Willow Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 I recently got offered the deal of a lifetime - a warwick Pro Tube IX with 2 neon pro cabs at absolute bargain price. I tried it out and it ROARED out of the speakers, even on volume number 3 - awesome! - I had to have it! So I bought it and got it home, plugged it all in and...... oh. It barely makes a noise. Volume 3 is so quiet its barely audible. Ive played around with all the settings and channels, tried every permutation of basses and leads I own and still no improvement. Thinking I must have wired it up wrong somehow I have also tried every permutation and input with the speakon cables but still with the gain cranked right up it is pretty quiet. I've scoured the internet but there are no diagrams on how it should be set. I'm certain it was way louder in the shop and the tone was killer. At home it is really quiet and the tone is a lifeless dull thud no matter what setting I have it on and swiching between channels does change the tone.....a bit. What am I doing wrong? I will take it back if I have to but thought maybe you guys might have experienced similiar or might know what's wrong. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted December 15, 2022 Author Share Posted December 15, 2022 Here is how I have it connected - is that correct? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 First thought is that it is your cabs and/or leads. I'm assuming the other connections on the back are effects in/out? I'd disconnect them so that you just have bass > amp > cab(s). That leads us to your speaker cables; they look home made/mismatched, are you sure they are both wired the same? I'd try the amp into 1 cab first. Next thought based on the fact I've had one of these amps, are the preamp valves seated correctly and one of them is not on it's last legs? It could be when being transported or stored in the cold that a valve is not 100% OK. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted December 15, 2022 Author Share Posted December 15, 2022 the other jack leads in the back are for the tuner in/out. I have no idea how to check the valve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 2 minutes ago, Willow said: the other jack leads in the back are for the tuner in/out. I have no idea how to check the valve? Before you open it up to check the valves, have you tried using the amp with 1 cab? It is possible to have your speaker cables wired out of phase with each other, so adding the 2nd cab can be detrimental to the sound. Do your cabs/leads work 100% with a different amp? Is it possible to try the amp with different cabs/leads? Is the cab new from a shop? If so take it back and ask to plug back into their cabs, that'll eliminate possible dodgy valves. I'm fairly confident about stuff under the bonnet so I'd be happy to take the top off and reseat the valves but appreciate that others might be happier leaving to others... it comes back to how easy it is to return it to the seller. <edit> Just reread your first post and I assume these are the cabs that you trialled it with initially! However... are they the cables you got with it? Might still be worth trying with other cabs/cables to be sure it is the amp at fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddycall Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 Looks like quite a complicated amp. Would probably help if you can take some good photos of the back and the front of the amp. Looks like there are a few features on there that could trip you up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassmanPaul Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 Disconnect all your signal cables and run the amp with just the bass plugged in. What happens? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agedhorse Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 Start here with the owner'smanual: https://manualsbrain.com/en/manuals/1111847/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 7 hours ago, Waddycall said: Looks like quite a complicated amp. Would probably help if you can take some good photos of the back and the front of the amp. Looks like there are a few features on there that could trip you up. One stray button or one cable inserted in the wrong place will ruin your fun very quickly. If it was me I'd start with Agedhorse's advice 1st and all that other jazz in the back removed apart from 1 cab. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blisters on my fingers Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 Disconnect the tuner and its cables and do as @Downunderwonder and @agedhorseare suggesting. Suspect that once you've done that all will be good. It is difficult to tell from your photos but it looks like the return or output from your tuner is plugged into one half of a stereo return, this is not good, it is tragic!! It also looks like the input to the tuner is connected via the send on the parallel stereo loop, this loop is not designed for this purpose. If that all works...... you can connect the tuner to the tuner output jack with a short jack lead ....this is what the tuner output is designed for. Good luck and let us know how you get on 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basexperience Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 On 15/12/2022 at 10:23, Willow said: I recently got offered the deal of a lifetime - a warwick Pro Tube IX with 2 neon pro cabs at absolute bargain price. I tried it out and it ROARED out of the speakers, even on volume number 3 - awesome! - I had to have it! So I bought it and got it home, plugged it all in and...... oh. It barely makes a noise. Volume 3 is so quiet its barely audible. Ive played around with all the settings and channels, tried every permutation of basses and leads I own and still no improvement. Thinking I must have wired it up wrong somehow I have also tried every permutation and input with the speakon cables but still with the gain cranked right up it is pretty quiet. I've scoured the internet but there are no diagrams on how it should be set. I'm certain it was way louder in the shop and the tone was killer. At home it is really quiet and the tone is a lifeless dull thud no matter what setting I have it on and swiching between channels does change the tone.....a bit. What am I doing wrong? I will take it back if I have to but thought maybe you guys might have experienced similiar or might know what's wrong. Thanks Dude! That’s my big rig! Send a picture of how you have the (admittedly complex) back set up. It should be fine, if it was good in the shop. one question - how did it get shipped? Mine got a dose of heavy duty bad shipping and I had to fix a few things, including a new valve (seriously!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassmanPaul Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 It appears that @Willowonly visited once and hasn't been back since! Sad that, we could have fixed him/her proper like! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 Sorry guys, especialyy @BassmanPaul and thank you for the responses! Ive just been mega busy this past week. i did as @blisters on my fingers suggested and it turned out the tuner was connected incorrectly! I pulled that out and it made a difference to the volume so thank you for that one but its still pretty quiet. in the shop it was mega loud, at home its still pretty quiet so theres something not right. will try your suggestions and let you know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 On 15/12/2022 at 11:18, warwickhunt said: Before you open it up to check the valves, have you tried using the amp with 1 cab? Do your cabs/leads work 100% with a different amp? Is it possible to try the amp with different cabs/leads? Is the cab new from a shop? <edit> Just reread your first post and I assume these are the cabs that you trialled it with initially! However... are they the cables you got with it? Might still be worth trying with other cabs/cables to be sure it is the amp at fault. Yes tried it with one cab - its so quiet i can barely hear it. Cabs are 2nd hand, the whole rig is. they are the correct and same cables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassmanPaul Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Did you try what I suggested and disconnect ALL signal cables with your instrument plugged in the front end? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 I hope your bass doesn't have a flat battery. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassmanPaul Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 All my pre-amp bearing basses run off 18V and can be remote powered from the amplifier if I desire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted December 21, 2022 Author Share Posted December 21, 2022 On 20/12/2022 at 01:05, Downunderwonder said: I hope your bass doesn't have a flat battery. Ha! No! That has caught me out before -not this time! Think I figured it out - the stereo and bi-amp buttons on the back - soon as I pressed them the volume leapt up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agedhorse Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Read the manual and learn how it works before you damage something. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted December 22, 2022 Author Share Posted December 22, 2022 No no no - who reads manuals?! Seriously though, thanks for trying to help me out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 The risk of damage is serious if you don't get with the reading. Serious. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassmanPaul Posted December 30, 2022 Share Posted December 30, 2022 (edited) @Willow how are things going? Have you got your problem sorted out? Edited December 30, 2022 by BassmanPaul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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