My amp chugged a beer!

[Robboman]

So last night at practice a full, open bottle of beer fell and poured directly onto and into my tweed Bassman! :food-smiley-004: My guitar cut out immediately, mid song. The beer was on a shelf above the amp in the drummer's garage, his kid ran past and knocked it over.

I took off the back panel, it looked like beer poured thru the pots, jacks, across the board and straight into the preamp tube sockets. Some even dripped into the Hotplate I have mounted between the speakers. Damn! The transformers, rectifyer and power tubes all stayed dry.

We fired up an air compressor, blew everything as dry as we could. Then I fired 'er up, waited a few minutes for tubes to heat and flipped the standby switch to ON.... There was sound, but only about 10 - 20% of the volume it should have been. Over the next 3 or 4 minutes, the volume gradually came back up to normal. We kept on jammin!

Despite vast numbers of open beverages over the years, this has NEVER happened to me before! Will my amp be OK? Can I trust taking it to the next gig? Are the pots gonna be wrecked or just sticky or what? Do I need new 12ax7s?

[Hamm Guitars]

I used to use a pruduct called "Big Bath" to clean sticky circuit boards that were dowsed with beer or (even worse) coke. I'm not a tube guy, so I'm not sure if it is safe for your components (tube sockets, paper caps) but it definately worked for me on power amps and mixing consoles.

It comes in a 4 liter jug and you pretty much just imerse dirty stuff in it and let it soak a bit. You can put the whole chasis in if you test it on the painted parts first and make sure that the caps are discharged.

I used to have an aquarium full of the stuff with a circulation pump.

[Robboman]

Well, the amp made it thru two nights of service at a pub gig and it sounded the same as ever. Aside from some sticky tweed, I think it's OK.

[dwagar]

and it now has that "I've been gigged hard" smell to it too!

[shoretyus]

and it now has that "I've been gigged hard" smell to it too!

Or rode wet and put away hard :wave:

[GuitarsCanada]

One more question? Is the kid still alive?

[Adicted to Tubes]

Hey Rob,
Was it at least a good brand of beer?


www.claramps.com

[Robboman]

Lol..

1). The amp HAS been gigged hard, so it smelled funky before. The new beer aroma blends in quite nicely.

2). The kid is fine... I couldn't catch the little bugger. :banana: He was out the door and halfway thru the yard by the time I turned around to see beer all over my amp!

3). At the time I was pretty upset over my sudden loss of beer, but it was only a Moosehead. I'm sure my amp would have preferred a Sleeman or a Keith's Red..

[Adicted to Tubes]

I think the biggest problem you have is drinking cheap beer.
I have a solution for you:I'll build you a new amp that's hermetically sealed.:food-smiley-004:


www.claramps.com