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Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11556]

Sat, 08 August 2009 11:41

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

Just aquired a Mid 70's K2 bass head with weak output. Amp sounds normal at powerup with a nice thump as power is applied. Volume is weak with all controls at 10 and my active bass vol at 10...I am estimating output at less than a watt from output stage.. Sounds ok...just very weak. No hum from power supply. I have cleaned all the contacts on the circuit boards...no help. Could I have a bad coupling cap? Any Ideas??? I don't have an oscilloscope so It would be difficult to signal trace this. There is no schematic on the cover in the amp...Anyone got a schematic????
Craig

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11559 is a reply to message #11556]

Sat, 08 August 2009 15:18

chicagobill
Messages: 2005
Registered: April 2003

Senior Member

Sorry no schematic here.

It does sound like a break in the signal path. Could be a bad cap or a broken connection.

Check to see if any parts are loose or broken from the board.

If you want to try and trace the problem let us know and we can help guide you through it.

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11560 is a reply to message #11559]

Sat, 08 August 2009 15:44

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

Will look at the boards tonight and see if I can see any damaged
components. I didn't see anything obvious when I first opened it up.
Craig

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11561 is a reply to message #11560]

Sat, 08 August 2009 22:11

pleat
Messages: 1452
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

Craig, have you ever thought of changing the spelling of your name to Kraig? Only fair since your a kustom Kollector.
Is the amp you have a Kustom llBass amp head? The 60 watter? There should be a circuit board number on the solder side of the boards. That would help in figuring out if I have a schematic for it. I have some scanned but sold my complete set last spring, 7 books worth. Anyway, if the amp has the white molex type plugs that connect everything together, I'd start there. Kustom had more problems with those plugs and send a dealer flyer out suggesting that we just cut off all the plugs and hard wire them to solve pre amps from cutting out. Red and Green wires are voltage wires and I think in that series the tan wires were the audio.
Don

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11571 is a reply to message #11561]

Sun, 09 August 2009 10:58

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

The 1st thing I did was work those molex connectors a bit. I will see about pulling the boards to get the numbers this week. I may be going to pick up a Blue sparkle 400 PA set with a pair of Altec 2-15 cabs That looks great and is close enuf to drive to pick it up...would be a nice addition to my collection.....
Kraig

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11572 is a reply to message #11556]

Sun, 09 August 2009 11:26

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

Yes It is the mid 70's tolex IIB 60 watter.
Kraig

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11574 is a reply to message #11571]

Sun, 09 August 2009 11:33

pleat
Messages: 1452
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

I saw it on craigslist and you better get it. It looks fantastic in the photo's and with altecs to boot. Great price and if you can drive to it, all the better. Let us know if you get it.
Don

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11580 is a reply to message #11556]

Sun, 09 August 2009 14:59

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

Yeah... I thought it was a good price...The altec's alone are worth 125-150 a pop. Now all I need is another 2-15 in Blue and I'll have 4 cabs....the ultimate Bass rig!!!! I will have to scrounge the funds up but the holy Grail of Tuck n' Roll must be aqquired. Very Happy

Kraig

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11582 is a reply to message #11580]

Sun, 09 August 2009 15:39

pleat
Messages: 1452
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

I agree, how often does something like that come to light and for sale close enough that you can drive to pick it up. That set up with 4 2x15 altec cabinets will rock any place, and any time. Good luck on funding, it's an important part of Kustom history. The K400 heads are true monsters.
Don

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11585 is a reply to message #11582]

Sun, 09 August 2009 16:33

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

Come to light is a good choice of words!!!!! I wish I could get my band to go all Kustom lineup...With the 400 I have enuf power with 4-2/15 cabs to rock any place... Getting my guitar player to give up his Cruddy Crate POS... is another thing altogether...
Kraig

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11589 is a reply to message #11585]

Sun, 09 August 2009 18:49

pleat
Messages: 1452
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

Craig, or Kraig, I like the latter, nice touch with the K. Anyway, if your guitar player has any outboard effects or a processor pedal, he'd be amazed at the sound a kustom will give him. I had a guitar player friend buy a Digitech RP10 from me years ago and never liked it. He brought to me last week to list on CL for him. I hooked it up to a K150SC 2x10 and the pedal and amp combo blew him away. He tried in my K150SC 2x12 and was again amazed, next we put in my K100-1 2x12 and he was drooling by then. We tried it in my K200B1 with the 2x15 cabinet and he almost wet himself. The kustoms made him a new believer in the his processor and kustom plexi series amps. He has Randall, Mesa Boogies, Line 6, a original 66 Fender Vibrolux, and a few Peavey amps. He also has a Kustom Lead lll that was his grandfathers and the RP10 sounded flat in all of his amps. He's seeen me play before and knows how fat my K50 sounded and would cut through the mix, but thought my sound was a because of my processor pedal. I told him it's not the processor but the amp. Twist his arm, but be ready to sell him one once he hears it.
Don

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11591 is a reply to message #11589]

Sun, 09 August 2009 21:10

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

Hmmmnnnn...I wish I had a nice RED plexi combo to let him try...
I have the Blue Pa (K150) hopefully tomorrow afternoon a Blue 400
set Then all I would need is the silver/white. I play in a group called British Invasion so R W B would be a great color combo for us... His Late model CCPOS has no line or tape out...on a 130 watt 2-12 combo!!! Twisted Evil

Since I play bass I have always liked solid state. My 1st SS amp was a Charger... I loved it and was hooked on T n' R early.. Very Happy

Wish I had started collecting a long time ago.....
Kraig

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Re: Kustom 2 bass head..weak output [message #11594 is a reply to message #11580]

Sun, 09 August 2009 23:58

Shaun_Musings
Messages: 323
Registered: April 2009
Location: Reading, MA

Senior Member

Ah, that might be your Holy Grail, but mine's an elusive A4. Good luck, Kraig!!! Maybe the K-Force be with you!

Shaun

Born on the Baaaaayou (Ok, in Massachusetts)

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