Worry sets in.....

[guitarcomet]

Line from the movie "Dune"
"Fear is the mind killer"

After ordering an RM 100 M2 w/cab, I came here to see what's up.

Now after seeing all the complaints & stories about blown fuses, it makes me think I might have made a poor choice.
But to be fair, I think some of you (not pointing fingers) are the type that do modifications and tweaks that I'd suggest against doing.
When you have an amp as modifiable and user serviceable, you're bound to have problems. I can only summarize that mistakes were made, setting were pegged and it's only a handful of users having problems. I'm sure there are a few lemons, too.
I bought a Laney once that blew up the day I bought it! In fact, had I used it for 20 minutes more at the store (I played through it for 10 minutes) it would have blown up at the store.
Generally speaking, if I buy something and it breaks down right away, I return it for store credit and buy another brand.
More proof of lemons?
Fender made an amp back in 1993 called the "Concert". I wanted one, too...because it was a perfect small club amp (1 X 12", 100 watt combo, 3 channels)
A guy that worked at the music store (and played in a band with me) had one. It began making an intermittent loud "pop" every 2-3 minutes. He showed the Fender Rep when he was in town. The Rep took it with him back to the factory. 6 weeks later, the Rep calls to say they were keeping the amp and he got credit for a new amp. However, he wasn't able to buy another Concert amp. It was discontinued! Word from the Rep was that the unit was a flawed design and it was being cut from the line.
So, even the mighty Fender company makes mistakes.

Do any of you guys think the RM 100 M2 is a troublesome amp?

I'm the kinda guy that would never run my bias too high/low even if I liked the performance better. I also never set things at 100% and always treat my amps better than most treat their children.
I've never had any amp that blew fuses. I knew a guy that had a Crate bass amp that blew fuses left & right, but it was being pushed to the hilt 24/7.

 

[tonymustang302]

My RM100 has been flawless since the day i got it. I have 2 KT88's in v1 and v2, i have a Blue LED strip on top of the amp illuminating the Randall logo and no problems.

Stuffs going to break. If it continuously breaks then get rid of it. Nothing is perfect.

Tony H.

 

[Shinozoku]

I've had my RM00 for roughly 6 months now, and the only problem I've had so far is a loose power tube that was probably from shipping. I think there's just some lemons here and there (especially the earlier ones), and if you get one, see if you can get it replaced with a newer model for free. This amp is worth it

 

[droptrd]

I agree, stuff does break. I have had many many Mesa's, and every one of them has had a problem at some point. I still am going to buy a Mark V. Plus if you bought it new, it has a warrentee. Aside from an "L" snapping off of my logo (good thing the logo has a spare "L") the unit has been flawless.

 

[Pedro]

I'm currently one of those "tweakers" ... currently tweaking :lol: ... and as the guys have been so good to mention, the bias setting in v1 and v4 when I placed my 88's in were WAY high compared to where I have it set right now. Live and learn..that was my (*&^ up..but it's still learning :wink:

I love this amp...it can be a hundred amps in one for a fraction of the cost ... literally!

Stick with it my friend...you won't be disappointed! And this forum is a godsend as far as info and support goes! trust me! Good gang and great knowledge!

Pedro

 

[Pedro]

Aside from an "L" snapping off of my logo (good thing the logo has a spare "L") the unit has been flawless.

Spare "L" ... :lol: good one.

 

[trendkill1168]

Line from the movie "Dune"
"Fear is the mind killer"

After ordering an RM 100 M2 w/cab, I came here to see what's up.

Now after seeing all the complaints & stories about blown fuses, it makes me think I might have made a poor choice.
But to be fair, I think some of you (not pointing fingers) are the type that do modifications and tweaks that I'd suggest against doing.
When you have an amp as modifiable and user serviceable, you're bound to have problems. I can only summarize that mistakes were made, setting were pegged and it's only a handful of users having problems. I'm sure there are a few lemons, too.
I bought a Laney once that blew up the day I bought it! In fact, had I used it for 20 minutes more at the store (I played through it for 10 minutes) it would have blown up at the store.
Generally speaking, if I buy something and it breaks down right away, I return it for store credit and buy another brand.
More proof of lemons?
Fender made an amp back in 1993 called the "Concert". I wanted one, too...because it was a perfect small club amp (1 X 12", 100 watt combo, 3 channels)
A guy that worked at the music store (and played in a band with me) had one. It began making an intermittent loud "pop" every 2-3 minutes. He showed the Fender Rep when he was in town. The Rep took it with him back to the factory. 6 weeks later, the Rep calls to say they were keeping the amp and he got credit for a new amp. However, he wasn't able to buy another Concert amp. It was discontinued! Word from the Rep was that the unit was a flawed design and it was being cut from the line.
So, even the mighty Fender company makes mistakes.

Do any of you guys think the RM 100 M2 is a troublesome amp?

I'm the kinda guy that would never run my bias too high/low even if I liked the performance better. I also never set things at 100% and always treat my amps better than most treat their children.
I've never had any amp that blew fuses. I knew a guy that had a Crate bass amp that blew fuses left & right, but it was being pushed to the hilt 24/7.

Dude trust me.....you'll like the amp and none of the mods contribute to the amp blowing fuses or anything else. I've had 2 RM's and I didn't have any issues with either of them. I think some of it comes from changing the power tubes and not realizing to turn the bias down so when you throw something in there that draws more current the bias is gonna jump up once you turn the amp on and "pop". Honest mistake though if you didn't know any better. I wouldn't hesitate though cuz it is a great amp that has alot of potential. I had a Dual Rec and a 6505 and they are great amps for metal but I sold both of them to go back to this head because of the versitility. You can be running E34L's and have tons of great Marshall tones and then swap the tubes out in 15 minutes with a set of 6L6's and you have Mesa and modern tones. Not to mention the cleans...

 

[guitarcomet]

Whew!

I'm glad to hear these responses.

I'm not always looking for the negative things about stuff (digging dirt on products) but I usually hear when things are causing problems and suspected of being flawed designs. This is the first time I've read about any problems the amp (or user of the amp) have had. Other sites all have glowing reviews and happy owners.
Seymour Duncan made an amp similar to the RM 100 back in the 80s called "The Convertable". It was a 1-12" combo with switchable preamp tubes (AT7, AU7, etc.). First of it's kind! (they made a rack mount unit, too)
Jeff Beck (a good friend of Seymour's) endorsed the first ones in a magazine add.

At next year's NAMM show, SD had a new head version. They hooked it up on the stage for anyone to use. It immediatly blew up (even billowed smoke, so I hear). The SD people rushed to put another unit on stage to replace it. It blew up immediatly, too! Everyone at the NAMM show canceled their orders for the amp.
Seymour Duncan quit making amps after that.
Kinda rare to see one nowadays.

Thanks for your input, guys! I think I might get to sleep tonight. :lol:

 

[Jaded Faith]

Trust me, these are great amps. I have had the entire line at one point now. I have gigged them all without backups regularly. I have messed with both the modules and the amps themselves, replacing tubes, caps, resistors and transformers. I bought every piece of MTS gear I have ever owned used, so god knows what they went through before I got them. I love my gear and trust it completely.

You have a point about such highly tweakable amps having more opportunities to get messed up. Just remember, when you see a post on here about amp troubles there are tons out there working just fine. People post because they have problems and need help. You don't typically go looking for help if things are all good. If things ever do go bad, Randall customer service has been second to none and helped many of us out very quickly (myself included).

Welcome aboard and you made a great choice!

 

[Julia]

When you put new tubes in the amp, the video tells you to back off on the bias. Probably a good idea to do it before you switch it on. Then when you check the bias you bring it up slowly (that adjustment is very sensitive) to within tube spec. I'd sit on the cool side for a week or so with the new tubes, then recheck the bias and then you can bring it up to where you like it. Then a week later check it again and even it out.

My Lynch Box is running JJ EL34Ls. The amp was dropped by UPS, and the box was nearly destroyed. Yet everything inside worked. I'm coming up on 1 month with it. The jury is still out on the amp due to my history with amps. So far so good. I'm playing the hell out of it. I run my EL34Ls at 38.5 mV across the board. You'll need to run your EL34s a bit cooler between 30 and 38 mV and probably would be best around 33 mV for a bit.

Tubes tend to behave in a \_____/ pattern. The really bad failure rates are right after installation to about a month, then in the last month of life of the tube. Same with most electronic equipment.

Tube bias also will drift with burn in and use. It is a good idea to check things periodically. Look at it like checking the oil in your car.

 

[guitarcomet]

I have lots of funny stories about equipment (and the dummies that use it) that you'd shake your head at.
I'm from Eastern N.C. and years ago, the rednecks around here (I'm a reformed redneck myself) had llttle or no help getting the info and instruction to buy & use the best equipment out there.
Our local stores (my town) has never had a Gibson dealer and only got a Fender dealer in 1988. The local dealers were both only interested in selling pianos! Now we have only the Fender dealer (a one store town).
Back in my early years (1978-1988) I had to learn by trial & error, believing everything I read in Guitar Player magazine (until proven otherwise) and local players relied on older musicians (dated info) and superstition/voodoo magic as to how to use equipment correctly.
Other misconceptions and false beliefs that some of the more learned players believed became factual info (due to no other credible source being available).
One older guy I played with back in the early 90s, had a 197? Fender Princeton? combo amp. The thing was beat to sh!t and had NEVER been serviced! He complained that it was sounding weak and concidered getting a new amp, but couldn't afford a new one.
I took a look at it and it was a tube amp.
I then asked, "Have you tried replacing the tubes?" (They looked cloudy! :lol: )
He hadn't, so I told him the tube types to get and how many.
I replaced the tubes for him and it roared to life again!
After that, he began calling me and following me around like a puppy at gigs, asking questions and seeking advise. **** that was annoying!

P.S. My old Mesa/Boogie Mk III was making slight crackling noises that albeit seemed slight, was not up to snuff for recording. So I sold it to the little puppy. I felt sorry for him. Years later I saw the Mesa again (in tatters) and he complained that it didn't sound as good as it use to.
I asked him, "Have you replaced the tubes lately?"
He said, "No, do you think that will make a difference?"
Some guys are just stupid! :roll:

 

[Pedro]

P.S. My old Mesa/Boogie Mk III was making slight crackling noises that albeit seemed slight, was not up to snuff for recording. So I sold it to the little puppy. I felt sorry for him. Years later I saw the Mesa again (in tatters) and he complained that it didn't sound as good as it use to.
I asked him, "Have you replaced the tubes lately?"
He said, "No, do you think that will make a difference?"
Some guys are just stupid! :roll:

:lol: .... some kids!

and as Julia had stated, ALWAYS set the bias to the lowest level and bring it up... because of my sheer excitement to install these and try it out, my normal, analytical and logical self, took a flying leap out the window, and left the bias as it was set for the 34's. The 88's must have been set to 70mA or more :shock: :lol: ... my mistake, only a crapped fuse... and a mistake that will NEVER be repeated! :shock: :lol:

 

[mattmcmetal]

I dropped my rm100 from a good height (accidently of course) and it still works. No problems, Love it.

 

[KillTone]

No problems with my RM100. I have had it for a year and gigged with it about 15 times. It has been great. I highly recommend getting some of your modules modified by Pete Turley. His mods take the RM100 from a good production amp to a great boutique amp.

I had one of those Seymour Duncan Convertibles back in the day. No problems with mine and it sounded awesome. I loved the idea back then and as soon as I saw the Randall I knew I had to have it. It was like the same concept taken to the next level.

 

[guitarcomet]

Exactly! The Next Level!
I have another tube switching amp (The Polytone Fusion), but it's been blown up for years. The thing cost $600 back in 1986 and I've spent $500 trying to fix it. (I gave up) It got abused by a *ahem* friend and blew up later that week.
It had a 5-way switch that you could switch (on the fly) tubes while playing.
It was the baddest little amp I ever had. I'd pay twice for it again if they made it.
Some features it had:
100/50 watts (switchable)
1x12" speaker
2 channels (footswitchable) one Fender sound w/passive EQ, one kinda Mesa sounding w/active EQ. (bright/normal/fat, switch on each channel, footswitchable)
5-way tube switch (footswitchable, on/off)
Tube buffered effects loop (footswitchable, on/off)
Reverb (footswitchable on/off)
Distortion: like an extra gain but really I think it was a distortion circuit (footswitchable, on/off)
There were 11 tubes in this little combo!
It had casters, too! (no cover)