software

I've been playing a Crate GFX-65T for about 4 years now. It's been a good amp - just about all I need. It's all SS - 3 channels - 1 clean and 2 overdrive - with 3 separate FX programs - with an onboard chromatic tuner.
I've been out of country for a couple of weeks - so I haven't played the amp for about a month.

Yesterday, I finished installing my new SD JB/Jazz pickups into my Washburn and was anxious to try them out - I plugged the amp in and started to tune the guitar using the onboard tuner.
Everything went well until about the 4th string and then 80% of the volume just died and the sound got real trebley (I was in the clean channel). I went to the rhythm O/D channels - same thing. I went to the lead O/D channel and it sounded okay.
I turned the amp off - let go completely down - fired it back up - played one note in the clean channel - it sounded the first part of the note then with a quot;popquot; died down again to 20%.
I suspected my new pickups - so I tried another guitar - the same thing. Then my son said he had the same problem earlier with his SG in my amp - he thought there was something wrong with his guitar.

What happened?

I'm assuming my amp is dead... I'm also assuming that since it is SS it can't be fixed (easily)... I am therefore assuming that I need a new amp.

I told my wife I would get some advice here - so first I need someone to tell me what happened to my amp and if 4 years is the expected life span of a Crate amp. It wasn't a really expensive amp - but we don't have a lot of descrecionary funds for stuff like this.

But I need an amp. So second - I need to know - should I stay away from Crate? What other amps should I be looking at?

Something between 50 and 100 watts seems enough for me - where I play, we are mic'ed and the sound guy likes to take control of my levels and gives me all I want through a monitor. I play mostly rhythm - but occasionally lead - so I need to have foot switchable channels.

Any suggestions?

And please, someone answer the first question, I don't want my wife to think I am buying a new amp just because I have GAS (I do, but that's not a good reason here).

Thanks for any help here,
Rick

(1) When I did this test last night, I had the backing plate off of my Washburn - my think was that it would be easier to fix if there were a problem. I replaced the plate later

(2) This morning, I checked my guitar on a practice amp I have - it worked fine. So I plugged into the Crate. I played for about 5 minutes with no problems. Culd be the problem doesn't occur until it warms up more???

I'm really at a loss here.

Rick

Well i can tell you when i got my Laney no sound would come through until it had been on for maybe 1-2 hours.. i think it had been sitting in a store for quite some time without being played. Its perfectly fine now, but it is a tube amp and not SS. I dont have a direct answer but hopefully that helps.

Thanks Suislide for the response...

I think I found the problem (I hope). I think it was a loose input jack. It's kind of weird since the jack is hard-fastened to the circuit board - but it seems the retaining ring actually tightens the contact clips in the jack. They were loose and making intermittent contact.

After I tightened up the ring, it was actually hard to get my plug into the amp - whereas before, I was concerned about it falling out it was so loose.

This seems like a quot;duh!quot; - but I've never seen a jack like this before. Anyway, a word to the wise to other Crate owners.

Thanks again,
Rick


Originally Posted by RW JamesThanks Suislide for the response...

I think I found the problem (I hope). I think it was a loose input jack. It's kind of weird since the jack is hard-fastened to the circuit board - but it seems the retaining ring actually tightens the contact clips in the jack. They were loose and making intermittent contact.

that's what it sounded like to me, either that or short in the lead!

Bad connections on the input jack are one of the most common problems with amps.