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Author Topic:  Need help with a tube amp issue. " Fixed"
Dennis Brown

 

From:
Gowen, Mi. USA
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2019 4:40 pm    
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I bought a Traynor ycv50 blue, two channel tube amp.
Here is the issue. when I switch from the dirty channel to the clean, it takes nearly a full minute before the clean channel comes alive.
I just got this amp today so, I don't know the previous history.
It sounds good after the clean channel snaps and eventually comes alive. Tubes?

###### Problem was fixed. It was a relay ######
Thank you all for your help.


Last edited by Dennis Brown on 3 Aug 2019 3:22 am; edited 2 times in total
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Steve Sycamore

 

From:
Sweden
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2019 11:10 pm    
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Very likely so. I have a set of vintage power tubes that strangely extend the attack time of notes into the seconds range, at least until they're fully warmed up and broken in. That effect is exaggerated between the high and low gain channels.
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 2:11 am    
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I don't think a bad tube would cause that. It sounds like the clean channel tube is being turned on or off and it takes time for the tube to "power on". It would be different if this is the case but what it sounds like.
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Dennis Brown

 

From:
Gowen, Mi. USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 2:37 am     Tube amp
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Jack, that's about how it reacts. The clean side, doesn't even turn on untill I hit the channel select button. Thats a bummer waiting for the tube to warm up. Any idea why this would happen?
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 4:31 am    
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Most of the "modern" guitar players want the overdrive and rarely use clean. Since the clean side isn't always used powering it on only when needed would save the tube. This is a "far fetched" theory but only thing I can think of.
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Benjamin Davidson

 

Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 5:05 am    
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Do you have any sound through the normal channel during that pause, or is it just silence? Does the amp do the same thing switching between clean to dirty?

I'm looking at the service manual, and dont see anything where the tube is powered off when not in use. There is a relay that controls switching channels (common method now to avoid popping. That may not be your issue though.

Further this amp isnt an all tube design - the reverb, boost, and effects loops circuits are solid state.
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Brian Hollands


From:
Geneva, FL USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 5:12 am    
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Their schematic is too modern for me to read well but the tube heaters are always on so there is no warm up time between channels. Looks like this amp uses relays in the channel switching so I'd guess a bad relay (K1 on the schematic I think) would be the more likely culprit
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ajm

 

From:
Los Angeles
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 7:03 am    
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Does it do this when you first power it up?
Or has the amp been on for a few minutes?

When you first power the amp up and after warm up, does it default to the clean, or dirty, channel?

When this happens, if you cycle the footswitch a few times does it then work like it should?

Is there a way to select channels from the front panel WITHOUT the footswitch plugged in? (I looked, and yes there is.)
Unplug the footswitch and try it.
Does it work now?
If not, what about if you press it on/off a few times?

Just as a totally dumb flock shooting swinging wildly suggestion:
Try cleaning the switches in the footswitch.
Clean the jack for the footswitch in the amp.
And also clean the front panel channel select button.
(This may or may not be the problem, depending upon the answers to some of the previous questions.)
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 8:03 am    
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Looking at the schematics, the filament power is applied to all the tubes, so my original theory is out.

There are a couple of engineering updates (jumper wires) that are installed to update the board. They don't say what they are for but I would check or have it checked (and installed) if not already installed.

There could also be a flakey capacitor causing the problem.

Maybe why the seller sold it???

Manual and schematics:
http://traynoramps.com/downloads/servman/sm_ycv50blue.pdf?v=1
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Dennis Brown

 

From:
Gowen, Mi. USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 8:40 am     amp issue
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I appreciate all the replies. This is going on without a footswitch hooked up. I'm switching from the panel. It happens "when ever" I switch from the dirty side to the clean. Hot or cold.
It does not happen going clean to dirty. This morning the clean side didn't want to come on at all, I slapped the top of the amp it came on. I guess I'll take it to the tube doc.
Thanks again.
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Michael Butler


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 8:58 am    
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just as a quick easy test--pull each tube partially out and reset it a few times. if that doesn't work, try swapping the preamp tubes one at a time and then the power tubes. make sure the amp is off and the tubes are not hot enough to burn you, so you may want to use a towel.

good luck.

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Brett Lanier

 

From:
Madison, TN
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 9:34 am    
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Since you say you just got it, I'd look into returning it if that's possible. New Traynor amps are nothing like the old ones. I'm a tube amp guy for the most part, but still I think a classic solid state peavey steel amp like a nashville or session 400 will sound better than a new Traynor.
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Dennis Brown

 

From:
Gowen, Mi. USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 9:52 am     amp issue
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Michael, thanks, I tried your suggestion, no luck.

Brett, thanks, The Traynor is for my lap steels. I use a NV400 for pedal steel. The Traynor is a early 2000's.
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Jim Kennedy

 

From:
Brentwood California, USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 10:09 am    
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If the relays are plugg in swap them if they are the same. I was an old school radio technician in the navy in the mid 70's. All tube Korean war vintage land based 40kw transmitters. Lots of relays that caused all kinds of problems. Swapping common parts was one way to quickly trouble shoot this 50's vintage equipment.
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Benjamin Davidson

 

Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 5:42 pm     Re: amp issue
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Dennis Brown wrote:
I appreciate all the replies. This is going on without a footswitch hooked up. I'm switching from the panel. It happens "when ever" I switch from the dirty side to the clean. Hot or cold.
It does not happen going clean to dirty. This morning the clean side didn't want to come on at all, I slapped the top of the amp it came on. I guess I'll take it to the tube doc.
Thanks again.


With that data point of slapping the amp to work, sounds like you can start the tech on that relay (K1). Its good the company posted its service manual, most dont.
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Dennis Brown

 

From:
Gowen, Mi. USA
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2019 7:53 am     tube issue
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I agree Benjamin. Thanks all.
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Michael Brebes

 

From:
Northridge CA
Post  Posted 21 Jul 2019 6:58 am    
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Looking at the schematic the only real culprit for your problem would be relay K1. Nothing else could or would react that way.
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ajm

 

From:
Los Angeles
Post  Posted 21 Jul 2019 8:02 am    
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If the hunches of others who have posted are correct, if it's K1 it could be the relay itself, or it could be a bad solder connection to the PCB.

It looks like the solder traces are on the underside of the board and are not easy to get at.
From what little I have been able to dig up on the internet, any ICs and relays and similar components are solder directly to the board and do not use sockets.

Good luck, and let us know what the final fix is.
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Dennis Brown

 

From:
Gowen, Mi. USA
Post  Posted 21 Jul 2019 1:22 pm     amp issue
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Thanks Michael and Ajm. I will let you know the outcome.
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Steve Sycamore

 

From:
Sweden
Post  Posted 22 Jul 2019 5:53 am    
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Some other possible problems:

Bad connection across R17.
Bad connection across R18. There are 300 volts on one side. Don't come near this unless you're a tech!!!

Since there is some signal coming C24, R21, R22 and R23 are less suspect. Or is there no sound in channel 1?

Do the tone controls have an effect when the sound is low?
Do the Bright switch and Volume control have an effect?
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