my mesa is acting up!

[serviviente7]

Hey guys i was wondering if any of you could guide me to fixing my amp. I have a mesa 50 caliber + that just started acting up. The power fades then all the sudden it "comes" back. I am completely technical illiterate so i decided to ask! Where will you start troubleshooting? Any help will be appreciated...thanks!

[Austinrocks]

sounds like you need new power tubes, from the mesa site


Power Tubes:
• Low end response is not as clear and distorts earlier.
• You turn your amp’s master volume up to hear the level that
you are used to hearing.
• Eventually you will hear 'crackling' 'popping' sounds, often accompanied by:
• 'Swelling' volume levels.
• Buzzing.

Preamp Tubes:
• Hissing, 'shooshing'.
• Sputtering, 'grumbling'.
• Microphonic squealing (feedback type sound).
• Loss in signal in one or more modes of the amp (channel, reverb, fx-loop).
Back to Tubes


http://mesa.stores.yahoo.net/whattubtotub.html

[vds5000]

Originally Posted by Austinrocks

sounds like you need new power tubes, from the mesa site


Power Tubes:
• Low end response is not as clear and distorts earlier.
• You turn your amp’s master volume up to hear the level that
you are used to hearing.
• Eventually you will hear 'crackling' 'popping' sounds, often accompanied by:
• 'Swelling' volume levels.
• Buzzing.

Preamp Tubes:
• Hissing, 'shooshing'.
• Sputtering, 'grumbling'.
• Microphonic squealing (feedback type sound).
• Loss in signal in one or more modes of the amp (channel, reverb, fx-loop).
Back to Tubes


http://mesa.stores.yahoo.net/whattubtotub.html

+1. I had a similar problem with an amp in the past and it ended up being a power tube issue.

[serviviente7]

thanks guys!!!!

[Austinrocks]

Originally Posted by serviviente7

thanks guys!!!!

hope this fixes the amp.

[mvd18969]

A friend of mine has the same amp (head version) and has the same problem. He has had it in to a very good amp tech a couple of times and it still isn't right.

[Mike7]

More likely tubes than anything else, buy some Mesa tubes and see what happens.
I don't use Mesa tubes in any of my other amps but for my Mesa they work great. If you call Mesa they will tell you the ones to buy and they've called it right every time I asked them.

[jimmybcool]

I had a similar problem in a Mark IV combo. Power would drop so low that I went from playing at 2 master volume to 7 for the same level. Then it would come back. Not good. In my case it wasn't tubes. I had a local tech try to fix it. After a few months and I know he spent many hours on it and talked to Mesa techs, he threw in the towel.

We sent it to Mesa and voila - fixed. I suspect they replaced the entire amp head in the unit but I never even looked so it is just unfounded suspicion. And hey, it isn't like that would be anything wrong on their part so whatever.

The price was fair and turnaround was quick.

Try the tubes first. If that fails, and it is intermittent, it might be smartest to send it right to Mesa.