# Bluesfest amps



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Once again, I'm the backline technician for The Ottawa Bluesfest. It's interesting from a Technician's standpoint, to see stuff fail under "abnormal" conditions. (i.e. extreme heat, extreme duty and most often, extreme volume).
First casualty was opening day Wednesday when a brand new SVT Classic stopped working. I finally got to it yeaterday and found it working normally apart from it being slightly underbiased. When I looked at the control panel I was surprised to find the master at 10 and the gain at about 7! Fortunately the thermal kicked in...
As you might guess, this kind of mistreatment keeps me kinda busy for the duration. I will update with new amp catastrophies as they occur:smile:


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Thanks nonreverb...this is a great idea for a thread.

I have often wondered what variety of tech issues arise during festivals.

Cheers

Dave


----------



## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

I can't imagine how loud that must have been. Are you sure this isn't a rock festival?


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

WCGill said:


> I can't imagine how loud that must have been. Are you sure this isn't a rock festival?


That's one of the regular complaints from folks: that "blues" content has largely been reduced over the years.

Last year, I and others were attempting to listen to Richard Thompson, when the interesting-but-needlessly-loud wanking of Dweezil Zappa kept overwhelming the more intimate sound setup of the Thompson show. I would not wish to be the recipient of the look he gave.

I'd be curious to know if the heat-related malfunctions are related to which stage the performer is on. At least one of the stages faces due south, right into the sun, while others face north or are shielded from summer rays by the War Museum.

Other than that, just about every act needs to have a 4-pole highpass filter on their setup with a rolloff starting around 80hz. The crowd doesn't hear it, but those poor buggers living a kilometer away only get the *sub-bass*. And that content, on its own, is neither appealing nor musical.

Given the number of concurrent shows, I'm curious as to whether there are any musicians who might normally use a wireless but stick to a cable just to avoid confusion among receivers. I am reminded of the famous scene in Spinal Tap where Nigel Tufnel picks up control tower transmission from the nearby runway; something which I imagine was likely inspired by real events.


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

nonreverb said:


> When I looked at the control panel I was surprised to find the master at 10 and the gain at about 7! Fortunately the thermal kicked in...
> A/QUOTE]
> 
> Really a musician treat someone else's stuff with out care?


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

A quick update before I turn in for the night...The SVT conked out again...V1 toasted. Replaced it and now it works fine...so far. Same stage-different amp. Hot Rod Deville right out of the box sounding like shit. One tube had been installed....with pin 7 bent flat against the tube socket...mystifies me how some of these things pass QA...anyhow more to come...


----------



## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

I understand that an Ampeg SVT at 10 is pretty loud 

But I would have expected the amp to be able to take it. Lots of people play with their amps dimed. Is this a case of improper ventilation (like the amp is in a head road case) or something similar?


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

pattste said:


> I understand that an Ampeg SVT at 10 is pretty loud
> 
> But I would have expected the amp to be able to take it. Lots of people play with their amps dimed. Is this a case of improper ventilation (like the amp is in a head road case) or something similar?


The amp's brand new...possible problems are:

1. bounced around during shipping
2. bounced around while still hot during striking from the stage
3. Sovtek 6550's
4. Master @ 10 + number 3

The amp is not in a roadcase and the ambient air temperature outside was about 23 Deg.
This problem is usually is due to power tubes...replacing the stock tubes solves the problem...however there are 7 SVT CL's on site this year. I replaced the dreaded SVT4PRO's with them...yes they can blow tubes but it's much easier to replace a tube than have to replace the whole amp when it fails.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

...latest installment...pretty easy day amp-wise. Only one HR Deville 410 with a bad preamp tube...hopefully the rest of the evening will be trouble-free


----------



## Guest (Jul 12, 2009)

I'm surprised. I figured the humidity would have killed a bunch of stuff.


----------



## Gene Machine (Sep 22, 2007)

*kuul*

thhanks for the info. this is really interesting.

Can you tell us some of the major manufacturers that are represented in the backline? Obviously Fender. SVT is an Ampeg bass amp, right?

Any sign of Traynor or Peavey? Any solid state amps?

cheers.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

The manufacturers represented from Steve's Music are Ampeg, Fender and Yamaha. This is the basic backline. Above and beyond that, it get's a little complicated. Steve's will provide extra backline beyond the basic stuff including various Keyboards, Marshall and Roland products. For acts that Steve's cannot backline, Coll audio in Toronto is contacted to provide for them. I also source backline from my own supply and from other small backline businesses in Ottawa. 
There is a lot of negotiation required with some acts as providing all their requirements can be a daunting task. I like to call it the 80/20 rule...80 percent of my time is spent on 20 percent of the bands.


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

How is the Hammond rentals this year?


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

I have 4 here this year Pat...2 B's, 2 A's andthe Wurlitzer.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Only one amp problem today. JW Jones a local blues guitarist from here in Ottawa had a bad preamp tube in his Vibroking amp. Fixed it with 1/2 hour to spare before his set.


----------



## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

I've also noted a few lapses in QC from the big manufacturers. Blues at the Bow, a local blues venue that brings in international artists, recently bought 2 new Super Reverbs for backline. They sound better than they should considering they have Jensen P10R reissues in them. I had the pleasure of biasing them both, should be a snap with those fancy Groove Tubes right?
One wasn't bad, the other had current measurements of 45ma and 72ma. If you chose 2 tubes out of a box, you wouldn't get them further apart. Really Fender!


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

WCGill said:


> I've also noted a few lapses in QC from the big manufacturers. Blues at the Bow, a local blues venue that brings in international artists, recently bought 2 new Super Reverbs for backline. They sound better than they should considering they have Jensen P10R reissues in them. I had the pleasure of biasing them both, should be a snap with those fancy Groove Tubes right?
> One wasn't bad, the other had current measurements of 45ma and 72ma. If you chose 2 tubes out of a box, you wouldn't get them further apart. Really Fender!


Interesting observation...I have never had a problem with the Super Reverbs but I have had problems with the Deluxe reverb's power tubes going south during the event....and they always take the screen resistor with them. The Groove tubes that are stock in those amps are basic OEM grade. I'm not surprised by your findings...


----------



## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

I love this techie talk. :smile::smile:


----------



## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

The 6V6's of today aren't what they used to be and they definitely should use 1K screen resistors. The JJ's are a different story. I've been able to run these at 28ma with over 400 volts on the plate without any problem, very stout tubes, 6V6 characteristics with 6L6-like robustness. I just received a batch of the Tung Sol's, haven't tried them yet but reports have been good.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Agreed...I have two old Deluxe Reverb amps.One's loaded with NOS the other with JJ's. I've had the JJ's in it for around 4 years now with no problems at all.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Well another Bluesfest has come and gone...surprisingly, not much trouble with the amps. There's one more that failed near the end of the festival which, I suspect, is due to a bad tube. I will post the results when completed.


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

nonreverb said:


> Well another Bluesfest has come and gone...surprisingly, not much trouble with the amps. There's one more that failed near the end of the festival which, I suspect, is due to a bad tube. I will post the results when completed.


Does that mean you get your life back again?


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

lol...yeah, back to normal Pat...


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Well, the final tally is in. I found a '65 Twin Reverb with a cracked preamp tube in the vibrato channel. Other than that, everything else is ok. I'm sure that the relatively cool weather during the festival is probably a contributing factor.
Either way, the festival was a success and so was the backline:smile:


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

there's a few backline businesses in ottawa? I guess that makes sense, since there's a few venues to choose from, in various sizes.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Budda said:


> there's a few backline businesses in ottawa? I guess that makes sense, since there's a few venues to choose from, in various sizes.


Actually, no there aren't any big ones. I handle Hammond organs in the Ottawa valley as well as some vintage amps and other keys. There's a guy here who has a small backline company called Music Tools etc. plus a few guys with small collections. There aren't any large places like Coll Audio in TO.
I actually do business with Coll for performers who require specific items I cannot source here during the Bluesfest.
It's unfortunate but the market here just isn't big or consistent enough to justify the investment just yet...


----------



## Guest (Jul 22, 2009)

nonreverb said:


> It's unfortunate but the market here just isn't big or consistent enough to justify the investment just yet...


I like your optimism. Wish I shared it. :smile:

I've been dealing with a "backline" company out of Embrun for the past week and half, trying to rent some QSC gear to try out. My. God. It's like pulling teeth getting responses and decent answers to questions. You'd think I was putting them out, you know, trying to _rent and buy stuff_ from them.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

iaresee said:


> I like your optimism. Wish I shared it. :smile:
> 
> I've been dealing with a "backline" company out of Embrun for the past week and half, trying to rent some QSC gear to try out. My. God. It's like pulling teeth getting responses and decent answers to questions. You'd think I was putting them out, you know, trying to _rent and buy stuff_ from them.


lol...Ah well Ian, some people just don't get it:smile:
Have you tried Wall Sound?


----------



## Guest (Jul 22, 2009)

nonreverb said:


> lol...Ah well Ian, some people just don't get it:smile:
> Have you tried Wall Sound?


No. Thanks for that. The QSC distributor for Canada gave me the Embrun company. I'll call Wall today!


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

iaresee said:


> I like your optimism. Wish I shared it. :smile:
> 
> I've been dealing with a "backline" company out of Embrun .


Downtown Embrun? 9kkhhd


----------



## Guest (Jul 23, 2009)

shoretyus said:


> Downtown Embrun? 9kkhhd


Waaaaaay downtown. In heart of their Business District. Nestled amongst all the other two businesses situated in lovely, scenic Embrun.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Well, I skipped a year but I'm back with a progress report on the backline amp situation at this year's Ottawa Bluesfest.
Week 1:
Unbelievably, I had 3 Fender amps bad out of the box. Number one was a '65 Deluxe Reverb. Stopped working halfway through the band's soundcheck.
Upon close inspection of the chassis, lo and behold the negative speaker wire from the output transformer was wrapped around the speaker jack BUT NOT SOLDERED!!! How the f%$# does that get past QC?!?
Next was a 212 Deville that came out of the box switching between channels in a unbridaled, wild and bascially uncontrolled fashion. Got the back off that one and found one of the rail supply resistors (the big 5 watt ones) wasn't connected to the board...but rather kinda slopping around in there.
Number 3 and the one I'm still keeping a hairy eyeball on is yet another '65 Deluxe Reverb with the magic disappearing reverb. I've got it down to a funky socket but I'm not entirely convinced yet.
More to come...supposed to be hot 'n sticky this week and I'm sure I'll have more fun stories to tell 
Technically yours,
Richard


----------



## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Wow, sounds like you're working hard. It's also great to know that Fender are really on top of their quality control kksjur




nonreverb said:


> Well, I skipped a year but I'm back with a progress report on the backline amp situation at this year's Ottawa Bluesfest.
> Week 1:
> Unbelievably, I had 3 Fender amps bad out of the box. Number one was a '65 Deluxe Reverb. Stopped working halfway through the band's soundcheck.
> Upon close inspection of the chassis, lo and behold the negative speaker wire from the output transformer was wrapped around the speaker jack BUT NOT SOLDERED!!! How the f%$# does that get past QC?!?
> ...


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

That picture of the Leslie on a golf cart... priceless..... of course ALL the Hammonds work ...


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

So far Pat...let's keep our fingers crossed!



shoretyus said:


> That picture of the Leslie on a golf cart... priceless..... of course ALL the Hammonds work ...


----------



## CSBen (Mar 1, 2011)

It continously baffles me to see such a big event have backline of this quality!!

HRDeville...65 Verb reissues...c'mon man!!! I know i know, it's the standard - been there, done that. This isn't a mickey-mouse festival, dive bar run down gig. Ah well. If only they'd get some real gear in it would solve a lot of headackes these generic, express production line amps will give ya.

Which stage(s) are you responsible for?

On a side note Richard - I never heard back from ya on those NOS preamp tubes you got hidin' at your place ; ) Keep me posted!!

Cheers
Ben


----------



## Guest (Jul 12, 2011)

CSBen said:


> This isn't a mickey-mouse festival, dive bar run down gig. Ah well. If only they'd get some real gear in it would solve a lot of headackes these generic, express production line amps will give ya.


What's "real gear"?


----------



## CSBen (Mar 1, 2011)

iaresee said:


> What's "real gear"?


Real gear that doesn't fail outtathebox, in the not "out there" price range, to not attrack too much heat from suggesting the??

Z's
Swart's
65Amps
Carr's
Fusch's
BadCat's

And in that particuliar order too. All of these are available amps locally or within' a drive to Montreal.

There is no reason why a festival of this size and this importance for the region of Ottawa-Gatineau cannot have gear on hand that doens't fail constantly. BUT...it'll never happen. 

And if you don't believe me...read above ; )

Cheers
Ben


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

...and never will. All the basic backline is donated free for signeage from Steve's music. None of those other campanies can afford to have that much gear out on loan. Remember, Steve's probably have close to 200,000 worth of stuff out there for nothing but signeage....and I'm there to keep it running whatever the problem 
All other backline is out of T.O. from Coll and locally.....that stuff is not free.




CSBen said:


> Real gear that doesn't fail outtathebox, in the not "out there" price range, to not attrack too much heat from suggesting the??
> 
> Z's
> Swart's
> ...


----------



## CSBen (Mar 1, 2011)

nonreverb said:


> ...and never will. All the basic backline is donated free for signeage from Steve's music. None of those other campanies can afford to have that much gear out on loan. Remember, Steve's probably have close to 200,000 worth of stuff out there for nothing but signeage....and I'm there to keep it running whatever the problem
> All other backline is out of T.O. from Coll and locally.....that stuff is not free.


And that's my point exactly Richard - you get what you pay for : ) and in this case, free and you get what you get.

The organisation of the Bluesfest CAN afford to pay for better backline - amps at the very least.


----------



## Guest (Jul 12, 2011)

@nonreverb: any idea how many use the supplied backline amps versus bring their own amps?


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Not true my friend. The sheer volume of backline would make it prohibitive financially. They already get a sizeable sum from rental companies like Coll audio (and myself) which they pay for. To fully backline the entire 6 stages would be cost prohibitive. They aren't rolling in as much money as you might think.
As for the Fender stuff, to be honest, this is the worst shipment I've ever seen from them. So bad in fact, that I'm tempted to send off a letter detailing my findings to their head office. So far the Yamaha, Ampeg and Roland stuff has all performed well...time will tell.



CSBen said:


> And that's my point exactly Richard - you get what you pay for : ) and in this case, free and you get what you get.
> 
> The organisation of the Bluesfest CAN afford to pay for better backline - amps at the very least.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

It varies Ian but on average, I'd say between 50% and 60%. Sometimes they use both theirs and ours.



iaresee said:


> @nonreverb: any idea how many use the supplied backline amps versus bring their own amps?


----------



## CSBen (Mar 1, 2011)

nonreverb said:


> Not true my friend. The sheer volume of backline would make it prohibitive financially. They already get a sizeable sum from rental companies like Coll audio (and myself) which they pay for. To fully backline the entire 6 stages would be cost prohibitive. They aren't rolling in as much money as you might think.
> As for the Fender stuff, to be honest, this is the worst shipment I've ever seen from them. So bad in fact, that I'm tempted to send off a letter detailing my findings to their head office. So far the Yamaha, Ampeg and Roland stuff has all performed well...time will tell.


And when you say "fully backline" Richard, do you mean everything (amps, pa, monitors, cables, consoles, lighting, etc, etc) or amps only?

I am talking about amps only.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

No. There are close to 30 guitar amps, 12 bass rigs, 3 keyboard amps etc etc.
You can't have a collage of different manufacturers providing gear. It's logistically impossible as each amp brand would require a different agreement with each supplier and they would want their product to have some of prominence. It is after all a competitive market. The other issue is not every performer may be as familiar with the brands you mention. Tegan and Sarah are the only ones who mentioned DR.Z on their rider and guess what their alternative was...yup the venerable HR Deluxe which they were perfectly happy with. 
I see all the backline riders for every band that plays. Most bands playing that kind of stuff bring their own.
The backline generally has been pretty good IMO. There are 7 Twins on site this year and not one of them has had a problem yet and some have been on constantly for hours in this heat and humidity. 
The other advantage with suppliers like Fender is I can get relacements easily if I need them. Steve's orders extras so there's always a supply of backups.
I'm sure ANY amp be it boutique or not can and will succumb if subjected to enough abuse so better to stick with what you know than what you don't. 



CSBen said:


> And when you say "fully backline" Richard, do you mean everything (amps, pa, monitors, cables, consoles, lighting, etc, etc) or amps only?
> 
> I am talking about amps only.


----------



## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

excellent! from what i saw...you've been doing a bang up job!


----------



## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Nice work Richard, and hectic too. I can sympathize, doing backline here too. It's Twins, HR's, DeVilles, Supers, the occasional Deluxe. There's very little call for boutique stuff, the blues guys can't afford it, although we recently had a request for a Mesa Mk IV-like we'd be able to get one. I usually borrow or beg what we don't have for comps, works most of the time. The new Fenders are pretty sketchy: lousy tubes, speakers and quality. Keeps you on your toes. Hope you get a chance to enjoy the music too.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Thanks! Yeah, it's kind of hectic. The biggest challenge by far is supplying bands drum requirements. Most bands get the idea that it's a festival situation and will accommodate changes. That's not always the case though and I wind up spending a lot of time on special drum requests. Interestingly, Mesa has become a popular request behind Fender and Marshall. Not surprising as they have good products with many features.
Enjoy the music??? What music?  I get away from time to time to check stuff out....



WCGill said:


> Nice work Richard, and hectic too. I can sympathize, doing backline here too. It's Twins, HR's, DeVilles, Supers, the occasional Deluxe. There's very little call for boutique stuff, the blues guys can't afford it, although we recently had a request for a Mesa Mk IV-like we'd be able to get one. I usually borrow or beg what we don't have for comps, works most of the time. The new Fenders are pretty sketchy: lousy tubes, speakers and quality. Keeps you on your toes. Hope you get a chance to enjoy the music too.


----------



## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

its funny you say that about MESA...pretty much most of the shows i've seen lately, MESA has been a prominent amp...i know they love their tubes, but i also heard that they have excellent quality...much better than the other two...

if the backline is mostly fender...when Slyde played...was the fender he used backline...or his...just surprised to see heavy stuff played on a fender


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Could have been his or ours not quite sure. You'd be surprised what you can get out of a Twin with an overdrive pedal 
I'm the warranty repair guy for Mesa in the Ottawa area. I rarely get them in and when I do most often it's just tubes. 
Their build quality is impressive.




ezcomes said:


> its funny you say that about MESA...pretty much most of the shows i've seen lately, MESA has been a prominent amp...i know they love their tubes, but i also heard that they have excellent quality...much better than the other two...
> 
> if the backline is mostly fender...when Slyde played...was the fender he used backline...or his...just surprised to see heavy stuff played on a fender


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Well, here it is the last day. This week was trouble free except for an Ampeg BA-300 combo amp that lasted about 5 minutes and self destructed. Today their calling for a high of 34 with the humidex around 40. Let's see how our little Fender and Ampeg friends cope.....stay tuned.


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

nonreverb said:


> Well, here it is the last day. This week was trouble free except for an Ampeg BA-300 combo amp that lasted about 5 minutes and self destructed. Today their calling for a high of 34 with the humidex around 40. Let's see how our little Fender and Ampeg friends cope.....stay tuned.


Under these extreme heat situations its a wonder how any of them survive


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I'm going to try and brave it for a couple hours today, and catch the Satch and a few other acts. As someone who prefers to observe sunshine from indoors or under a tree (I do *not* function well above 21-22C), let's see how I survive, and what gives out first, me or the amps..


----------



## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

I hope nonreverb and co. emerged unhurt due to the collapse of the main stage because of the thunderstorm.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Thanks rollingdam! 
Yup all festival staff and volunteers were unhurt. However, my wishes for a speedy recovery go out to those that were injured.
Wow! What an evening. I was on the Hard Rock stage when it hit trying to keep backline covered and from blowing away.
One of the few times in my life where I can admit I was truly scared. It was unbelieveable.
Earlier in the day I was on deck talking to Rick Nielson who was showing some of his guitars like the '57 Explororer and '58 Les Paul. Apparently, the stage fell around most of their stuff but I'm sure the rain got some...As of last night, they were not allowed on deck to get any of their stuff although that may have changed this morning.




rollingdam said:


> I hope nonreverb and co. emerged unhurt due to the collapse of the main stage because of the thunderstorm.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Well first off, I was worried about you, so I'm glad you came through it okay. I was waiting for your post here as the "all clear" sign. I have to say that the crowd and staff were pretty calm and nonconfrontational. Everyone behaved in a professional manner.

Cheap Trick did put on a bit of a "guitar fashion show" (though it would seem from the pictures that John Fogerty outdid them), so my second thought, after worrying about everyone's safety, was that there were a lot of choice pieces up there that were in jeopardy (didn't realize it was an _original_ Explorer; kudos to Rick for touring with the real deal). In fact part of my concern for the staff (because I figured the talent would be whisked away to safety ASAP) was that they would be tasked with securing all that delicious gear and would be in harm's way as a result.

I still wonder if the MNBA stage was not compromised by the big checkerboard banner Cheap Trick had hanging in the back. The tower, and the Claridge stage, were fine. And I'm sure the MNBA was suitably vented in anticipation of wind gusts. But that big fabric backdrop just sat there like a big sail, catching more wind. So part of me wonders whether that didn't end up exceeding the wind-resistance capacity of the overall structure. After all it was blown backwards...the same direction the backdrop would have been blown in. I'm not blaming Cheap Trick, since I'm sure they have used the same big backdrop many times without any hint of incident.

We'll see what the inspectors/investigators say, but my money is on the structure and its proper installation NOT being the culprit. That stage has been put up many times over, by folks who know what they're doing. Something about this time was different.

Pity I didn't get to see Satriani.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Personally, I think the staging company has a lot to answer for. These are the same guys that apparently have had problems with their stages at other events. Time will tell.....



mhammer said:


> Well first off, I was worried about you, so I'm glad you came through it okay. I was waiting for your post here as the "all clear" sign. I have to say that the crowd and staff were pretty calm and nonconfrontational. Everyone behaved in a professional manner.
> 
> Cheap Trick did put on a bit of a "guitar fashion show" (though it would seem from the pictures that John Fogerty outdid them), so my second thought, after worrying about everyone's safety, was that there were a lot of choice pieces up there that were in jeopardy (didn't realize it was an _original_ Explorer; kudos to Rick for touring with the real deal). In fact part of my concern for the staff (because I figured the talent would be whisked away to safety ASAP) was that they would be tasked with securing all that delicious gear and would be in harm's way as a result.
> 
> ...


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Well, you certainly had a much closer look than I was in a position to, so I'll treat my speculation as speculation for now. In the Hammer family, it's my son who's the civil engineer, not me, so I'll defer to his insights as well. You _will_ note that all those flimsy concession stands remained standing. I'm still placing my chips on the constellation of factors that resulted in the overall structure catching more wind than it was designed to handle, and would recommend that Cheap Trick consult the weather first, in future concerts, before deciding whether or not to hang up that backdrop.

Cheap Trick's management has posted an article about the incident over on the Rolling Stone site: Cheap Trick Manager: 'I Can't Believe We're Alive' | Rolling Stone Music


----------



## Fader (Mar 10, 2009)

Cheap Trick brought the house down?


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

I've heard talk about the breakaway ties on the side scrims being too tight and of a material that wouldn't break so easily. They're supposed to be designed to break at a given pressure...all of this is mere conjecture at this point. The labour board engineers will be sifting through every piece of that stage for days, possibly weeks to come.



mhammer said:


> Well, you certainly had a much closer look than I was in a position to, so I'll treat my speculation as speculation for now. In the Hammer family, it's my son who's the civil engineer, not me, so I'll defer to his insights as well. You _will_ note that all those flimsy concession stands remained standing. I'm still placing my chips on the constellation of factors that resulted in the overall structure catching more wind than it was designed to handle, and would recommend that Cheap Trick consult the weather first, in future concerts, before deciding whether or not to hang up that backdrop.
> 
> Cheap Trick's management has posted an article about the incident over on the Rolling Stone site: Cheap Trick Manager: 'I Can't Believe We're Alive' | Rolling Stone Music


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Fader said:


> Cheap Trick brought the house down?


Nah. They just blew the roof off the place.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

So....after skipping last year's report 
I'm now at the mid-point of this year's Ottawa Bluesfest and surprisingly, no major problems with the backline apart from a sheared-off volume pot on one of the SVT Classics and a bad preamp tube on an Deville 410.
I did have to service one band's Wurlitzer A200 which seemed to be picking up interference from a Rogers transmission tower near the stage....weird...
Hopefully, I'll get through the festival free of any amp nastiness....to be continued.....


----------



## LydianGuitars (Apr 18, 2013)

Nice! I've played through a few backlines and they were always Fender. It seems like there was always a Fender that was broken. That's why I always bring a backup amp, like my Marshalls


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

The high heat and humidity exacts a toll. I keep a couple of spare sets of tubes with me as well as some 470ohm resistors as inevitably, one goes. It's usually a 6V6 in one of the '65 Deluxe's. The Sovtek 6V6's don't handle the hard use and hi temps well.


----------



## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Thanks for this Richard.
Interesting that the Fenders can't handle the pressure!

I only found out my HRD had a bad soldering join on one of the tube sockets, until the first song, when the bass & drums made the amp jump & hiss intermittently.

Ahh, break out the back up Yamaha G100 (SS Twin Copy)


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

You'd think there was a market for add-on cooling systems for such circumstances. Something adjustable you could just hang over the back of the amp to duct the heat away from the tubes. One would be able to adjust the horizontal part of the bracket so that it could grip any sized head/combo over the top of the amp, and adjustable vertical brackets to lower/raise the fans where they needed to be to suck the heat out. Cripes, if they can do it for CPUs, they should be able to do it for guitar amps.


----------



## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

what happens to those amps after the festival?


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

To be honest, it really isn't about the amps but rather the tubes. Many of these amps are dimed for lenthy periods of time in hot, humid conditions. 
I'll bet if, for instance, the Deluxe Reverbs were fitted with JJ's instead of the OEM Sovteks, there'd be less failures. Having said that, the failure rate is still pretty low considering what they're subjected to.



bzrkrage said:


> Thanks for this Richard.
> Interesting that the Fenders can't handle the pressure!
> 
> I only found out my HRD had a bad soldering join on one of the tube sockets, until the first song, when the bass & drums made the amp jump & hiss intermittently.
> ...


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Some are from the rental dept. at Steve's Montreal. The rest go out for sale with a festival discount.



cheezyridr said:


> what happens to those amps after the festival?


----------



## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

LydianGuitars said:


> Nice! I've played through a few backlines and they were always Fender. It seems like there was always a Fender that was broken. That's why I always bring a backup amp, like my Marshalls


It stands to reason, that if the backline is all Fender then if there is a failure it would be a Fender. 

More noteable is that the back line is all Fender. 

No need to trash Fender and certainly undeserved as a generalization.

Frankly, I would expect to see a mostly Fender backline at a blues festival.


----------



## LydianGuitars (Apr 18, 2013)

dradlin said:


> It stands to reason, that if the backline is all Fender then if there is a failure it would be a Fender.
> 
> More noteable is that the back line is all Fender.
> 
> ...


Nothing against Fender. They do make a good product.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Fortunately, so far, I haven't noticed any of the issues with workmanship I experienced a couple of years back with some of the fenders. They may have rectified the problem or, I just got lucky....


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

So far, so good. Tuesday was a dark day and yesterday went without a hitch. The temperature was much cooler and dryer which probably helped keep things running smoothly....3 days to go...


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

nonreverb said:


> Fortunately, so far, I haven't noticed any of the issues with workmanship I experienced a couple of years back with some of the fenders. They may have rectified the problem or, I just got lucky....


It's funny, you know. You can use the same part for years, and then find another manufacturer of ostensibly the same part that has "better" specs. I bought some of the little 3-pin regulators last year, that I had been using for years already. These ones seemed a little bigger, but I figured it meant nothing. Then I looked up the datasheet, and found the ones I usually used were spec'd for 100ma, but these slightly bulkier ones were spec'd for 150ma.

The resistors I get from Tayda in Thailand have noticeably thinner leads than the ones I'm used to getting. When resistors are classified as 1/8W, 1/4W, 1/2W, etc., that spec is based on how much heat they can be depended on to dissipate. The size of the resistor may be the same across manufacturers, but I would imagine the diameter of the lead has some bearing on how much heat it can dissipate, especially when a fair amount of lead is included in any given installation.

For the brief period when I was working with Bill Finnegan on the Klon, I kept nudging him to consider use of the more standard 2.1mm barrel connector for external power. He staunchly resisted because he felt the mini-phone plug provided a more dependable secure connection. Well, I asked Steve Daniels at Small Bear about what we out there in the way of better and worse 2.1mm connectors, and he finds that Kobicon makes a _locking_ 2.1mm connector and jack. http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/253/KC-300840-202598.pdf

The moral of the story is that one can often find alternate part sources that can improve the durability and reliability of a product, without having to change the design very much at all.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

OK, so I've decided to extend my amp experiences good and bad to Folkfest this year.
First, I should have updated earlier that there was a significant problem that arose at Bluesfest this year. Two handles on HR series amps broke! Seems Fender may have changed the recipe for makin' their handles...with potentially catastrophic results. Fortunately I was able to hold on to both and no damage was done.
Apparently, those were not the only ones. A couple of HR's had broken handles at Steve's Montreal store.
Anyhow, the fun starts Wednesday....hold on to your hats....


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

nonreverb said:


> OK, so I've decided to extend my amp experiences good and bad to Folkfest this year.
> First, I should have updated earlier that there was a significant problem that arose at Bluesfest this year. Two handles on HR series amps broke! Seems Fender may have changed the recipe for makin' their handles...with potentially catastrophic results. Fortunately I was able to hold on to both and no damage was done.
> Apparently, those were not the only ones. A couple of HR's had broken handles at Steve's Montreal store.
> Anyhow, the fun starts Wednesday....hold on to your hats....


I recently replaced the handle on my '59 Bassman RI and the new handle feels alarmingly unsafe to me. It gives an awful lot whenever I pick up the amp. It's a disaster waiting to happen. I'm planning on looking into some aftermarket handles that would be a little more sturdy.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

hollowbody said:


> I recently replaced the handle on my '59 Bassman RI and the new handle feels alarmingly unsafe to me. It gives an awful lot whenever I pick up the amp. It's a disaster waiting to happen. I'm planning on looking into some aftermarket handles that would be a little more sturdy.


The thing that surprised me was yes, when they get cold they're brittle but these were very warm and should've had lots of flex in them before they broke.
I'm positive it's a batch problem as I've never seen this type failure before under those conditions.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Well, better late than never...
The Folkfest went without a hitch backline wise, although it was more than cool enough to prevent any overheating.
Till next year:wave:


----------

