"Dude! You blew up my amp!" Stories anyone?

[hearmytrain]

While posting a reply to another topic, I thought about a stupid thing that happend to one of my all-time favorite amps. It was in the late 70s and my gigging rig was an Orange 120 tube head into a Hiwatt 4X12 cab...well, our (soon to be ex) roadie decided one night that it would be hilariously funny to play a joke on me by pulling the speaker cable out of the Orange while I was ripping a lead--with the amp going full tilt on about 8...ho ho ho...after we put the fire out and cleared the room of smoke, I recall not enjoying the extended break we had while Craig, (the now ex-roadie) was sent on one final mission to find an amp to use, and be back within 45 minutes, or face a similar death that my beloved Orange suffered...
Brad

[Ringo]

well mine isn't as exciting as yours but... back in the late 70's I had one of the BIG BF Fender 2 x 12 speaker cabinets, loaded with Jensens that were probably rated at what 25 watts each? I used it with a BF Bandmaster head.
Some buddies of mine took my gear to set up for a jam session, I went to meet them after I got off work.
Plugged in my amp and nothing happened!
Turns out that one of the guys had a Sunn Colliseum Lead head, about 300 watts, he had plugged that up to my Fender cab and FRIED my speakers.
I had them reconed, traded off the cab for a smaller one.
The guy never did make good on it, what a pal!

[The Actionman]

Peavey Classic 250 - mid-70's, loud and strong amp!
it was '85, I was in a pretty agressive (read PUNK) band, we were all underage and playing this underground club because we could get lots of paying suburbanites to show up. We were having a great set (completely subjective!) and were nearing the end of our frenzied set when I was struck with the great idea of kicking my amp over in the middle of a Townsend-styled windmill-of-fury power chord fit at full tilt volume...KA-BOOM! Flames, smoke and one hell of an appropriate punk-rock ending to our show. I threw down my cheap Japanese guitar and sauntered off stage snearing with a fist in the air, only to cry all the way home because my only amp was completely blown up and I cracked the neck on my guitar! (what a poser, I know)
Well, I never was sure exactly why this happened but after reading that first story I have some clue...
Sure wish I had that amp, but the memory may have been worth the price!!!
Kurt Cobain's got NOTHING on me!

[Admin]

Um, 1966-ish, playing a junior high school dance (not mine, but I was about that age). Had a Telecaster and my own Deluxe Reverb, but seeing as how this was a Big Gig in a big auditorium, I had borrowed another DR from a friend. I "knew all about" chaining Fender amps together. Yeah, right.

I ran a cord from the extension speaker out of my amp to -- you guessed it -- the front of the 2nd Deluxe Reverb. Well, for about two songs, it sounded *amazing.* Not good, just really amazing. Lots of high end screeching, interference, treble out the wazoo, and LOUD, LOUD, LOUD. Right up to the point where the 2nd amp started bellowing smoke out of the front AND the back, and then fried completely.

Result #1: I had no amp for awhile, so my friend could use mine while I was paying for his to be rebuilt. Result #2: I learned the expensive way that the correct way to chain Fender amps together is from front to front. Yipes. -- CS

[Bob Mc]

favorite so far:

Not good, just really amazing.

You guys are brightening a bad day for sure; more misery!

[rebelern]

Keep them coming,excellent what "not to do" messages

Ernie..

[Brad]

Back in 69 or 70, my buddy and I were just starting our first attempt at a band. I was 15 at the time, he was 16. In our lust for all amps large and loud, we found out that an older guy ( 21 ) down the street was willing to rent us his amps for a small fee over the weekend when his band was not playing. The first one we blew up was a Plush. Kinda like a poor mans Kustom. Had the rolled & tucked exterior. Solid state ( I believe ) with 150-200 watts and either 4 12's or 6 10's....can't quite remember. Anyway, we both plug into it and proceed to play every Creedence, Beatles, Johnny Winter, Alvin Lee song we know getting progressively louder as we go. By the time we got to Keep on Chuglin, the amp all the sudden got the coolest distortion sound I've ever heard then started billowing smoke from the back. We quickly unplugged, rolled it out of the garage onto the carport and waited. When the smoke cleared, we plugged it back in....nothing. The guy who owned the amp was amazingly cool. He was upset of course, but not at us. At the amp. He took it back to where he got it and came home with a Bruce amp in pretty much the same configuration. It was several months before we got the nerve to ask to use it. New years eve we rent it. We had been paryting pretty heavy. At midnight, we rolled the Bruce outside for a rousing rendition of Star Spangled Banner.....Hendrix version. Well, you guessed it. The Bruce blew bigger than snot. That was the last time he let us rent any of his equipment. The only other time I've blown an amp was in 1987. Our band is in the middle of the third set when I notice smoke spewing from the back of my Peavy Artist. It was due to poor wiring in the club. I was lucky enough to finish the night with a borrowed 65 Super Reverb.

[Ted M]

I was playing a wedding in LA and Larry Collins was there- he was well known as a young prodigy guitarist in the '50's (with the Collins Kids) and was a protege of Joe Maphis. He also wrote 'You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma'- he told me Dolly Parton had sued him, claiming that it was "Rocky Top' slowed down. Anyway he got up to sit in and used the other guitarist's rig. We were going to do 'Summertime Blues'. He yelled 'rock and roll!' and leaped across the stage, stumbled into my amp (a tweed Pro) and knocked it off the back of the stage- about a 3 foot drop! He didn't seem to notice (I think he'd had a few beers) and went into the song. My amp was smoking on its back behind the stage- half the tubes were smashed. He yells to me to take a solo, not realizing I was behind the stage picking up my trashed amp. After the song he apologized and told me he would pay for the tubes, but left before he did. Oh well... he did sound great even though I didn't get to play a note with him.

[bj]

... coz someone will knock it over. We were playing at one our first ever gigs, we were about 17 years old (30years ago). I hadn't learned this particular lesson yet. Of course someone,maybe even me - I don't remember, knocks it over and drink goes down through the top-mounted second input. Anyway the amp cut out immediately with a blown fuse. Tried a new fuse but it blew again straight away - there's still drink down inside the amp. Anyway I connect up to an empty PA channel and we try to mop up all the excess fluids during our breaks. Eventually we put a portable lamp with a 40watt bulb inside the cabinet. (why we had a lamp with us I don't know!). Anyway the awesome heat generated by that 40watt bulb finally evaporates the last of the drink and the amp works for the last set. Talk about "amateur hour" - we/I felt pretty uncool but it was a good lesson learn -bj
p.s. that same old 1960's amp is now being overhauled for me by a fellow TDPRIer. I hope to use it again after a 30+ year break. I won't be resting my drink on top!

[Poppatwang]

Felice & Beaudleux Bryant did. Larry must of been smoking
something too.

I was trying out for a band years ago. They had a
matching backline of EMC amps! Plugged in my guitar
with a Big Muff pedal. WAAANNNNNG-Pfffffft.
End of EMC. End of audition.

[Bill Ashton]

I tried to tell my son there were "Bruce" brand amps back-in-the-day...music store had one downtown, real narrow, thin head (solid state) with a big cab, maybe twin 15's...I remember it had a "funk" control on the panel...cool! When it got sold it was replace in the window by a Standel of about the same physical make-up.

And then there is EMC...again, son didn't believe me until he bought a complete EMC PA system...Gemini head, twin speaker columns (4 x 8") and factory covers...for $ 35.00! Its now the PA for his basement band, virtually mint condition.

Whatever became of EMC...or Bruce...or how about "Wilder"?

[Tremo]

This happened to a buddy of mine, Rusty Zinn, and I witnessed the whole thing. It was at a gig in San Jose. Everybody knows NOT to sit a beer on top of your amp. Particularly if the amp is a 1960 tweed Bassman. Rusty has a beer, looks for some place to put it, and sits it on top of the Bassman. You guessed it, the beer spills and goes inside the amp. Rusty nearly soils his shorts, and turns the amp off before any smoke comes forth. The band immediately takes a break, and I get summoned to the stage. Rusty is frantic..... I take the back off the Bassman and mop up the beer and crap with a towel as best I can. We let it dry for about 20 minutes, and I look it over and don't see anything burned or damaged. We plug the amp back in, turn it on, and it works. Rusty finishes the gig, being careful to sit his beer on the floor.


Another incident happened to another friend when we were in highschool. My buddy's garage rock band were practicing in one of the guy's front yard. The bass player had one of those old Wards Airline bass amps, it was totally open in the back. One of the guy's little brothers was there, along with his dorky friends. They decide to have a water-baloon fight. One of the baloons lands behind the Airline and water splashes on the hot tubes. Scratch a pair of RCA 6L6s and a 5U4. The kids were chased down and beaten by the band.

[Tweedie]

I did something back in the 80's that I think should never be done even though they are sometimes included on
amps. You know that auxilliary A.C. power connection
for additional A.C. powered accessories. Well, I was
playing a Woodson S.S. 100 watter (2x12) and plugged
in an Electro-Harmonics Echo-flanger into the back of
the Amp. Right next to the amp was a Takamine 12-string acoustic and almost **** my pants when the
polarity switch was on the wrong setting for this effect
setup. Sparks literally covered the Takamine Guitar
that luckily was in it's case with the Lid unlatched, but
over the guitar. This amp caused a circuit breaker to
trip it was so bad. You could hear,smell, and see the
Sparks! This was at someone elses Apartment.
I was like Sgt. Schultz--I see nothing, I hear nothing,
I know Nothing!!!!!!