I think my ad 30TC is broken!!! I need advice!

whoodt · Post by **whoodt** » Mon Feb 17, 2003 4:05 am

Hi, I was wondering if any has had this happened....One day I turned the gain knob on my ad30tc head maybe a bit too fast and it went all wonky on me for a few seconds...then seemingly back to normal. When it went wonky, the volumn dropped significantly and some other stuff happened, I don't exactly remember. But I havent turned it up since then but today I did....it sounded VERY grainy and harsh, kinda like a cheap solid state amp....What happened to the smooth sound I once had? Even now an open A5 sounded harsh....I play it with a rather new Marshall 4X12 with greenbacks, and hooking it up to a marshall Jmp, it sounded awesome...But I cant say that with the Orange AD30tc. Anyone has any pointers? Do you think something fried inside?

Post by **bclaire** » Mon Feb 17, 2003 10:27 pm

maybe just a preamp tube. Try getting a couple of new tubes and replace them.

Post by **bclaire** » Mon Feb 17, 2003 10:36 pm

actually, try this. Shut the amp off- unplug it from the wall. Unscrew the metal tube retainers from the amp. Plug the amp in- turn it on. GET A PENCIL- wood only and gently tap each of the preamp tubes. If you hear something awful out of one or if it sounds like it's a microphone picking up the sound, then that's the tube you replace first...... after shutting the amp off, letting it cool down etc. When a preamp tube goes microphonic all kinds of weird sounds can happen. Billy

whoodt · Post by **whoodt** » Mon Feb 17, 2003 11:07 pm

Hey Billy, thanks for the advice...I'll give that a go. I actually did not know that, when pre amp tubes go, it can make an amp sound so harsh and solid state-ish. Oh it was unbelievable, and people were all looking forward to hear the Orange cos there just arent many of them kicking around. One interesting fact tho, is that supposedly, after the jam ( I left my gear there), he ran the head at 8ohms into a 16 ohm cab and it sounded much much nicer, much smoother and with low ends that it's supposed to have. I originally run the amp at 16 ohm into a 16 ohm cab and it sounded so horrible and there was hardly any lows. I thought, it couldnt make THAT much of a difference, if only a tube or 2 have fried?

Post by **bclaire** » Mon Feb 17, 2003 11:11 pm

Umm... it's really important to keep impedances the same between heads and cabs you know. 16 ohm cab has to go into 16 ohm speaker out, 8 ohm to 8 ohm, etc. Weird things can happen to output transformers if impedances aren't matched. Good luck... Billy

I think my ad 30TC is broken!!! I need advice!

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