TubePath 5.1 & 411 Pro cab - TOAST?!?

EvanOnBass

EvanOnBass

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Brand new out of the box, straight from Warwick (DBG in USA).

Here's all I did:
connected TubePath to Furman RP-8 power conditioner
connected 411 speaker cabinet to TubePath
connected Furman RP-8 to power outlet
plugged instrument into TubePath
muted TubePath
Turned on RP-8
Turned on TubePath
Turned gain up to 6 (played bass to check green light on saturation)
Turned master up to 4
unmuted
Started playing for a minute or two

-poof-

Power went out in the house for about 10 - 20 seconds.

(NOTE: house was built in 1918 has only two-prong AC outlets)

Power comes back on and the speakers suddenly SOUND blown (loud static when notes are played, surrounded by fuzzy decay in tone).
Is there also a possibility that there could be something with the tube preamp? I'm guessing not because preamps usually make static even when there's nothing being played/no input but...

I removed the cover on the cabinet and pressed on the drivers a little to check for any friction in the pistons. They all felt fine - nothing touched on the way in or out. I've read that blown speakers will make a scraping sound when you press on them to move the cone.

I'm guessing that even though I played it for all of 5 minutes before it went, the speakers are still not a warranty item. The other reason I question the tube preamp is that the TubePath amplifier didn't appear to be packaged all that well. I can imagine that the tubes could have been exposed to quite a bit of impact from shipping.

Dang it. Just wish I could plug n play.
 
Hi Evan.
I think it's best to get back in touch with DBG's & let them sort you out.Dont go pulling anything apart coz that will void your warranty.
I'm surprised the packaging wasnt up to scratch.I've bought a Warwick head before & it was packaged superbly,encased in moulded foam,in a plastic bag all wedged in a thick cardboard box.Even the 411 Pro cab I bought was packed the same way.Anyway,best of luck,I'm sure you'll get sorted soon.
 
Fuzziness

EvanOnBass said:
Brand new out of the box, straight from Warwick (DBG in USA).

Here's all I did:
connected TubePath to Furman RP-8 power conditioner
connected 411 speaker cabinet to TubePath
connected Furman RP-8 to power outlet
plugged instrument into TubePath
muted TubePath
Turned on RP-8
Turned on TubePath
Turned gain up to 6 (played bass to check green light on saturation)
Turned master up to 4
unmuted
Started playing for a minute or two

-poof-

Power went out in the house for about 10 - 20 seconds.

(NOTE: house was built in 1918 has only two-prong AC outlets)

Power comes back on and the speakers suddenly SOUND blown (loud static when notes are played, surrounded by fuzzy decay in tone).
Is there also a possibility that there could be something with the tube preamp? I'm guessing not because preamps usually make static even when there's nothing being played/no input but...

I removed the cover on the cabinet and pressed on the drivers a little to check for any friction in the pistons. They all felt fine - nothing touched on the way in or out. I've read that blown speakers will make a scraping sound when you press on them to move the cone.

I'm guessing that even though I played it for all of 5 minutes before it went, the speakers are still not a warranty item. The other reason I question the tube preamp is that the TubePath amplifier didn't appear to be packaged all that well. I can imagine that the tubes could have been exposed to quite a bit of impact from shipping.

Dang it. Just wish I could plug n play.
Click to expand...

I have the same issue, with some fuzziness in the tone when playing on my Tubepath 10.1 (411 & 115 cabinets). A speaker technician checked the speakers: one of them had a slight issue and was fixed, but the fuzziness persisted (not as loud though). The tech said that it was probably something from the amp. I tried different cables, different basses, muting the tweeter... still slightly fuzzy especially when the rough/smooth button is pressed.

Was your fuzziness issue solved? Was it the tubes? Any advice?
 
Sgt, welcome to the forum :-)

the ground lift button solved my fuzziness "issue"... What bass do you play? it is not necessary the amp, you know, but being louder and crisper you can better hear all imperfections in the bass sound. For example if you max out bass and treble on an onboard preamp you can expect some sort of distortion...
And what's wrong with fuzziness anyway :-))

Also being a big, loud powerful tube driven amp, it is pretty sensible to electricity quality. Probably the old house doesn't have the best electric circuit...
 
Glad to become part of the "W gang" Florin!

As far as the fuzz is concerned, I don't think it's an electricity quality problem, as the fuzz can only be heard when notes are played (fuzz in the tone of the notes). I have tried the ground lift button, but it didn't do anything.
My bass is a Fender American Standard Jazz '2001 with brand new hum-cancelling DiMarzio Model J pick-ups (super quiet, no hiss). The bass is connected directly to the amp.

I still have to figure out though if it's the amp or a speaker (maybe it hasn't been completely repaired) that causes the problem. Do you think it would be a good idea to use the amp as a DI Box and record something on the computer in order to find out if the fuzz comes from the amp? My guess is that if something is damaged or worn out in the amp, the fuzz will also be heard on the recorded track.
 
That seems to be a good idea, yes. You will have same results if you play with headphones on.
that way you check if you have something wrong in the preamp section.
 
Sorry for the delayed feedback... I've been overbusy with rehearsals and more common stuff (like repairing my car for example)...

Nevertheless, after many tests like trying the Tubepath 10.1 amp with a SWR cabin or the WCA PRO 411 cabinet with a GK amp, it turns out that the cabinet is faulty and not the amp. I left the whole cabinet to a technician, hoping he'll figure out what the problem is.
If he doesn't, I'm planning on replacing the cabinet with a Hartke 410 XL 8 ohms (aluminium cones - 400W) as I like it's punchy mid ranged sound. Will the 300W extra power of the amp (WCA Pro 115 300W + Hartke 400 W cabinets) will cause any problems? I guess the only issue, is I shouldn't push the amp past 7 or 8, but then again who plays that loud?

By the way, the Tubepath tone is to my ears, far more "concistent" and "full", at least in the mid and low frequencies than the GK (I think it was the 1001 RB). Thumbs up to Warwick! ;)
 
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