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Re: PRF Members Tech Journal
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2023 3:00 pm
by thecr4ne
thecr4ne wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 1:59 pm
Disagree. RE-20's are easy to come by in GOOD condition for ~$300 if you're patient. The element itself is like $250 and you can get an ugly working one for that or less. I have 4 (one is dead) and the most expensive was $220 tax and shipping
included. I ordered new foams from Bosch 'cause they all needed it, but it's an easy enough thing to DIY. If the mic itself was a good deal (see: Free) when you got it, this is a decent investment I suppose, but I absolutely HATE that the cost to repair is greater than the cost of a complete functional unit on the used market. I'm not really precious about that new car smell though...
Shit the element IS $350 now. I can see how the $300 total cost is a better deal than that, but...fuck.
Re: PRF Members Tech Journal
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2023 8:15 am
by Tom Wanderer
I paid $175 for my RE20 10 years ago, it was already at least 25 years old then. I replaced the foam myself. It worked great until it didn't. I'm no stranger to repairs, but the only solution to this issue was replacement of the element. Which, yeah, I could have hunted around and gotten a used element with no guarantees for something like $250 and then spend the tedious few hours on a full disassembly and replacement. Or, yes, I could also have bought another used one for $300. But for the same price I could have mine made as new by the manufacturer. For me, this was a no brainer and well worth the money.
Re: PRF Members Tech Journal
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 2:27 pm
by tallchris
I decided to replace the rubber feet on my V4-B as they had basically disintegrated/worn down to tiny knubs, barely what you would call feet at this point. Ordered a set from Fliptops, and got a chance to get down to the practice space last night to change them out.
Turn the amp over, start trying to unscrew the old feet and I could barely get a grip on the screws. Each screw was COMPLETELY full of 50 years of grime and dirt and who knows what the hell else before I got this 17 years ago.
Was at the space, so kinda limited in what I could use to clean up the screws, so I dripped, uh, hand sanitizer on the top of each screw, and started scraping out as much gunk as I could, then put a screwdriver in the right place and tamped it down with a hammer to get a proper grip. Was able to get all four out JUST barely without completely stripping the screws.
Dug around some parts stuff at our space and found three new woodscrews that would fit, and used the old screw that got the least grimmy/stripped, and got the new feet on. Stands about an inch higher now on the cab!
Re: PRF Members Tech Journal
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 2:32 pm
by twelvepoint
Ampeg also had those dumb square drive screws for the back panel and stuff. I had a V4 that was very fucked up and replaced caps, tubes (KT-88s) and faceplate. Thing fucking roared but I never used it and sold it a couple years ago.
Re: PRF Members Tech Journal
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 2:55 pm
by tallchris
twelvepoint wrote: Fri Jan 27, 2023 2:32 pm
Ampeg also had those dumb square drive screws for the back panel and stuff. I had a V4 that was very fucked up and replaced caps, tubes (KT-88s) and faceplate. Thing fucking roared but I never used it and sold it a couple years ago.
The back panel on mine is somehow held in w/ wood screws, yes into the metal chassis. I think I might have actually done that, since I had to buy a replacement back panel when I bought mine, and I likely didn't know the difference between wood and metal screws!
Re: PRF Members Tech Journal
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 4:34 pm
by tommy
twelvepoint wrote: Fri Jan 27, 2023 2:32 pm
Ampeg also had those dumb square drive screws for the back panel and stuff. I had a V4 that was very fucked up and replaced caps, tubes (KT-88s) and faceplate. Thing fucking roared but I never used it and sold it a couple years ago.
Those hexagonal drive screws are so dumb. If you hate them there, don't replace the speakers in a V4 cab, because each speaker is held in by 8 of those bad boys! 32 super fun screws. Luckily I had a nut driver the correct size.
Re: PRF Members Tech Journal
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 5:25 pm
by Dr Tony Balls
twelvepoint wrote: Fri Jan 27, 2023 2:32 pm
Ampeg also had those dumb square drive screws for the back panel and stuff. I had a V4 that was very fucked up and replaced caps, tubes (KT-88s) and faceplate. Thing fucking roared but I never used it and sold it a couple years ago.
They're called "clutch drive". Basically hourglass sorta shape. They very much suck if you don't have the right size/shape screwdriver. They also mostly suck even if you do. I'd feel free to replace them at whim.
Re: PRF Members Tech Journal
Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2023 1:15 pm
by llllllllllllllllllll
I bought one of those screw drivers for Ampegs from fliptops long ago
Re: PRF Members Tech Journal
Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2023 6:24 pm
by llllllllllllllllllll
Audio Technica AT4060
Great mic I bought a while back
Had a little noise I could see on the daw but couldn’t really hear. I probably should have returned it at that point
Now that thing spits out so much white noise you can’t use it. I replaced the tube with a NOS Amperex and it’s still doing the same thing.
Someone on the internet recommended keeping it in tupperware with silica packets. I found a couple and tried it for the hell of it, but its still doing the same thing. I’ll reach out to Audio Technica next week as I’m not sure what else I can do other than just sending it in
RIP Tom Verlaine!!
Re: PRF Members Tech Journal
Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2023 7:41 pm
by losthighway
^ I sent a mic into them once. It wasn't the cheapest thing but it wasn't the most expensive either. In a value of unit vs cost of repair ratio I imagine your 4060 will fair a little better than my 4047 did.