[Frag|LE-]

Hi I recently ebayed a working guitar amp and it was damaged during shipping. Unfortunately UPS doesnt think it was packed well enough and wont pay the insurance claim. I am fairly good with electronics and would like some help fixing it. The amp uses tubes and the damage desciption is "when you turn on the amp all you get is a loud humming sound. we took it to a guitar shop and they said it was probably the power amp because when you turn any of the knobs nothing happens. there are no fluctuations of any sort."

What could be wrong? Im still waiting for the amp to be shipped back. Ill see what physical damage has been done when it gets here.

 

[Xander]

Tube amp? Loud humming sound? Sounds like a tube got knocked out of it's socket.

 

[bozebuttons]

UPs accepted the package and the insurance money. I suggest when you get it back put in another claim for the damage as you where the insurer. Ups tries to blow you off the first time around, be persistent
and you should get paid.

 

[Xander]

Quote:

Originally posted by bozebuttons UPs accepted the package and the insurance money. I suggest when you get it back put in another claim for the damage as you where the insurer. Ups tries to blow you off the first time around, be persistent and you should get paid.

And the fourth and fifth... I had to literally harass UPS to get insurance money for a rediculously abused package with a integrated amplifier I had sent to someone for a sale. They actually filed a police report on me because I called so many times. Took almost three years to get my ****in' money.

 

[jeffreyj]

Quote:

Originally posted by Frag|LE- .... The amp uses tubes and the damage desciption is "when you turn on the amp all you get is a loud humming sound. we took it to a guitar shop and they said it was probably the power amp because when you turn any of the knobs nothing happens. there are no fluctuations of any sort."...

So a guitar shop said it was "probably the power amp" at fault? That's like saying "the ocean" when someone asks you where the fish are biting.

Ok, a loud humming sound but no other activity. Of course, the first guess is that a tube got knocked loose, but that would truly take some awful abuse. A better guess is that you've got a classic grid-to-cathode slump where due to mechanical (or thermal) damage, these two elements, which shouldn't even so much as hold hands in public, are now as cozy as two newlyweds in the honeymoon suite. The plate is rarely involved in such shenanigans, but if it is, it'll let you know by glowing bright red and coaxing the power supply to shoot off some fireworks in impromptu celebration. More specific candidates would be a bad rectifier tube, if it uses tube rectifiers - the possibility of a bad silicon rectifier is vanishingly slim; broken connection to the volume control pot; small band of djinn causing mishief at your expense.

Vis-a-vis UPS (and other common carriers) - insurance is always a joke with these people. You are much better off putting your faith into whatever deity suits your fancy because it will take an act of god to get your money back from them. I once shipped an iPod to an eBay buyer in Canada and 6 weeks later the poor guy hadn't gotten it. Well, when I ask the post office to reimburse me they say, among other bs, that the insurance is only for damaged items. I ask, well what about items that just "disappear", likely into the hot little hands of one of your employees (you have to declare the contents on international shipments, so its like waving a big flag: steal me, I'm an iPod!). I am told, oh, you'll have to wait 90 days before you can even file a claim and if it is honored it usually takes 6-9 months?!

Moral of the story: don't buy insurance because it is worth absolutely nothing.