PRS SE 30 issue....

[John Millette]

My PRS SE30 has been working famously since I purchased it in 2015. It is not the only amp I have but is my favorite with a 4-12 Ampeg cabinet. Recently the output went into the mud with barely a sound coming from the amp. I reseated all the tubes but no improvement at all. I figured I got my moneys worth from the original tubes so I replaced all 8 of them but guess what? Not the problem! I'm not the go-to guy when it comes to tube heads. I checked all fuses - 2 on the board, one screw in (typical fuseholder), and the one in the a/c cord connector - all checked out. I did read something about the reverb wiring but I was not fiddling with those wires. Like I said one day when I turned on the amp there was nothing except a faint sound. Any suggestions would be most welcomed. I have a fair amount of soldering experience and can replace components on a PCB board.
Thank you!
~J

 

[andy474x]

Bummer! I had one for a while, sold it, but only because I liked it so much that I went for some more, similar PRS amps and it was redundant. Often wish I had kept it.

Anyways, sorry, not familiar with anything causing that kind of issue. Have you checked your guitar, instrument cable, speaker cable, pedal board, etc etc.? Still could be the amp, but you know, dotting the i’s and all.

If not one of those things, I would keep swapping tubes one by one, and see if you discover anything. Beyond that, you could be looking at a transformer or some smaller component in the circuit, but I would say the likelihood of that is lower - not impossible, but lower. If that’s the conclusion you come to, probably time for a tech to take a look.

 

[AP515]

I had an SE50 that had some funny things start to happen similar to yours. I also thought it was a tube. Turned out to be a resistor. No idea if you have the same thing. Good luck.

 

[John Millette]

Bummer! I had one for a while, sold it, but only because I liked it so much that I went for some more, similar PRS amps and it was redundant. Often wish I had kept it.

Anyways, sorry, not familiar with anything causing that kind of issue. Have you checked your guitar, instrument cable, speaker cable, pedal board, etc etc.? Still could be the amp, but you know, dotting the i’s and all.

If not one of those things, I would keep swapping tubes one by one, and see if you discover anything. Beyond that, you could be looking at a transformer or some smaller component in the circuit, but I would say the likelihood of that is lower - not impossible, but lower. If that’s the conclusion you come to, probably time for a tech to take a look.

Hi and thanks for your note and yes every possible thing was checked (i.e. cables, guitar, spkrs, etc). I'll post what I find when the problem is resolved

 

[John Millette]

I had an SE50 that had some funny things start to happen similar to yours. I also thought it was a tube. Turned out to be a resistor. No idea if you have the same thing. Good luck.

Hi and thanks for your note... a resistor huh? do you recall if it was burnt or obvious signs of failure? A previous post suggested it may be time to have a tech check it, on the hunt for one now in central New Hampshire...

 

[Tahlee]

If you call PRS customer service they may be able to recommend someone in your area.

 

[AP515]

Hi and thanks for your note... a resistor huh? do you recall if it was burnt or obvious signs of failure? A previous post suggested it may be time to have a tech check it, on the hunt for one now in central New Hampshire...

I didn't do it. I had warranty time left so I shipped it to PRS. They found it. I do remember there was no burned smell so no obvious sign of failure. You, or the tech, will have to ohm it out.