Heartbreaker Problems

Okay. I have several Boogies and for quite awhile have been playing mostly my Lone Star and Express. I went to fire up the Heartbreaker Combo and I'm getting no sound. I havent turned it on for at least 6 months. Here is whats happening. I turn on the power wait a bit then clicked it off standby. There was a slight bump when I flicked the stand by switch but no sound. I reached over and wiggled the master volume and for a second got an intermittent sound almost tremolo like then nothing. I lightly tapped on the top and same thing. It stuttered for a quick second then nothing. If fact any slight tap to any part of the top of the amp or front control panel results in a quick intermittent sound then nothing. Almost like a short. I'm definitely not a tech. Any ideas what this could be?

almost always a tube problem, usually preamp. also the pots will get corroded when not used and require an occasional spritz of contact cleaner. use the kind without lubricant as it tends to get gummy inside the pots.

You might also try a patch cable from the Send to the Return jack.
I've seen quite a few Send jacks go bad after a long period of not being used.

Monsta-Tone said:

You might also try a patch cable from the Send to the Return jack.
I've seen quite a few Send jacks go bad after a long period of not being used.

Click to expand...

+1.

My HB has a funky loop jack as well. Insert a cable and jumper it as mentioned and see what happens.

I'm a bone head. Got into the back of the amp to check the tubes and run a patch on the effects loop as suggested and noticed one of the wires had come loose on the left speaker.

Thanks to everyone who responded. Luckily it was just my lack of attention to detail and not something major.

Brent

Just for the record, especially for Andy (Monsta-tone), this Brent who put up this post, is not me. LOL!!!!

Brent Babow

Yea, man... it sounded like a tube problem to me... I have had a similar occurrence happen to my Fender... once I pulled out the pencil, I figured out which preamp tube it was, and boom. Found the problem. If you have a problem, it's more than likely a tube. Though, for you it wasn't, just for the future, do what you did. Look for every detail. Have phun