Umm... I um... blew up my Champ last night....

trag-o-caster · May 7th, 2004, 01:13 PM

... I know, I know - I was asking for it. I'm not bummed out - actually I've been kinda smirkin' about it since last night. Champs are a cheap fix, so I'm not worried.

There was no flames, no smoke - just great tone - then silence.

And it sounded FABULOUS right before it went down too!

My Morley JD-10/Dan-Echo combination got me through the rest of the gig without any trouble. I really like the sound of those Morley boxes!

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. When I fix 'er up, I think I'm gonna build/find a bigger cab to put the Champ chassis in along with the 10" speaker. A bigger cab should put out a little more bottom end.

Until then, I guess I'm back to the Lab Series amps for awhile....

Ben Harmless · May 7th, 2004, 01:34 PM

I have deep respect for you to admit that. :D

Ah well, it'll be a fun project to resurrect the little beast.

eryque · May 7th, 2004, 02:45 PM

Man, I had a bad feeling that this was going to happen after you posted about it. It just sounded too good to be true.

e-merlin · May 7th, 2004, 02:56 PM

Well, on the positive side, now you know just how far you can push it!

trag-o-caster · May 7th, 2004, 05:03 PM

Ah, no big deal. I just won another Morley JD10 off of ebay today. Can't have too many of those. This makes #3 for me!

Tim Swartz · May 7th, 2004, 05:41 PM

You probably just toasted your 6L6. 6L6s run very hot in 6V6 circuits.

stantheman · May 7th, 2004, 06:57 PM

RESPECT...
Trag, You boldly went where no one went before 8) .
I too would put in a new 6L6, 5881, KT-66 before droppin it at the shop.
Y'know from the way you described it....Maybelle change
out the 5Y3 first.

trag-o-caster · May 7th, 2004, 08:26 PM

Welp, after it died, I looked 'round the back and all looked well except for the rectfier tube, which had a weird glow to it.

Then again, the bassist mentioned that it smelled like a transformer. My sense of smell is almost non-exsistant.

No biggie. It'll live again someday. I'll blow up again shortly afterward!

Red Planet · May 7th, 2004, 10:46 PM

You gotta set baby!

RWB · May 8th, 2004, 10:04 AM

Hopefully you'll get your Champ up and running again. I like your comments about the Morley JD-10. Thought I was the only one who used them!

David Rolling · May 8th, 2004, 11:08 AM

...that's the thing about old Fender amps, they often seem to sound their very best just before they blow. I remember seeing Danny Gatton up here at the Jazz Fest. 3 nights of FREE outdoor concerts (the middle 1 was rained out, so we just sat under the stage talkin' Teles) and he was using an old brown Vibrolux (mic'ed) on a kitchen chair. His tone just got dirtier & dirtier as the amp warmed up and he'd end each set just before smoke started comin' out back. I'm sure the Champ will be a cheap, easy fix. There's hardly anything in there except pure unadulterated tone...

I snagged a JD10 cheap some years back & find many tones in that little box equalling or surpassing today's "state of the art" digital modelling. DI'd into the house PA they can be a real life saver.

trag-o-caster · May 8th, 2004, 12:50 PM

I LOVE those JD-10's!!! So much so that a few years ago I was playing through one into a funky old Peavey Bandit 65's clean channel. Once, in my living room, I set up my tube amps, and the JD10/Bandit combination, and compared them side by side. I wound up preferring the JD10/Bandit combo. For a long time I was running two Bandits until I blew them up.

I'd really like to get ahold of one of them Tech 21 Power Engine powered speaker cabs to run the JD into.

Tubes? Who needs 'em?!?

Lance · May 8th, 2004, 02:02 PM

Say Trag....why 3 JD-10s??? I'm not getting it.

stantheman · May 8th, 2004, 02:13 PM

Your Bandit/JD-10 setup sounds a lot like my '78Classic/
GT-2 setup...Did You ever try it with a Les Paul Std?
Mine sounds better at "The Bluebreaker" thing than the
Reissues. I'm gonna see if I can find me one at a yardsale/fleamarket...are they rare?

trag-o-caster · May 8th, 2004, 03:07 PM

Cuz ya just can't have too many of 'em!

Truth is, I don't think they're the most reliable things out there. The pots are pretty questionable. The treble control on one of my units has been sheered right off. I learned a lesson on that one - DON'T PUT THEM ON THE FLOOR LIKE A STOMPBOX! One wrong move of your foot and those stems on the pots will break right off. I keep it on top of the amp (if I use it in front of an amp).

My "good" JD I'll sometimes have to smack real hard with my hand to get it to work right. I plan on getting both units gone over and working right. It'll be nice to have three of 'em around though - cuz ya just never know.

May 7th, 2004, 01:13 PM	#1 (permalink)
trag-o-caster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Flushing, Michigan Posts: 4,631	Umm... I um... blew up my Champ last night.... ... I know, I know - I was asking for it. I'm not bummed out - actually I've been kinda smirkin' about it since last night. Champs are a cheap fix, so I'm not worried. There was no flames, no smoke - just great tone - then silence. And it sounded FABULOUS right before it went down too! My Morley JD-10/Dan-Echo combination got me through the rest of the gig without any trouble. I really like the sound of those Morley boxes! Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. When I fix 'er up, I think I'm gonna build/find a bigger cab to put the Champ chassis in along with the 10" speaker. A bigger cab should put out a little more bottom end. Until then, I guess I'm back to the Lab Series amps for awhile.... __________________ Timothy Jon Lamb

May 7th, 2004, 01:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ben Harmless Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Albany, NY US of A Posts: 3,375 12 Photos	I have deep respect for you to admit that. :D Ah well, it'll be a fun project to resurrect the little beast. __________________ "I think I'll go for the life of sin, followed by the last-minute, presto-change-o, deathbed repentance." - B. Simpson

May 7th, 2004, 05:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
trag-o-caster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Flushing, Michigan Posts: 4,631	Ah, no big deal. I just won another Morley JD10 off of ebay today. Can't have too many of those. This makes #3 for me! __________________ Timothy Jon Lamb

May 7th, 2004, 06:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
stantheman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: White Mountains Posts: 5,071	RESPECT... Trag, You boldly went where no one went before 8) . I too would put in a new 6L6, 5881, KT-66 before droppin it at the shop. Y'know from the way you described it....Maybelle change out the 5Y3 first. __________________ Somebody Loan Me A Dime

May 7th, 2004, 08:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
trag-o-caster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Flushing, Michigan Posts: 4,631	Welp, after it died, I looked 'round the back and all looked well except for the rectfier tube, which had a weird glow to it. Then again, the bassist mentioned that it smelled like a transformer. My sense of smell is almost non-exsistant. No biggie. It'll live again someday. I'll blow up again shortly afterward! __________________ Timothy Jon Lamb

May 7th, 2004, 02:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
eryque Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: albany, ny [not chicago] Posts: 7,241 44 Photos	Man, I had a bad feeling that this was going to happen after you posted about it. It just sounded too good to be true.

May 7th, 2004, 05:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
Tim Swartz Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Michigan - Tweenst the Great Lakes Posts: 1,904	You probably just toasted your 6L6. 6L6s run very hot in 6V6 circuits.

May 7th, 2004, 10:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
Red Planet Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: North Georgia Posts: 421	You gotta set baby! __________________ RC Cola and a moon Pie!

May 8th, 2004, 10:04 AM	#10 (permalink)
RWB TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 19	Hopefully you'll get your Champ up and running again. I like your comments about the Morley JD-10. Thought I was the only one who used them!

May 8th, 2004, 11:08 AM	#11 (permalink)
David Rolling TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 96	Awwww shucks... ...that's the thing about old Fender amps, they often seem to sound their very best just before they blow. I remember seeing Danny Gatton up here at the Jazz Fest. 3 nights of FREE outdoor concerts (the middle 1 was rained out, so we just sat under the stage talkin' Teles) and he was using an old brown Vibrolux (mic'ed) on a kitchen chair. His tone just got dirtier & dirtier as the amp warmed up and he'd end each set just before smoke started comin' out back. I'm sure the Champ will be a cheap, easy fix. There's hardly anything in there except pure unadulterated tone... I snagged a JD10 cheap some years back & find many tones in that little box equalling or surpassing today's "state of the art" digital modelling. DI'd into the house PA they can be a real life saver.

May 8th, 2004, 12:50 PM	#12 (permalink)
trag-o-caster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Flushing, Michigan Posts: 4,631	I LOVE those JD-10's!!! So much so that a few years ago I was playing through one into a funky old Peavey Bandit 65's clean channel. Once, in my living room, I set up my tube amps, and the JD10/Bandit combination, and compared them side by side. I wound up preferring the JD10/Bandit combo. For a long time I was running two Bandits until I blew them up. I'd really like to get ahold of one of them Tech 21 Power Engine powered speaker cabs to run the JD into. Tubes? Who needs 'em?!? __________________ Timothy Jon Lamb

May 8th, 2004, 02:02 PM	#13 (permalink)
Lance Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,197	Confused.... Say Trag....why 3 JD-10s??? I'm not getting it. __________________ Lance "not very good...but I make up for it by playing loud"

May 8th, 2004, 02:13 PM	#14 (permalink)
stantheman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: White Mountains Posts: 5,071	Hey Trag... Your Bandit/JD-10 setup sounds a lot like my '78Classic/ GT-2 setup...Did You ever try it with a Les Paul Std? Mine sounds better at "The Bluebreaker" thing than the Reissues. I'm gonna see if I can find me one at a yardsale/fleamarket...are they rare? __________________ Somebody Loan Me A Dime

May 8th, 2004, 03:07 PM	#15 (permalink)
trag-o-caster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Flushing, Michigan Posts: 4,631	Why 3 JD10's??? Cuz ya just can't have too many of 'em! Truth is, I don't think they're the most reliable things out there. The pots are pretty questionable. The treble control on one of my units has been sheered right off. I learned a lesson on that one - DON'T PUT THEM ON THE FLOOR LIKE A STOMPBOX! One wrong move of your foot and those stems on the pots will break right off. I keep it on top of the amp (if I use it in front of an amp). My "good" JD I'll sometimes have to smack real hard with my hand to get it to work right. I plan on getting both units gone over and working right. It'll be nice to have three of 'em around though - cuz ya just never know. __________________ Timothy Jon Lamb