shimmilou
Member
That would be three lemons, so far. 
racerevlon
Active member
There's something going on. The odds of getting a bad Hughes & Kettner are slim at best, so if that amp had issues and now you've gone through three Egnater amps I'm gonna say it's not the amps. You have a power problem or something else systematic that is damaging the amps.
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bubs_42
New member
I'm not saying they don't go down by any means. I'm shipping mine out today for a warranty repair work. But three amps? I am also sure that the tech that will work on mine will be able to determine "What is bad" and "What could have happened". A failed part ok, but some things that get fried, jolted, or cook can be explained. If I owned the shop and the 2nd amp came back to me, I would have just given you your money back or exchanged it for a different brand plus or minus $.
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mrguano
New member
bubs_42":hcoqfp84 said:
The problem cannot be with my equipment or power supply. The shop and my Tech agree on this. These amps seem to be having an intermittent sound failure and the only thing we can put it down to is that they are not responding well to being transported. When one of the amps was returned to the shop most of the sound had come back. When it was sent there was hardly anything audible. We are all at a loss. Nothing appears to be 'fried' inside these amps. Nothing even appears to have worked itself loose. It's a mystery.
xzyryabx
Well-known member
My money is on smth in your setup/home affecting something in the amps, tough to figure 3 amps from the same batch and another unrelated amp going bad....just my two cents
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Roddy
New member
Sounds like it could be part of a production run with some faulty parts or bad solder joints.
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epi355
New member
mrguano,I appear to be in the same boat.I purchased a rebel 30 combo from MF back in June.The first one was DOA.I sent that unit back to Musicians Friend and they sent me back a second amp.After playing this amp the first time I was blown away by the tone that i was able to achieve. After about a week the unit started blowing fuses.To make long story short i sent that unit back( against my better judgment) yesterday and ordered a third amp.I hope the third times a charm. Musicians Friend have been great to deal with.I hardly ever give something like this three chances but I really want to love this amp. Maybe Bruce can enlighten us a little on maybe whats going on.
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mrguano
New member
epi355":1nusfhvd said:
Let's hope so because I've become paranoid and I'm living in fear of it going at a vital moment. I'm being filmed soon with my band and I don't want to ruin it because of an amp failure!
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mrguano
New member
Thought I'd update this Tweaker thread with a cautionary tale about the perils of amp-buying. Following my last post, some three Tweaker 40 combos in, I got through two more with two different problems. I can't remember what happened to the fourth one I was sent, but I remember that the fifth one was fine for about three months before mysteriously failing to turn on twenty minutes before a gig. No lights. Nobody home.
This was enough for me finally to give up on them. I went back to the store (costing me £50 in fuel) and they plugged me in to a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe - which then proceeded to have a reverb failure. Red-faced they found another one and the manager tested it out in front of me: it too had the same reverb issue; seriously embarrassed, the manager promised to do me a good deal on a Fender Supersonic. He gave me a £1600 Strat to test it out with. So there I was in the sound booth plugged in to the most expensive amp I'd ever tried and holding the most expensive guitar I'd ever touched. I tried the clean channel and it was warm and gorgeous as I'd expected. I hit the gain channel and it sounded surprisingly heavy. I thought I could smell dust burning. I carried on and the smell got worse. Then I noticed smoke coming out of the back of the amp! The thing was about to set the store on fire! I fumbled for the off-switch and stumbled, dazed, out of the booth. The staff were crestfallen as they beheld on of their prize amps in plumes of smoke having blown a valve.
No other Supersonic could be found. They did me a reasonable deal and promised that they would get one shipped to me pronto. So I left empty-handed and confused. Continued in the next post...
This was enough for me finally to give up on them. I went back to the store (costing me £50 in fuel) and they plugged me in to a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe - which then proceeded to have a reverb failure. Red-faced they found another one and the manager tested it out in front of me: it too had the same reverb issue; seriously embarrassed, the manager promised to do me a good deal on a Fender Supersonic. He gave me a £1600 Strat to test it out with. So there I was in the sound booth plugged in to the most expensive amp I'd ever tried and holding the most expensive guitar I'd ever touched. I tried the clean channel and it was warm and gorgeous as I'd expected. I hit the gain channel and it sounded surprisingly heavy. I thought I could smell dust burning. I carried on and the smell got worse. Then I noticed smoke coming out of the back of the amp! The thing was about to set the store on fire! I fumbled for the off-switch and stumbled, dazed, out of the booth. The staff were crestfallen as they beheld on of their prize amps in plumes of smoke having blown a valve.
No other Supersonic could be found. They did me a reasonable deal and promised that they would get one shipped to me pronto. So I left empty-handed and confused. Continued in the next post...
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mrguano
New member
So..having finally received a new Supersonic 22 combo and being assured it was thoroughly tested out for problems before being sent to me, I un-boxed my new baby. Not a good start: the footswitch was still shrink-wrapped. They hadn't tested that then. They hadn't even noticed that they had failed to supply me with a cable to connect it. Worse was to come when I turned the amp on. The reverb was dull and unresponsive, not lush and overwhelming on 10 as it should be. I then got serious 'reverb feedback'. There was something wrong with the reverb on this one too.
I phoned the store and sent the manager an e-mail that made it clear just how disappointed I was. He promised to get me another one and to personally check it out himself and put extra packaging in the box. Guess what? Another reverb issue straight out of the box. So, I thought I would change things up again. I had loved the Egnater tone but I was too scared to get another combo. I asked them to send me a Rebel 30 head and 112 cab. Should arrive tomorrow. I've already had a look at potential issues and I'm a little sceptical and paranoid now. After all, that's seven or eight faulty amps in a row now. I'm just going to persevere with Egnater until I get one that works consistently. It doesn't seem to matter what make of amp I buy, I always get the faulty ones. Is this some kind of record?
I phoned the store and sent the manager an e-mail that made it clear just how disappointed I was. He promised to get me another one and to personally check it out himself and put extra packaging in the box. Guess what? Another reverb issue straight out of the box. So, I thought I would change things up again. I had loved the Egnater tone but I was too scared to get another combo. I asked them to send me a Rebel 30 head and 112 cab. Should arrive tomorrow. I've already had a look at potential issues and I'm a little sceptical and paranoid now. After all, that's seven or eight faulty amps in a row now. I'm just going to persevere with Egnater until I get one that works consistently. It doesn't seem to matter what make of amp I buy, I always get the faulty ones. Is this some kind of record?
shimmilou
Member
At some time in your life, did you insult a Gypsy or something? 
Reminds me of the character "Bad Luck Schleprock" from the Flintstones.
Have you ever had any amp that didn't give you problems?
Reminds me of the character "Bad Luck Schleprock" from the Flintstones.
Have you ever had any amp that didn't give you problems?
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mrguano
New member
Yes, I had a Fender Blues Junior. Oh, wait: that used to pick up Polish radio stations...
shimmilou
Member
I have a BJr, 7 or 8 years, and a HRDlx, 14 years, both very reliable. My Twkr 40 has blown the power tranny twice in less than a year!
When I lived near the interstate, I would periodically hear truckers on their CB radios through my HRDlx. I have heard many stories of radio interference with amps, and I have even picked up songs on the stereo when I get my guitar too close to the stereo. Did you ever hear the Hendrix concert where the police radios would come in on the recording? I think that the guitar or cable is actually what picks up the signal though.
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mrguano
New member
shimmilou":1a5bsva6 said:
I have a BJr, 7 or 8 years, and a HRDlx, 14 years, both very reliable. My Twkr 40 has blown the power tranny twice in less than a year!
When I lived near the interstate, I would periodically hear truckers on their CB radios through my HRDlx. I have heard many stories of radio interference with amps, and I have even picked up songs on the stereo when I get my guitar too close to the stereo. Did you ever hear the Hendrix concert where the police radios would come in on the recording? I think that the guitar or cable is actually what picks up the signal though.
I used to pick up somebody playing bass with a wireless system when playing in a particular rehearsal room (with a Blues Junior). It was like we were playing with two bass players. Took us a while to figure out what was going on!
racerevlon
Active member
This is too many failures to be coincidental. Are they doing something foolish like running the amps on 220 (UK) but have the amps set to 110 (US) power?
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mrguano
New member
racerevlon":2ki11mpj said:
Nope. It's kind of like the luck you need to win the lottery, only in reverse. The shop says that they rarely have a problem with Fender stuff but Egnater returns are about 5%. That is fairly normal according to them. I guess I keep making the 5%.
Keith Johns
New member
The big problem with Egnaters in the UK is GUITARGUITAR. I got mine from Sounds Great, Rebel 30 - Died, replaced with a Renegade, 1st one the wooden shell was wonky and the metal amp housing was all bent, 2nd one looked like it had been dropped in transit with a transformer out of place, 3rd one I've had for 18 months and blown some tubes and the internal 20db FX Loop switch doesn't work. Sounds Great have been really good but GG have been less than shit to be honest and I think SG have given up selling Egnater, The Renegade's the best amp I've ever had in 25 years playing, would I get another Egnater......sadly no.....GuitarGuitar are worse than Dawsons lol. I think if you get one that works it will last like a tank. Find yourself a good amp repair shop, it sucks but they will be quicker than sending the amp back to GG under warrenty.
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mrguano
New member
Keith Johns":3jp8egm1 said:
Not sure how much blame to give the shop and how much to give to Egnater. It's sad that quality has to suffer in order to facilitate mass marketing.
Keith Johns
New member
As long as problems get sorted they are only small. I had a Blackstar Series One 100 for 18 months with a problem, the amp went back to Blackstar 3 times and each time came back not fixed. When the Series One came out Blackstar were giving a 3 year warranty with the amp and after a year they did not want to accept it back, good job I make copy's of everything. Blackstar were a pain in the ass to deal with and on the Blackstar forum all my posts have been strangely deleted and not just mine, all the posts, how crap is that. Bruce is coming on this forum and trying to help, who does that these days. Things go wrong, but how hard is it to check amps before the shop posts them out, thats just stupid when they will have to pay to get the amp back and then to do it again to you. Bruce has never seen your amp but he is trying to sort you out, it's his name on the line. GuitarGuitar are the importers and it is they who should be sorting you out, not Bruce. It's GuitarGuitar that are just selling boxes. If GuitarGuitar were doing a better job as the UK importers you would have been sorted out by now and not being brushed off. I gave up on the Blackstar and got the Egnater, after 18 months I lost £400 on the Series One trading it in. Send your Tweaker back and get your money back, end of problem.
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mrguano
New member
Keith Johns":2us3jcxk said:
I'm not aware that Bruce is 'trying to sort me out'. I've never heard a thing from Bruce. I don't expect to. It's the shop's problem. At the moment I am trying the Rebel 30 head with a 112 cab. I'm not sure about it. It's too loud for bedroom practicing and the 30 watt to 1 watt feature is misleading: it doesn't enable you to play quietly. Also the tube mix is good, but what if, like me, you would like to use the EL84's to play clean and the V6's to play with distortion? You can't switch between them with the footswitch. The reverb doesn't work with my Carl Martin Octaswitch. Ideally, I would have liked three channels. But hey, I've had this for three days and it hasn't broken down yet!