Cost of a Amp Re-Bias

Distortion_101

Hey guys.

I'm looking to buy a Laney Cub12R but something that is scaring me is the price of a rebias as it a budget tube amp an from what I have been told, a rebias is roughly 1/3 of the price of the amp...

What would the general price be for a rebias? If its something silly like 1500 (just for the rebias, excl tubes) I'm going to look at another amp that doesn't need a rebias (hughes and kettner tubemeister being my 2nd choice, ibanez TSA15 being my 3rd, both don't need a rebias)

I understand tubes are roughly 150 each+- so that will be bulk of the cost (hopefully). Shops can never give me a straight answer with some people not even knowing what rebiasing is!!!

Thanks for the help guys!
D_101

Gearhead

Eish, get yourself clued up on how to rebias and do it yourself. Essentially there is no 'right' setting. Having said that, an optimum based on taste would be nice. My point is that if someone biases your amp, you get their 'optimum' based on whatever. Regardless of who they are and what they charge, it is not you. The downside to all this DIY is that you don't want to fry yourself, so take a few youtube lessons and read up properly.

Nicholas-L

Re-biasing should only cost labor and usually a tech charges a per hour rate excl parts. If anyone charges 1500 that would be ridiculous. Agreeing with Gearhead, if you feel up to the task watch youtube vids on how to bias your amp, read some articles and most important stay safe as you are dealing with extremely high voltages.

Attila

Easy enough ... I speak under correction but I think there is a pot to make the adjustment on these okies

AlanRatcliffe

Ummm... guys? The Cub 12 uses a pair of EL84s, so it'll be a fixed bias. No tech required. Just drop in new valves and go.

Gearhead

Darn and I was too lazy to look it up ?

Attila

:-[

bottledtone

Fixed bias = grid bias (meaning biasing of valves needed) if there is no trimmer to be able to adjust, then the manufacturer doesn't feel the need to have it rebiased and any amp can run hot or cold. (Blues jnr etc) Fixed refers to the 'fixed' negative voltage.

Auto bias = cathode bias... This is the drop in and play.

Distortion_101

We'll I emailed laney regarding the specs of the amplifier. Let's hope it's cathode based ?

On the chance that it isn't, what would the cost be roughly? I would love to learn to do it myself but for now I'd rather have the pros do it.

We kind of skipped the issue ?

Thanks for the help so far guys!

Gearhead

Why ask us amateurs what a pro would charge? Rather ask the pro :-\

PS don't wait for Laney to answer, I now did look it up and your amp has adjustable bias (TR1 trimpot). Shame on you Alan ?

AlanRatcliffe

Live and learn. ?

Norman86

Without taking the amp to a tech, how does one know what kind of biasing system a tube amp uses?

Gearhead

Norman86 wrote: Without taking the amp to a tech, how does one know what kind of biasing system a tube amp uses?

From what I've seen so far, by asking on GFSA 8)

Norman86

Gearhead wrote:
Norman86 wrote: Without taking the amp to a tech, how does one know what kind of biasing system a tube amp uses?
From what I've seen so far, by asking on GFSA 8)

Haha, Thanks Gearhead..

So, anyone know what kind of bias system my TCT35 uses? I have tried asking Audiosure before, but couldnt get a definitive answer.

Gearhead

Google can't find a schematic of this amp, so this GFSA member can't tell you. Maybe open it up a bit?

Norman86

Gearhead wrote: Google can't find a schematic of this amp, so this GFSA member can't tell you. Maybe open it up a bit?

Poking in a guitar... Non lethal..
Poking in a valve amp... No thanks, i might not always like my life, but its the only one i have ?
would then rather take it to someone to have it checked ?