Heartbreaker cut out after I played for five minutes

I bought a Heartbreaker from someone on Craigslist. Everything looked and sounded good to my unpracticed eye. I took it home and started to play and turned up the volume a little. After about five minutes, the volume cut out. There's still a faint sound coming from the speakers. For a few minutes, the sound would gradually come back and then cut out again. Did I blow a tube? When I feel the tubes, two of them are fairly hot, while the other two are relatively cool. The single driver (?) tube is also fairly hot.

Thanks for any input . . .

you could have a bad tube. could be any one of them. -or- your effects loop jacks are dirty. to check this, place a jumper cable into the send and return jacks. if the sound returns, the jacks need cleaning. use electrical contact cleaner on a plug and work it in and out of the jacks to clean any crap that has built up over time.

Thanks. I'll try it.

Hey that's my story, but I got 20 minutes outta mine. I'm thinkin you know this but 60 watts runs 2 power tubes and 100 watts runs 4 which could explain the temp difference. Any way, I took mine to a tech who charged $40 to replace a pre-amp tube, I wish I could tell you which one for sure ( I think it was v1) or the farthest to the right looking in from the back. Hopefully, and most likely that the problem so don't freak out yet. There are some very knowledgeable heartbreaker people on the board that will probably be along shortly cause I shorly ain't one of em. I took mine to a tech for a tube.




Man either you 2 post quick or I type really slow. No replies yet when I started this. Also didn't think to suggest patching between the FX send and FX return. And I just had that fix a cut out problem yesterday ( Different amp though ).

OK. I ran a cable between the FX jacks. That immediately brings the amp back to life. When I disconnect it, the amp starts cutting out after a few seconds. Is this evidence that the FX jacks are dirty? Doesn't seem intuitive that that I would great sound running the cable between them if they were dirty . . .

I don't have any contact cleaner (and given the shopping frenzy out there I might not get any today. Is there any reason I can't just run the amp with a cable between the FX jacks?

I know what you mean I felt the same way. I just had, and fixed, the same problem as you're having with fellow B/Board members help help. READ THIS http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=66018

jmeckes said:

OK. I ran a cable between the FX jacks. That immediately brings the amp back to life. When I disconnect it, the amp starts cutting out after a few seconds. Is this evidence that the FX jacks are dirty? Doesn't seem intuitive that that I would great sound running the cable between them if they were dirty . . .

I don't have any contact cleaner (and given the shopping frenzy out there I might not get any today. Is there any reason I can't just run the amp with a cable between the FX jacks?

Click to expand...

The fx loop is part of the signal chain. Over time, the jacks with nothing inserted will have crud build up (dirt, grease, smoke, moisture, corrosion). This affects the signal flow.

No problem. Just use a short jumper cable until you can clean the jacks. ( I use one all the time on mine ) When you are able to obtain some contact cleaner (you could use lighter fluid or alcohol), put some on the cable end and work it in and out of the jacks multiple times to clean them.

Generally, the loop's return jack is a switching type that won't be easily cleaned by inserting a plug with cleaner on it (unless there is so much on the plug it just happens to work its way into the contact point, and that is not recommended...could leave a mess inside the amp).

Sometimes just inserting the plug multiple times may break corrosion on this contact enough to start working. If not, it may well have to be cleaned from inside the amp.

A word of caution: I would not attempt to open the amp yourself unless you are sure you know what you are doing. The good news is that it is an easy procedure for a technician (or a friend that knows how).

Good luck.