NewAmpDay

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by 3notes

OP here reporting back.

I had lots of time this morning with the new Super Champ. The seller is sending me a return label. Here's what they are doing for me. They are sending a return label and paying for shipping. That's awesome in its self. They are sending me another Super Champ to try after they've received mine in good condition. The amp they'll send out is a step up from the Ragin Cajun to a Celestion g10 Greenback. I don't think the speaker has much to do with the issues I was having. I'm getting a 'better' amp at no cost to me. Sweetwater. I wasn't going to bring up their name but they are treating me right after I wasn't 100% pleasant in demeanor. Its just that I had no idea this happens. I know now and I'm really hoping the new amp is everything I know it can be.

I played the Gretsch through the Super Champ for a 1/2 hour this morning. I think I mentioned this in my other thread that the Gretsch sound through the Super Champ is award winning. I'm learning that better sound will make me a better player. I love that tube vibe. Sounds incredibly full. Well rounded. Better days are ahead.... Thank you Sweetwater.

That is good on their part! Wishing you luck on the replacement.

[egordon99]

Since you determined your Pacifica is busted, are you still having Sweetwater send a new amp?

[PTony]

Originally Posted by egordon99

Since you determined your Pacifica is busted, are you still having Sweetwater send a new amp?

More than likely they will have him just send the new amp back using the same RS label they’d sent for him to ship the original back.

[3notes]

Guys.... I just played the Gretsch through the new amp and it was amiss. Didn't sound good. Shifting the voice knob the tone was barely effected. So, I don't trust myself at this point. Something is wrong somewhere and it's going to take someone with experience to figure it out.

I'll add this though.... I will report back down the road. I'm not going to comment any further, here. I'll talk with Sweetwater Monday morning to tell them I'm considering taking both guitars and both amps to a reputable shop ONLY TO HAVE THEM LISTEN. Only one other person has heard the noise and my hearing was justified with that person. But I'm confused now. I can't figure if its the amp or the guitars.?? Burnt right out on this. All my fault. Fact is, I can't figure it so the 2 guitars and the 2 amps need to be tested. Or rather, heard.

I'll report back next week. No fun for me. I'm down. Nothing to play. What the heck.??............. Gives me a headache. Thanks everyone.

[3notes]

Originally Posted by egordon99

Since you determined your Pacifica is busted, are you still having Sweetwater send a new amp?

Please see my post above.

At this point I am erring away from another Super Champ. I might go onto a waiting list for a Yamaha THR 30 watt. It's about 50 bucks less than what I paid for the Super Champ so it feels more fair, to me. In otherwords, I might 'reject' the upgraded Super Champ and get a Yamaha amp.

All this is in limbo until I get to the bottom of the problem. Such a headscratcher.

[3notes]

OP reporting back ......

I went to a very good local tech and he tested the Champion 20 Fender amp with the Yamaha Pacifica. His first comment was "it sounds a little weak." He raised the humbucker by very little and raised the middle single-coil some. Nothing glaring and when I left I was convinced the little amp and guitar are in good working order.

I said to him.... "It's something in the house, isn't it.??" He shook his head both yes and no, then I said.... "I've seen it before."

Get this.... It's an older house in good working condition. My 'studio' is in a corner in the dining room. The kitchen, dining room and bathroom all have 3 prong plugs. The rest of the house appears to have all 2 prong plugs. After playing on the 3 prong for 10+ minutes, the sound goes bad. Yesterday I installed a 2 prong adapter and played for an hour with each guitar, Gretsch and Yamaha and I had no problems. Playing has been a struggle these last few days. No fun. Listening ever so intently. This morning I played for a half hour on a 2 prong outlet and I ended up slowly shaking my head no. I ended up not liking what I heard. Thats the 4th or 5th day in a row I had a guitar on and ended up shaking my head no. THAT alone convinced me that no matter the issue, the Super Champ needs to go back. Even if it checks out fine.

I spoke with Sweetwater and told them we will have an electrician come in and do some testing. I'll keep the amp until we got some results from the electrician.

Also through this, I lost all of my loops in the loop pedal, Boss RC-3. Even the preset backing tracks. I have all the files backed up and am trying to figure out how to get them from the computer back into the loop pedal.

I'll add this.... The new amp arrived last Friday. The night before, on Thursday, we had a sudden power outage in the neighborhood for about a half hour. I've been through 100 power outages in Maine where I lived my first 50 years. Never experienced any problems but Beth did remind me that we did have an outage the night before the amp arrived.

I just got word..... Electrician will be here tomorrow morning, 8:15am.!!

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by 3notes

OP reporting back ......

(Circuit troubles, other equipment glitches, power outages, reported by OP)

I just got word..... Electrician will be here tomorrow morning, 8:15am.!!

Is your real name Job by chance? This must be the reason we play acoustic guitar. Since your real life has turned into a series of mysterious trials you may want to invest 18 minutes into this Dada masterpiece from the Sixties


Firesign Theatre - Waiting for the Electrician

[3notes]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

Is your real name Job by chance? This must be the reason we play acoustic guitar. Since your real life has turned into a series of mysterious trials you may want to invest 18 minutes into this Dada masterpiece from the Sixties


Firesign Theatre - Waiting for the Electrician

Just keep making me smile. I haven't let out a laugh in 5 days.....

[Chickee]

Originally Posted by 3notes

Just keep making me smile. I haven't let out a laugh in 5 days.....

Here, I’ll make you laugh...
Hurry up and send that TWEED tolex Super Champ back to Sweetwater so I can call my rep there and get an open box price on it!

[3notes]

Originally Posted by Chickee

Here, I’ll make you laugh...
Hurry up and send that TWEED tolex Super Champ back to Sweetwater so I can call my rep there and get an open box price on it!��

It worked.!!! Still laughing. That's a good one right there sunny boy.... At this rate it'll be available for pickup Friday. Ha.!!

OP here reporting back ..... I have news.

This morning playing guitar on the new Super Champ I confirmed for myself that both guitars go sour after 15+/- minutes. This is day 5 and I'm still confirming for myself, time and time again, something is wrong.

Big News Here ...... The housemate who plays a flute soo pretty it's to die for stepped out for an hour. I hooked up the Gretsch and played for 15 minutes. The sound turned bad. Again. It happens around the 15 minute mark of playing. The new Super Champ Went Silent On Me.!! Truth. Profanity entered my mind. WTHeck.??? Yup, when the sound went sour I continued on simply to noodle with the strings, just sort of wait it out so to speak and observe. I hadn't done that. After the sound went bad I played an additional 5 minutes and it went SILENT. I have questions that you folks can answer.....

This is a 15 watt amp. How much power does draw.?? I'm thinking not a lot.

The amp has 3 tubes. They are well protected and hard to see. Even with a flashlight. The 3 tubes make a triangle. The one out back doesn't "light up" quite like the other 2. I'm seeing tiny red lights and the 2 tubes lights are 'stronger than' the one tube outback, so to speak. Just an observation but could it be a tube is not powering up properly, or, it powers up but fails when 'warm'.??

Another observation is about the volume of Channel 1 vs. Ch. 2. All along channel one has had super volume. I put it at 5 yesterday and it slapped me. Very impressive. Nice roaring. Pretty sweet. I could smell Fender all around me.!! I did a test. Let me just say, at the same volume setting on channel 1 and channel 2, there is a huge difference in volume. Channel 1 is twice as loud as channel 2. I noticed this yesterday.

Hey Chickee..... On your Super Champs, is the clean channel MUCH LOUDER than channel 2.?? At the same levels and settings. Same voice, #1(tweed) and no FX selected. It's off. Volume on Channel 2 is very weak in comparison. Is that normal.??

Electrician will be here first thing in the morning. I'll walk him around. Ask him.... What's Hapning Man.!! Cheers everyone.... It just keeps getting better. Sorry for any typo's. I've corrected 3 so far.

[Chickee]

What makes you think that #1 on the amp model dial in ch2 is the same amp as the standard clean fender in ch1?

It’s not, and it’s not going to respond the same to control settings. Turn the gain knob when you are in ch2 and see how loud the amp models become. Each will respond differently to volume and gain position. Just like real amps in the real world in real time.

Honestly, I think you are trying way to hard to find something wrong. Or this is just a catfish thread. OK, you got me!

And BTW-I wasn’t kidding about the open box thing...

[3notes]

Originally Posted by Chickee

What makes you think that #1 on the amp model dial in ch2 is the same amp as the standard clean fender in ch1?

It’s not, and it’s not going to respond the same to control settings. Turn the gain knob when you are in ch2 and see how loud the amp models become. Each will respond differently to volume and gain position. Just like real amps in the real world in real time.

Honestly, I think you are trying way to hard to find something wrong. Or this is just a catfish thread. OK, you got me!

And BTW-I wasn’t kidding about the open box thing...

I clearly understand all that. I was simply asking if the volume knobs respond the same way in both channels. Ya, I added in there that the FX was off. Maybe I got too wordy. That wouldn't surprise me. But hey, nothing even looks the same on day 6.

Let me add this. I'm not a total idiot. I've been saying all along.... Something Is Messed Up. Right now, I'm thinking the amp. It went silent on me. Um, there's your sign. It sound like crap after 15 minutes. There's your sign. It happens with both guitars. There's your sign. It sounds super musical, the tones I'm hearing..... IT ALL GOES AWAY.!!!

Any questions.??

[robj144]

I'd wait for everything to break in before I judge anything.... especially the speaker to break in which can take a fair amount of time.

It could be the speaker is not loose enough for the tonal range of the Pacifica but out of the box works with the Gretsch.

Give it a few weeks.

[gmr]

Have you checked your incoming line power for surges or sags? Not sure how tolerant amps are in terms of line power. Maybe your HVAC system is pulling line power down? Maybe the whole neighborhood has power sags as a result of an old power grid? The problem is truly weird.

[Yamaha Man]

I've got 13 guitars and 10 amps, from experience I can say every guitar and amp combo is different, There are many factors involved from pick up selection, to internal wiring, pots, capacitors, body shape and material, strings, even guitar cable, they can all effect the way a guitar sounds, so yes it's possible to have one guitar sound great while another doesn't.

I've been experimenting with many different brands of amps, and in my experience, Fender amps sound pretty good, but my Supro out shines them. If I could only keep one amp, it would be the Supro.