Fix an amp before selling? Or sell it as 'Needs Work'?

K2000 · Post by **K2000** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 6:23 pm

I have a spare amp which, in my excitement, I overpaid for on Ebay ("auction winner"). Turns out it was never used very much, and was a "guest amp" at the jam spot. Mostly idle. The last time I used it, I blew a fuse which always indicates something is up. I just wanna get this amp out of here - I hate sitting on gear that is unused. It's like psychic clutter to me. I dunno what's wrong with the amp or how much it will cost to fix it. Paid: 399 pre-recession (plus shipping). Resale value post-recession: 250 to 350 on a good day, when functional. If I take it into the shop, it's a loose commitment to repair it (unless it's a really expensive repair).

Help! I'm not smart!

WWJD?

Plush P1000S with vintage Mullard preamp tubes (which may be the cause of the problem, who knows?). 100 watt tube amp, Fender clone I guess. Black "Tuck & Roll" cosmetics. Check my math:

$400 Ebay plus $150 repair, minus $300 sale price = $250 loss

$400 Ebay versus $150 "Fixer Upper" sale price = $250 loss

rfurtkamp · Post by **rfurtkamp** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 6:57 pm

Tube amps blow fuses sometimes as a matter of course, especially depending on what was in it previously - was it the *right* fuse?

That's important, especially if it requires a slo-blow or something equivalent and it didn't have it. Most of the used, older amps I've seen over the years have the wrong fuse in them.

Spend a buck and see if it's the fuse or not before worrying further.

sylnau · Post by **sylnau** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 7:03 pm

Fix before sell.
Personally, I would never purchase a broken amp.
I always need to try first.

Uncle Grandfather · Post by **Uncle Grandfather** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 8:40 pm

agree check the fuse and make sure it has correct tubes and they are seated properly, there are some tube substitutions so check and make sure its got the right tubes in it. check the wiring there might be a short that blew the fuse. that's all i can think of other than going over the amp yourself. just be honest in your ad if you sell, or get it fixed and have a new amp

i wouldn't buy a non working amp either....too many variables.

terminator · Post by **terminator** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 9:18 pm

if it sounds as good as the royal bass, fix it

Chankgeez · Post by **Chankgeez** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 9:23 pm

terminator wrote:if it sounds as good as the royal bass, fix it and keep it.

fix'd

AxAxSxS · Post by **AxAxSxS** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 9:40 pm

yeah thats a killer am there. If you decide to sell it broken, pm me first.
It's very possible that its just a tube thats bad. of course it could also be suffering from needing a recap. Do you know if any work has been done on it in the past? Going from memory that should have 12ax7's and I think one 12au7 in the pre, and 6l6's in the power section. Maybe you or a friend has an amps you could pull tubes from and check it with? Fuses are really cheap at radio shack.

Gone Fission · Post by **Gone Fission** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:41 pm

There's a limited market for broken amps: optimists, the handy, and taxidermists who will gut the dead amp and stuff something new in the carcass. If you want a faster flip and can go out of pocket on the repair, repaired may go faster.

Holy Schnikes · Post by **Holy Schnikes** » Sun Dec 29, 2013 12:24 am

Fix it if u wanna sell it for anywhere near current market value. Nobody wants to buy broken amps.

K2000 · Post by **K2000** » Sun Dec 29, 2013 2:09 am

AxAxSxS wrote:yeah thats a killer am there. If you decide to sell it broken, pm me first.
It's very possible that its just a tube thats bad. of course it could also be suffering from needing a recap. Do you know if any work has been done on it in the past? Going from memory that should have 12ax7's and I think one 12au7 in the pre, and 6l6's in the power section. Maybe you or a friend has an amps you could pull tubes from and check it with? Fuses are really cheap at radio shack.

That seems right… There's 7 preamp tubes in there. There's an extra tube because it has a Reverb section, which a previous owner bypassed for a Master Volume mod. (I didn't find the master mod all that inspiring, but just my opinion). A new knob on the faceplate, looks professional. I could return it to stock pretty easily I was told, but that knob's always gonna be there…

GAS exceeded my needs, so the amp sat around for a while, which I guess is bad for tube amps.

I don't wanna slug another fuse in there and sell it, I don't think that would be ethical, it needs to be evaluated first.

I have three amps that need work.

rfurtkamp · Post by **rfurtkamp** » Sun Dec 29, 2013 2:18 am

Stuff a fuse in it, see if it fixes it. They blow.

If it survives basic testing, then leave it on for a few hours. If it survives that, leave it on overnight.

Let it cool a couple days.

If it powers up and runs for a while after that, you're probably fine.

Or pay a tech to pop a fuse in there, tell you to come back if it experiences further problems, charge you $65 for the bench time.

Chankgeez · Post by **Chankgeez** » Sun Dec 29, 2013 2:19 am

K2000 wrote: I have three amps that need work.

Like all my amps need work and I've got a lot more than three.

K2000 wrote: There's an extra tube because it has a Reverb section, which a previous owner bypassed for a Master Volume mod. (I didn't find the master mod all that inspiring, but just my opinion). A new knob on the faceplate, looks professional. I could return it to stock pretty easily I was told, but that knob's always gonna be there…

So, is it a 1000R?

Even though these amps are great platforms for modding because they're based on Fender circuits, that mod's gonna knock down your asking price a bit. Honestly, I'd just either repair it and keep it or sell it to someone like AxAxSxS who knows more or less what they're getting going into the deal.

AxAxSxS · Post by **AxAxSxS** » Sun Dec 29, 2013 2:43 am

Chankgeez wrote:
K2000 wrote: I have three amps that need work.
Like all my amps need work and I've got a lot more than three.

K2000 wrote: There's an extra tube because it has a Reverb section, which a previous owner bypassed for a Master Volume mod. (I didn't find the master mod all that inspiring, but just my opinion). A new knob on the faceplate, looks professional. I could return it to stock pretty easily I was told, but that knob's always gonna be there…
So, is it a 1000R?

Even though these amps are great platforms for modding because they're based on Fender circuits, that mod's gonna knock down your asking price a bit. Honestly, I'd just either repair it and keep it or sell it to someone like AxAxSxS who knows more or less what they're getting going into the deal.

Yeah that's a shame they did that. those things have a nice reverb too! Thats some extra work to fix back to original. Bummer. Honestly? I would recommend you keep it, Buy a decent soldering station, build a discharge tool, then open it up and break your amp fixing cherry. they are not that complicated, point to point wiring, (easiest to work on IMO YMMV) and really do sound killer when fully functional. I have 2 Earth G-2000's in the house and a Plush that my bassist might be buying thats here on loan for him to try out. they all sound great. Both of my Earths were purchased in not working or semi working condition, and came back to life with a simple re cap job and some new tubes.

A note on amps in general. If you have extras, pull them out and fire them up every once in a while. It's kinda like a car, if it just sits it will deteriorate.

Those Plush and earth amps are one of the few great amps left that are under the radar and don't command huge prices. You should hold onto it and enjoy it.

Edit: not to say I would not be interested if you decide to get rid of it for cheap!

Sardocasm · Post by **Sardocasm** » Sun Dec 29, 2013 4:03 am

Definitely fix it first. You'll sell it way faster.

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