Bizarre amp occurrence ... WTH?

Jeff R

Jeff R

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I recently got my Boogie Mark III back from a repair visit and an A-to-Z systems check and well-being fix, plus some modern upgrades. Three page invoice worth of stuff. Sounds great and it's been performing great, until yesterday ...

A client was plugged in and we were test-driving a bench repair on his guitar. The amp which up until then was acting completely normal, starts fizzling funkily, slowly dying in volume and I think I detect there's a peculiar shit-burning smell, so I power it down. And amp subsequently starts running and behaving normally with the power OFF. So I switch the power switch to ON and the amp basically turns OFF again, no sound, power light goes off, internal fan shuts off. So I switch to OFF and it's running normally again. The switch has somehow mysteriously reversed its functions on the toggle. What in the hell is going on?

I reviewed the three-page invoice and they did not replace that toggle during the wellness visit. Do those switches just go kaput out of nowhere? It feels normal clickety under my fingers.

Trying to figure out also if it's a crapped switch and nothing else if I can get that switch and switcheroo it myself. I dread the thought of shipping the amp back to Petaluma, especially for something trivial, but quite frankly I'm scared as shit to work around live AC.

SO?

 
Let's apply some logic:  if it worked fine previously, the switch didn't flip itself over one night when you weren't looking.  You sure someone isn't screwing with you at your shop?  

 
From pictures it looks like the power switch is a SPST switch so it only has two terminals. I would try jumpering the two terminals (by soldering on a temporary jumper wire) so the power switch is bypassed.

Once that is done I would try the amp out long enough to convince myself the problem is gone. If it is then you know you just need a power switch. If the problem isn't gone then you know the problem is more complex and maybe the amp should be sent back.

Your power switch should be something along these lines:

https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/switch-carling-toggle-spst-2-position-side-lugs

 
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We figured it out. I got Boogie on the phone and they told me to pull the chassis and call them back. I did so and saw the culprit immediately. The switch itself is bad - it has a white splotched crack on its ass belching wee bits of smoke intermittently when you flick the switch back and forth. Petaluma is sending me the exact replacement switch (free of charge) and they walked me through what I need to do to change it myself when I get it. Told me to call them when I have switch in hand should I have any other questions or need a quick pep talk/confidence booster  :) before I do the replacement. I'm good with all this.

 
Anytime the function of a control is normal or full on, when the control is full off, you've got a bad control...

 
I was gonna ask if you unplugged it from the wall...cause if it was still on then, you need to throw it in a river and run.

 
Got the switch (free of charge and fast, typical great M/B customer service) and I fixed it! Took me longer to get the chassis turned on the bench, all disconnected from the amp box and back in, than it did to actually de-solder, change out and solder in the new power switch LOL. Didn't shock myself and amp is working just fine. I'm a winner!

 
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