Debugging The Bugera 333XL - Burned Up Transformer Connector (Follow Up To Amp Rant Part 1)

[cast390]

This video is intrusting,just wish you used a better camera with smooth frames

[BionicSam]

I own a lot of amps I am a owner of a Bogner Uberschall, ENGL Fireball,MESA Roadking DR and 2ch Dual Rectifier, JCM800 and others I bought a 333XL 2yrs ago before Behringer addressed the problem. I was aware some were failing. Mine did the standby fail and the Bugera 333XL was fixed in 4 days I paid nothing and had my amp back. I dont know of your amp but like you I got it because it sounds great and a year later playing it a few times a week no prob w/ the amp. Good luck F-the hate w/120watts

[rjw7032]

Peavey uses these same molex-type plastic connectors in many of their amps and experience the same sort of issues. Failures usually don't crop up for a couple years though. Bugera amps are not as expensive as the amplifiers they copy but expect to do repairs like this to make them reliable.

The wire that burnt up most likely was the 6.3v heater line to the power tubes. If the power tubes are EL34's they require a LOT of heater current. Best to hard solder to the board as you did and it's done.

[NickWayne100]

Would it help to put a fan behinfd the amp or put the thing in front of an AC unit? would that prevent something like this?

[michellelynnt30]

dude, i agree with ya 100%. bugera is magic in a box!!!! i own a 2010 model (just bought it) and i am willing to do the same for this head. i will learn everything i can to keep the sound coming out of this monster. fuck all the neigh sayers!!!!! i love this head and if u don't like it my band will KICK YOUR BANDS ASS WITH ALL THE TONE IN THE WORLD COMING FROM LITTLE OL' ME!!!!!!!!!

[ViGMetal]

yesterday my fucking amp died during a solo, my tubes are glowing but there is just no sound, i have a 0802 model which is made february 2008. please help me otherwise i have to burn that stupid fucktard amp.

[metalmaniac426]

@ViGMetal just replace the little plastic clip with one from radio shack. cost 75 cents

[smaragdboa]

i didnt set the bias and now the lights dont light up but the tubes are and the amp is not working what shuold i do HEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPP­P!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[boogieou818]

my tubes light up but no sound??

[caiide]

how is your amp now since the repair... still working?

[pietdepsi]

so if i buy one nowadays will it have the problem?

[metalterminator1]

im pretty sure bugera has fixed the problem. if you read the date that reviews are posted, they are 2008, and early 2009. the problem was fixed summer 2009. well its now summer 2010, so any problems now will be fixed. it was a new product, so there is bound to be problems. many new cell phones have problems, cars have problems(toyota), when fender released its first amp, a common problem was blown speakers. most companys have problems, im sure marshall had some sort of problem in the beginning.

[kidcharlamaign]

That friggin Marshall DSL 100 is no better built or tone at 6x the price.

[sweetgyy]

instead of soldering the wires to the board i would have just got some plugs from radio shack and used those instead. they are a lot better than those bs plugs .

from bugera and try using a plastic washer between the knobs and the chassis to avoid pressure to the controls in the event that it gets a hit from the front .

i have the 6262 combo. thanks and good luck bud .

[creepingnet]

@sweetgyy I've found no problems with the knobs funny enough, that amp took a Fender Jaguar to the clean channel (popping a knob off) and no damage to the pot or knob happened, however, the front panel is dented...barely. So I'd say they're pretty strong in that aespect.

[HJubb]

get the bitch on! lol I love it

[Rhanc595]

Does the soldering of the wires straight to the board work as a permanent fix? Wouldn't you be afraid that the wires would blow up again and cause permanent damage to the board? I have the same problem with the amp and just wanted to know if that is a safe fix before going ahead and doing it

[creepingnet]

Apparnetly it fixed it, it's been something like 10 months and I still have not had any other issues except a blown tube.

The cause of the clip melting is not necessarily the clip being a clip so much as a loose connection. The transformer throws some high voltages through that clip, and the amplifier, especiallly mine, is often played at VERY high volume, causing vibration. The metal on metal contacts microscopically close and open rapidly, generating sparks and therefore heat.

[Rhanc595]

awesome, thanks for your help!

[Rhanc595]

@creepingnet Yeah i haven't been on for a while but it def fixed my shit. im having a real tough time dealing with all this feedback tho. Did you ever have to deal with that?

[creepingnet]

When enough heat is generated, the plastic clip starts to melt and burn, eventually severing contact with the PCB and thusly killing the amp.

The PCB is fiberglass, and solder provides as tight connection to the board, so no sparking or heat generation occurs, plus, wire insulation is generally PVC, which just becomes more rubbery as it heats up before it reaches the point that it will burn or melt.

[kodee2]

There is only 2 problems with bugera. This plastic connector thing melts (which apparently has been fixed with models made during summer 09 and later) and they come with really cheap tubes that blow out easily. Both of these problems are easy to fix people just make a big fuss because they dont know how to repair anything.

[DerJust661]

Just stupid... Some people dont know that behringer built in some unreliable party in a mistake. This amp wount break down after some weeks anymore. You just had bad luck with it. Im playing with mine since over a year and hes working fine, hes reliable, he sounds 100% like 6505 ( compared them with same guitar and cab in my room ) i also owned a marshall jcm 2000 and a fame bulldozer. The bugera's sound is not worse than the sound of the others. And they DO NOT BREAK DOWN ANYMORE. Wrong infos!

[creepingnet]

Maybe not the newer ones, but I have an OLDER ONE! This video is almost a year and a half old. I bought mine in mid 2008, and have been playing it since EARLY 2008. This was before Bugera had ANY OTHER AMPS too, they only had the 333 series and the 626x series at the time. Maybe I'll ad it with annotations since nobody really reads the date when the video was uploaded (it's right below my username it says April 13, 2009, I'd had this amp SIX months at that point).

[creepingnet]

Also, since I know I was still in warranty period at the time, I could not send it in because I can't wait days/weeks to get my amp or a replacement back at the time as I was GIGGING all the time at that time, and had no backup amp and could not afford one at the time (had more important things to put my money on, like my cars worn out transmission, some medical problems, and other things that can cause me to be unable to do what I need to survive). So don't just think your exp is universal.

[Gyro911]

Next time just get a real JSX instead of this shitty chinese copy. In the long run it will cost you less then constantly repairing a cheaply constructed amp. The chinese have no shame for producing cheap products that break down as long as their bottom line is met

[creepingnet]

For the 10,000th time...

IF I COULD HAVE AFFORDED A JSX I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT ONE!!!!!! HOW HARD IS THAT TO UNDERSTAND!!! IF I HAD HAD $4000 I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT A MARSHALL TSL JCM2000!!!! BUT I ONLY COULD AFFORD THE $500 RANGE SO THIS IS WHAT I GOT! SOME OF US DON'T HAVE THE TIME OR MONEY TO FUCK AROUND AND WAIT FOR A SUPER EXPENSIVE AMPLIFIER! AT THE TIME, I WAS PLAYING GIGS FOR A PROFIT!!!! THIS GOES FOR EVERYONE ON HERE BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF GIVING THE SAME ANSWER OVER AND OVER!

[Gyro911]

@creepingnet Dude where have you been looking? of course if you go retial your going to overpay for a JSX at around 1300 dollars but if you buy on ebay you can get one for 700-800 dollars and if you count your repair costs its a wash with the bugera however you'd have a better amp. By the way a JCM 2000 goes for $600 on average on ebay.

[creepingnet]

Yeah, and buy an amplifier sight unseen, sound unheard!

Look, if this was just another average consumer 333XL that sounded like camel dung, I probably would have moved on to something else. Tube amps are much like the guitars plugged into them. No two amplifiers are the same, and the particular 333XL I bought happens to sound awesome when it works, which it has for the last 8 months. like I've said over and over, this video is obsolete, the only reason I keep it here is it helps others.

[creepingnet]

I've been playing guitar, for over 15 years. I don't trust ANY amp to sound good if I can't plug MY OWN guitar into it, and play with MY OWN eq, to see if I can get the sound that I'm looking for.

So let's rehash on what I have covered here...

1.) I don't buy an amp I cannot see and play in person!

2.) I would have bought a JSX or Marshall if I had the MONEY for it and could play it in person FIRST!

3.) I did not have the time at the time to save for a more expensive amp....

[creepingnet]

...4.) The repair costs on the Bugera have all been FREE because I happen to have the tools and skills necessary to fix my own gear. Go look at my other videos, ALL of my guitars are modified by me, and some of my pedals are modified by me, I just did not have a confidence in my amp repair abilities yet.

5.)I've been looking at local shops. For all the reasons I have listed. Plus, you order off of E-bay, you have to wait several weeks for the amp to arrive, I did not have TIME for that.

[Gyro911]

@creepingnet I think your short changing yourself by not buying used amps. your really missing out on brand names and relying on second rate immitations that will break down anyway. I've bought and sold more used amps then i can count i never had a problem with them since their recongnized names like mesa, marshall, hughes and kettner.

[creepingnet]

I never said I would not buy USED! I said I would not buy an amp I cannot play on before I purchase it. I think you are missing the point here.

[creepingnet]

Farthermore, If I can learn enough to do it, I'll start BUILDING MY OWN DAMNED AMP! ANY Amplifier, beit Peavey, Hughes and Kettner, Mesa, Fender, Marshall, Bugera, or Harmony, is being sold on it's NAME. When you pay for a Marshall, or a Mesa is the name, not the quality. y bassists stilletto sounded like shit. My Bassist's Orange had issues. EVERY Peavey I ever owned was an unreliable piece of shit that died early. So I don't want to hear about that "cheap imitation" bs, it's all the same

[stig354]

@creepingnet

im in same boat as you were man, money matters most and i cant justify spendin over a grand on an amp and theres just no way id want one off ebay.

mines due in a week or so.

and im fed up of people saying that i could have brand names for a little more, new or used.

bugera is a brand and is the one i want and can afford short of selling limbs,blood and semen

[thricegod1288]

5:05 dude you grunted, lmao i couldnt stop laughing.

[youngandinsane]

dude you are absolutly right !

I threw it away,now i have an engl,true reliability !

[JohnathenDavis]

I have a line 6 spider 3 right now and i can't say I've had any problems with it, of corse it's solid state. I prefer solid states over most vales becuase for me it's: heavy > warm unless it's a Krank amp then you can have it both ways. Alot of people I talk to say Marshall is great sounding and problem free. They sound great to me. It just a recomendation though.

[kickass8888]

The famous guitar player Lee Ritenour now plays three Bugera 333XL's on his Europe tour. If you have a chance listen to "Captain Finger". Lee is one of the most amazing guitar players in the world.

[creepingnet]

If it's in warranty, I'd have Bugera do it. The reason I did it myself was a special case. I play in a band, I play live, and I had a gig the night after this video was made. I was faced with two choices - Fix the bugera, or overdraw on my bank account

[intimatetorture]

iv been on and off at wanting a bugera because of its budget i sold my engl fireball, if i get one and it burns out im gonna be pretty mad

[paraglidermx]

Hows it holdin up now? Can u do a more detailed vid on how to bias these things,It would be greatly app. Im handy w/a multi meter and soldering iron so bugeras are good for me lol:}}

[creepingnet]

So far no problems since my repair. Seems to be the usual for me and most gear.

[Rambo29]

is this an older 333 or newer one?

[creepingnet]

Nope, older one, I believe it's a Feb 08 model.

[thirdasian]

Lol. They really owe a lot of sales to you guys who know what you're talking about. Maybe you will get an extra head soon enough... I was thinking about getting either 333xl combo, or head with 2x12.

Does the combo have a halfpower switch like the JSX combo?

[creepingnet]

Nope, flat out 120 watts all the time. My other amp is an Ibanez IBZ10G when I need lower power, which is usually just for practicing at home, as in some places, the Bugera is too loud even at 1.

[thirdasian]

This video is probably the reason bugera fixed the amps. I've heard that this issue has now been resolved. As per Dingle1, and all the others.

[creepingnet]

Yeah, this video is kind of obsolete. I recently checked out a new 333XL and things seem very different to me about it. I'll be getting one if I can get working steady enough to afford another one.

[creepingnet]

twould be nice if I had a second head to keep at the rehearsal space and as a backup.

[lenmetallica]

the exact same thing happened to me but the output transformer was blown so the tubes were burning but it didn't send any ouput signal. it was fine at the shop, we checked.

[Denounced666]

You seem to know what your talking about, maybe you can help me. Recently i was playing my bugera 333xl in my bedroom at low volume when all of the sudden i hear a loud popping noise. I look over and i notice that one of the tubes is glowing abnormaly bright and it starts to spark all over the place. i rush to turn it off but i couldn't seem to turn it back on. I replaced the fuse and got it turned back on but it is still acting the same. Could you please help me out?

[creepingnet]

I read somewhere that that just indicates a bad tube. They do need replaced eventually. I'd say replace the tubes and see if it still does it, if so, then it's the amplifier. Chances are it's the tube though. I'm still learning on this stuff.

[Denounced666]

Thanks man, I really appreciate it.

[xheldatthegatesx]

hey, did you just buy this recently because i heard they fixed this but if they havent im not going to be buying one

[creepingnet]

Nope, my amp is over a year old now.  Never had a problem since I did the repair. So if they fixed it, Kudos. I may be buying another Bugera 333XL from Pawn Fathers (if I can) in the future.

[xheldatthegatesx]

alright thanks bro, i hear this year there not using the plastic parts so il consider it again. if you buy another newish one and it works well let me know, thanks

[creepingnet]

That's what I want to do because I want to see if they really did make the change. I bought a Crate solid state as a backup, and the other night I took it for a spin at rehearsal and it sounded like crap cranked out all the way (and was not even CLOSE to as loud as the Bugera).

My friend's Marshall Solid State is louder and has more power at 100 Watts than that Crate has at 120 watts.

[xheldatthegatesx]

haha oh man terrible buy, i believe the crate solid states are listed as the worst ones right now, then marshalls just because there dry, im using a line 6 hd150 and it works quite well considering compared to a tube its electronic sounding. if i were you id buy one as a cheap backup because their atleast very durable and powerful

[Gyro911]

This is hilarious Bugera is the only company i know of where the common view is their amps will crap out within a year

[PedroRiot]

Gotta expect that kind of shit when you pay that kind of price...took a while for mine to blow up actually, but it did after like 8 months...luckily I work where I bought it and they sent me a new one right away...even though I expect the worst from these now, I still love the sound I get from it...

[creepingnet]

Maybe I'm daft but is'nt $500 a lot of money for an amplifier. I'm not exactly Edward Van-Halen, I can't afford something more expensive.

So far since the fix the Bugera has not failed me at all, actually, it's been pretty loud and acting more like a Fender now as far as reliability goes. I got a Crate as a backup though, just in case.

[lyradguitar]

i have a vid of my bugera6262 wiring fixes

[lyradguitar]

hey man i fixed my6262 today same frickin thing bad connections plastic clips soldered the shit right to the board now its all good.

[lyradguitar]

hey my bugera 6262 shit the bed a couple of months ago too completely shut down do you think it's one of those clips? the amp sounds awesome when it works lol!

[Erithlon]

wasn't this problem fixed with the updated models? thats what i heard at least.

[creepushc]

Goddamnit you're a faggot.

[ryanmichael95]

Hey...I went through a couple of amps that gave me problems for a long time, being that I could not afford better ones. But, although it took me a very long time, I finally saved up enough to get the amp of my lifetime....no problems since. Just a thought, I'm not being a di*k, I'm just trying to help.....thanks for posting up a vid....

[jaymesk8]

theres a fucking waranty you know??

[creepingnet]

There's also a thing called "too fucking busy, I have a gig tomorrow and no backup so I have to DO IT MYSELF!", if you ever had a gig the next day and a dead amp, you'd understand, warranty or not. I doubt Behrhinger is going to get a replacement out there overnight and on time.

[gitboxjammer]

Amen buddy!!! I know what it's like, i'm in the same boat, and I have the same amp, if my amp dies on me, I'm !@#$%ed and I will fix it myself since I trust my own work much more than some flunky in a shop who will just leave me with cold salders, bad connections and just overall no time to do a good job!

[VisionDemos]

What amp sounds like a bugera 333? ENGL?

[betteroffshred]

So now, I have a Carvin Legacy and using a tube screamer in the front and I feel at ease now. By the way, it sounds incredible. Might not have the brittle, grainy gain that Bugera has, but it has a much sweeter, punchier distortion sound. I love it.

[betteroffshred]

Fuckin' zipperheads! They might be able to make pork fried rice and General Tso's chicken but they SUCK at building quality tube amps. I had the exact same problem, fixed just like you did by direct soldering the tube heater wires directly to the board. Worked fine for about 3 weeks, then one night at a gig, BANG, the fucker went out again. My original fix held fine but now I have have 2 blown Screen Grid Resistors. There is one on each power tube on the bottom of the board. They used cheap shit

[dcrhoads]

i got the 6260 2 days later it died then got the 333xl have no problems since then

[cucuk666]

needs proper grounding dumbass.

[creepingnet]

Proper grounding, what the fuck are you talking about? Koo Koo?

[cucuk666]

yellow is for the ground lead

check if your plug has a working one

[creepingnet]

Could you explain more in depth what you are talking about, the wires on the transformer cable? Or the ground from the power plug. If you are talking about the power plug I have no control over ground issues because I have a working plug on it for sure. You have to remember, I do gig with this amp, and I have no control over the venue's power source, so if they have a grounding problem, it's their problem to fix.

[KilobagKyle]

Gezz, Dude, they hired these guys to build the amp. Really did these idots even go to shop class. I mean come on. I would have been pissed. This is really bad. I love the amp but I guess you have to fix it yourself.

Dude send you Vid to Bugera They should give you a new amp. Love the sound

[alla737]

Does it work fine now? Or is there any other problems you have experienced?

[creepingnet]

No problems so far since the fix so far. I'm thinking that also had a lot to do with the flaky performance in the beginning (that connector moving around can cause variable voltage in the tubes).

[rfkurt]

I use a Carvin Legacy and Crate amps they hold up.

[jks2]

is biasing important for sound and amp life?

[creepingnet]

Yes. If the amp is not biased, the voltage running through the tubes (or more accuratley, the current) can make or break both the sound, performance, and reliability. An amp with an improper bias can blow a transformer (one of the most expensive parts) or the tubes can die prematurely, due to stress from improper voltage. Also, the sound will suffer as well.

[carlozivan]

excellent dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!

i'got a bugera 6260 and after a mouth

home using it died,the tubes does not

ligth up at all,i guess it's the same thing.

it helps a lot...

[WannabeGuitarLegend]

and it's best to get a bias probe tool and use that instead.

I think these amps are great as soon as you sort these issues out! Thanks a lot!

[WannabeGuitarLegend]

Very useful, I've been looking into getting the bugera 6262 and finding out how easy it is to sort out the unreliability of them. So far I've gathered that that particular clip on the 333s is a common problem and that the best thing to do is just get the chasis out as son as you get it and check all the clips and ground screws, apparently the ground scews in particular can get very loose! Another thing I learned is that the part for testing the bias is very inaccurate

[tony93666]

the transformer clip connector burning out is a known problem with the early Bugeras - the factory is hardwiring the wire bundle to the board under warranty service, no charge to the customer(as it should be). I guess yours just took awhile to go... I'm assuming they won't be/aren't using the clips anymore for the current models, seeing as it's the SAME THING happening again and again, but that's just an assumption on my part.

[jross68052]

Also your bias proceedure is not quit right. According to my amp tech, the test point of the Bugera indicates the bias voltage. you need to measure the bias current at least, and ideally the plate voltage as well. Your measurement is only ballpark at best.

[creepingnet]

I know this, but I don't have the weber tool yet to use for the process.  I'm just following what Bugera's manual stated for the most part.

[jross68052]

I got my amp back from the tech today. He fixed the bad connector. A few other points were made that might interest you about the Bugera 333XL. According to him, and I do think he is one of the best electronic minds I have ever come across, the design and build quality of the Bugera is as good if not better than the American counter parts he works on. He claims the components are not cheap at all, inlcuding the ceramic tube sockets.

.

.

[creepingnet]

The tube sockets are something I'm not too bugged by, the plastic input jacks are but they also turn up on just about everything else out there these days. That will be a repair video I'll do later on though. People whine a lot about the plastic knobs but considering I jabbed one on the clean channel EQ with the headstock of my Fender Jaguar (which is a ridiculously strong piece of gear btw) I can attest that the pots are very sound as well despite all the complaints about them being plastic.

[rugbyguitargod]

i wouldn't exactly agree on the part about 'design' being as good as the american counterparts. the concept they had was really good, but when it comes down to it, there is just too much voltage/current running too closely to other things in the circuit that can arc without reason and burn stuff up inside. most of my bugera was hand-wired by my amp tech to prevent the problem i had from happening again

[kissrocks45]

my 6260 has a date of 02/08 hope its good.

[jross68052]

Thanks for the input. Mine dates back to January of 08. It had the exact same issue. I really like the amp so I hope after the repair it will settle down and run like all of my Marshall Heads. I think they should have sent a recall notice on a problem like this. My amp tech sent me photos of the burnt connector.

I guess this is the type of risk you take when you buy a new untested model from a new manufacturer.

[jross68052]

Lat night my 333XL would not fire up. No power at all on the power tubes.

[creepingnet]

Same problem I had here. the transformer on the power switch side is connected to the preamp tube board using a plastic clip, and with time, that plastic clip vibrates and causes the connection to arc/spark, and eventually melts the connector from the heat, causing the high voltage wire from the transformer to not connect to the pin and therefore no tube power.

What needs to be done is the wires removed from the connector, and the wires rewired straight to the board.

[jbstorck]

Are there any other good videos that pertain to this issue with the Bugeras?

[creepingnet]

Not that I'm aware of, as far as I know I'm the first one.

[jbstorck]

Thanks for this video.....very informative. I may just crack mine open and solder them all now.

[XxJoshbxX]

Hey man,

Just to let you know bugera has started soldering the transformer wires directly to the board. The acknowledged this problem in early 08 and corrected it in production. What is the date code on the back of your amp?

[creepingnet]

I'll let you know when I get home, but I'm happy to hear this because so far this has been the only amp I can find with the setup I've been looking for for almost 10 years now. The cable issue I could deal with.

[creepingnet]

The code is 0802

[creepingnet]

I do know it must be one of the earlier 333XL's though, given what I saw back then. When I bought the amp (June 08'), nobody I knew heard of the brand before and I found maybe one or two forum posts on google and that was it. Sorry iv I come across as a bit of a jackass in the video but I really do rely on this thing to get me through gigs and rehearsals without a hiccup.

[XxJoshbxX]

lol no problem man, doesn't offend me none... i understand peoples frustrations. Oddly enough yours is a month newer than mine which came with the wires already soldered... mine is 0801. I've seen 0801(mine), 0805, 0808, 0811 all with the wires pre-soldered. I wonder if mine is stamped with an older stamp by mistake.

[creepingnet]

Hmm...makes me wonder if those with the pre-soldered wires are either made at a different plant, by a different builder, or if maybe all those had the wires re-soldered in warranty and were re-sent back out as new.

[XxJoshbxX]

gotta be something. Mine came without a spec of dust and all the plastic covering tightly in place so i'd expect it was new... but no telling. I'll shoot bugera another email.

[GooseDrunk]

Hey, have you looked into the peavey stereo chorus 212? theyr kinda hard to find, but have great tone, especialy for solid state.

[creepingnet]

Actually, I can't believe I forgot about those, and they are the only ones I like actually, though they do lack the features I want (somewhat). There was another version called the Classic Chorus that I really liked as well, but they all seem to be very very hard to find.

[darrenguitar]

you should have gotten the peavey vk

[creepingnet]

Valvekings don't have the features I desire from what I've read (3 channels, solo boost via FX Loop, 120Watts).

An amp with the feature I desire costs about $2000-4000. And Also, I have bad luck with Peaveys (Killed a Rage 158, Backstage 30, the Special 130's tone sucked, almost killed a Bravo and a Delta Blues). So honestly, I'm a little, anti-biased towards Peavey products due to my experiences, sorry.