Orange Amps Forum

So quick back story, a local music store is closing down and they have an AD200B MkIII that was used as the backline for the Soundwave festivals for sale for $500 AUD (the RRP is over $3k).

Thug is, it's beaten up from being a festival touring rig and currently tube 1+3 are blown, along with the fuse and one HT fuse.

I am tempted to buy it and give it to my tech to repair as even if the repair bill was a couple of hundred, in the end I'd have a working AD200 for pretty damn cheap.

Do you guys think it could be repaired or is it a big risk?

OU818 wrote:So quick back story, a local music store is closing down and they have an AD200B MkIII that was used as the backline for the Soundwave festivals for sale for $500 AUD (the RRP is over $3k).

Thug is, it's beaten up from being a festival touring rig and currently tube 1+3 are blown, along with the fuse and one HT fuse.

I am tempted to buy it and give it to my tech to repair as even if the repair bill was a couple of hundred, in the end I'd have a working AD200 for pretty damn cheap.

Do you guys think it could be repaired or is it a big risk?

If the transformers haven't been damaged there is nothing else which should cost a huge amount of money to fix. However that is a little hard to tell if it isn't working properly...


Andy.

a.hun wrote:

OU818 wrote:So quick back story, a local music store is closing down and they have an AD200B MkIII that was used as the backline for the Soundwave festivals for sale for $500 AUD (the RRP is over $3k).

Thug is, it's beaten up from being a festival touring rig and currently tube 1+3 are blown, along with the fuse and one HT fuse.

I am tempted to buy it and give it to my tech to repair as even if the repair bill was a couple of hundred, in the end I'd have a working AD200 for pretty damn cheap.

Do you guys think it could be repaired or is it a big risk?

If the transformers haven't been damaged there is nothing else which should cost a huge amount of money to fix. However that is a little hard to tell if it isn't working properly...


Andy.

I managed to get it turned on and saw the working tube filaments start glowing but that's as much as I could get without new fuses and tubes. It seemed that it was powering up.

a.hun wrote: If the transformers haven't been damaged there is nothing else which should cost a huge amount of money to fix. However that is a little hard to tell if it isn't working properly...

Andy.

+1

If t were me, I'd want to check out a few things:
-Transformers were ok. Those aren't cheap.
-Printed circuit board isn't damaged from any burned components, arcing over the sockets, etc.

I'm not sure if the OE irons are available, but the Mercury Magnetics replacements are $300US-$400US each.

I'd go for it... sounds like for pretty cheap you could get into one sweet amp - with a cool backstory!

I'd go for it

You definitely want them to let you open it up and look for burnt or otherwise messed up stuff inside. As stated above, transformers are your biggest worry/potential expense.

I'm thinking at $500, even if a transformer is shot, you could move it along and get your money back if you don't want to repair it.

It sounds like a bargain.

Perhaps you can even haggle that down further.....
But even at that price, it sounds like a bargain.

If you don't buy it, I will.

and the shipping will be hideous....

As my mate works at the store I asked if I could come in and take it apart to inspect it.

He said that was fine so I will be going in today to check it out. If there is nothing obviously shot looking in it I think I will be buying it.

I guess my biggest dilemma then will be which amp to use, the AD200 or the OB1-300.

OU818 wrote:As my mate works at the store I asked if I could come in and take it apart to inspect it.

He said that was fine so I will be going in today to check it out. If there is nothing obviously shot looking in it I think I will be buying it.

I guess my biggest dilemma then will be which amp to use, the AD200 or the OB1-300.

To be honest, if something looks obviously shot, like a capacitor or else, it's even more a reason to buy it. Capacitors are pretty cheap, resistors too. The only expensive thing really are the trannies.

Les Paul Lover wrote:

OU818 wrote:As my mate works at the store I asked if I could come in and take it apart to inspect it.

He said that was fine so I will be going in today to check it out. If there is nothing obviously shot looking in it I think I will be buying it.

I guess my biggest dilemma then will be which amp to use, the AD200 or the OB1-300.

To be honest, if something looks obviously shot, like a capacitor or else, it's even more a reason to buy it. Capacitors are pretty cheap, resistors too. The only expensive thing really are the trannies.

I meant more along the lines of scorched circuit boards or melted transformer wiring.

OU818 wrote:
I guess my biggest dilemma then will be which amp to use, the AD200 or the OB1-300.

methinks you won't be that torn once you get it up and running and realize how enormous that amp can actually sound...

So I went and checked it out, forgot to take pictures though so sorry guys. I will once I pick it up in a few days (not able to carry that home on the Triumph).

We ripped the fuses out and replaced them with fresh ones from a new stock AD200. Switched on standby then cringed as we hit ON. Nothing popped or exploded.

Plugged in a bass and turned the volume up. IT WORKS!

All 4 power tube filaments started glowing nicely and there was no weird sounds or pops coming out.

I did notice that Tube 4 was getting significantly more blue than the others but that is about it. We turned it off as there was a bit of a hot smell coming from it, not exactly over the top but we were playing it safe. After that I decided to take the chassis out and check the board. Well, figured out the hot smell could be from the 2mm thick dust inside it. I have no idea how it was stored but it looks like it may have been underground. I checked the board and couldn't see anything wrong. R17 which I think is Tube 3 grid resistor looked a little off colour but that's it.

The only other issue I noticed was that it looks like it has been hit into something as the faceplate's right top corner was slightly bent inwards and I could see where it had hit against the transformer. I am assuming somebody walked into a door whilst carrying it as it doesn't look dropped (no tears or dents in the wood around that section).

In the end I didn't even haggle as we both knew that $500 was a steal considering it probably just needs a basic service and 4 new power tubes.

I kind of regretted buying the OB1-300 yesterday now however as I got a bit of a bargain on that as well I can either keep it for smaller gigs or when I don't want to lug a heavy head around.