+ at the time, and I chose the .22+. I still love that amp but right now, I would probably take the Subway Rocket.
 
I would also swap in some preamp tubes....volume loss can be tube related, or the vol pot needs to be cleaned/replaced. Try those first before spending on caps. The loop, the jacks can get oxidation on them and will affect output vol...if you have deoxit or contact cleaner, put some on the plug and in/out the input jack, loop jacks...and clean the vol pot as well. This can also happen to pedals on your board too...I have a Decimator that occasionally needs the input jacks cleaned.
 
BRENTrocks said:
It does. What does it mean if that solves the problem?
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It can be the fx loop jacks are dirty. It is the easiest thing to try, so I always recommend that first.
If it still does it, then clean the preamp tube sockets. Spray alittle deoxit on the sockets and insert the tubes a few times. Also spray some on the gtr cable plug and inseet it into the input jack a few times.
If it still does it, then try the pots. Sometimes you can get lucky and just turning the controls 0-10-0 a bunch of times will clear it up. If not then ya gotta pull the amp chassis and try to get in there.
Doubt you need caps, sitting awhile oxidation creeps in usually.
 
Congrats on your amp

HN44D :cheers:

I've learned something new in this thread as I didn't know an idle amp is bad. Tubes and sockets as mentioned are always a good cheap start. Enjoy.
 
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You really have to give it up to Mesa.

They have a crap ton of different amps and designs in their lineup that are killer.

I love Marshall, but they do not offer new designs very often and when they do, it often pales in comparison to the offerings of old.
 
I recorded with a 44 in the 90’s, just at home demo stuff and it was just perfect for Offspring type, metallic punk tone, even though I wasn’t using it for that, it was what it instantly brought to mind.
 
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Racerxrated said:
I would also swap in some preamp tubes....volume loss can be tube related, or the vol pot needs to be cleaned/replaced. Try those first before spending on caps. The loop, the jacks can get oxidation on them and will affect output vol...if you have deoxit or contact cleaner, put some on the plug and in/out the input jack, loop jacks...and clean the vol pot as well. This can also happen to pedals on your board too...I have a Decimator that occasionally needs the input jacks cleaned.
Click to expand...
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!!

I pulled all of the tubes, sprayed Deoxit on the pins, worked the tubes in and out of the sockets six or seven times each. Then put all the tubes back in. Then I took an instrument cable and sprayed Deoxit on the end, and worked it in an out of all of the Quarter inch jacks on the amplifier.

Fired the amplifier back up, and played it for over an hour! Rhythm channel and Lead channel, at very high volumes!

NO VOLUME DROP!!!!

I’m so fucking happy!!!

Send me the consultation bill. Lol
 
Greazygeo said:
It can be the fx loop jacks are dirty. It is the easiest thing to try, so I always recommend that first.
If it still does it, then clean the preamp tube sockets. Spray alittle deoxit on the sockets and insert the tubes a few times. Also spray some on the gtr cable plug and inseet it into the input jack a few times.
If it still does it, then try the pots. Sometimes you can get lucky and just turning the controls 0-10-0 a bunch of times will clear it up. If not then ya gotta pull the amp chassis and try to get in there.
Doubt you need caps, sitting awhile oxidation creeps in usually.
Click to expand...
THANK YOU!!! For your help too!!!!
 
Glad it’s fixed, I was going to give the same advice already given…

Cleaning input, output and loop jacks is overlooked by everyone. I clean them along with my cable ends a few times a year. I just a Q-tip and alcohol.
 
Glad you got it working. I think you are fine with the caps, I usually target over 30 years for caps and in general new electrolytic caps are much better than the ones we saw in the 60s, 70s, etc.
 
BRENTrocks said:
I was told by a retired tech on a Mesa FB page that this 6 pack of caps are near failure because of the fact the the edges of the plastic coating has shrunk.

View attachment 197521
Click to expand...

For some reason I figured the Mesa contour circuit would be a much simpler fixed mid scoop like a twin T. To see that its an entire inductor-based graphic with fixed slider values is kinda wild.
 
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