Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Bob Weil
President Visual Sound LLC
Table of Contents
All content and images contained herein 2006 Visual Sound, LLC
your fuse ever blows, always replace it with the identical size and rating fuse.
Never, ever replace it with a higher rated fuse on the theory that you were coasting
along just at the edge of the fuse rating and a slightly bigger one will let you keep
playing. That fuse was selected, not to protect the internal components, but literally
to keep your amp from starting a fire in the event of some dire disaster inside. Its
a safety protection fuse, and under normal circumstances your amp will never come
close to popping it. If it does pop, put in an exact replacement. If that one pops too,
your amp needs a trip to a properly trained amplifier technician. There are other
fuses inside your amp, but they are there to lower the cost of a failure, and are not in
general going to be helpful to you to replace on your own. Remember fuses dont
blow for no reason at all. There was a reason your fuse popped. Dont put your amp
at risk by removing the fire protection fuse and changing its value.
Unplug your amp before servicing it
While most of us have been raised with this warning, it bears repeating. If there is a
line cord or AC power plugged into your amp, it is potentially deadly to open
the case. That applies whether the power switch is on or not.
As a precaution to you, we made it difficult to remove the case with the line cord
plugged into the back of the amp we want you to remove that line cord from the
amp. Unlike many other amplifiers, the Workhorse series has been designed to make
itself safe in a short time after its turned off by running down the power supply
capacitors so they dont hold a deadly voltage for a long time. But any good amp tech
will tell you that hell still be very careful.
Again, if you ever should have to remove the back cover from the amplifier
chassis, unplug the amplifier from the wall and wait for five minutes before
removing the cover.
Better yet, dont take that cover off. Take it to a trained tech.
floors Dont use equipment thats had liquid spilled into it. If youre not on a dry
surface, you can get zapped and some zaps are deadly.
Okay. Now that weve covered the general safety rules for using your new Workhorse,
are you ready to play? If your Workhorse is chomping at the bit (get it?), you can go
straight to the Quick Start in the next section and youll be up and running in no time.
If, on the other hand, youd like to savor the experience of learning about your new
Workhorse Amplifier, you can skip to page 12 and continue reading.
The warm-up time on Workhorse amplifiers is slower than most vacuum tube
amplifiers. This was done deliberately to ensure that the vacuum tubes start up
slowly and softly with no sudden surge of electricity to their heaters. This helps
extend the life of your tubes.
Once the heat up time has elapsed, the amplifier will be ready to operate. Flip the
standby switch to the on position like the power switch and begin playing.
3. Setting Your Jekyll & Hyde Pedal...
There has never been an overdrive pedal quite like this one. Two separate overdrives
in one pedal, each with separate controls, but with the ability to use them individually
or together. The Jekyll half is designed to accurately reproduce the sound of the TS808 original TubeScreamer, but with more volume potential and a Bass Boost switch.
Hyde is a heavier distortion with more bottom end and is extremely versatile. Not just
a Turbo version of Jekyll, Hyde has a wide range of sounds that can be discovered
by using the EQ knob to scoop out the midrange or add more, a Sharp/Blunt switch
to go from a more compressed distortion to very bright, and the usual Drive, Tone,
and Volume knobs to set the overall style of sound. With the ability to use both
halves separately or together, the sonic possibilities are endless. Following are some
settings to get you started:
Visual Sound Workhorse Manual
scoop out the midrange or add more, a Sharp/Blunt switch to go from a more compressed distortion to very bright, and the usual
Drive, Tone, and Volume knobs to set the overall style of sound. With the ability to use both halves separately or together, the sonic
possibilities are endless. Following are some settings to get you started: (Use Visual Sound 1 SPOT, Ibanez, Dunlop, Boss PSA,
Morley or other regulated 9VDC center negative polarity adapters, or 9V alkaline battery.)
Jekyll:
Drive
Tone
Drive
Volume
Drive
Tone
EQ
Volume
Volume
MELLOW BLUES
Hyde:
Tone
Drive
Tone
EQ
Volume
Sharp/Blunt
Sharp/Blunt
Tone
EQ
METAL MADNESS
Volume
Drive
Tone
EQ
Volume
Sharp/Blunt
Sharp/Blunt
ZZ DISTORTION
Drive
Tone
EQ
Volume
Drive
Tone
EQ
Volume
Sharp/Blunt
Sharp/Blunt
More Settings...
BRITISH STACK
BUZZ BOMB
Jekyll:
Drive
Tone
Drive
Volume
BROKEN UP JAZZ
Hyde:
Tone
EQ
Volume
Drive
Tone
Sharp/Blunt
Volume
Volume
EQ
Sharp/Blunt
SOUTHERN ROCK
Drive
Volume
Bass Boost ON
Tone
Tone
EQ
Volume
Sharp/Blunt
Sharp/Blunt
SOUTHERN ROCK
Tone
Volume
Drive
Tone
EQ
Volume
Sharp/Blunt
THICK FUZZ
Drive
Tone
Drive
Tone
EQ
Volume
Sharp/Blunt
PURE POWER
Drive
Tone
Volume
Drive
Tone
Bass Boost ON
EQ
Volume
Sharp/Blunt
Tone
Volume
Drive
Tone
EQ
Volume
Sharp/Blunt
HOT BLUES
Beware using Jekyll & Hyde together with both Drive knobs all the way up as it may cause feedback.
All Visual Sound pedals are warranted for 1 year from purchase. If you ever have any problems or questions, just call 800-686-3317
or e-mail service@visualsound.net. Visit our website for updates: www.visualsound.net
Weve included a warranty card to show you where to go on the Visual Sound website
for warranty registration. We know that registration cards have a bad reputation in
general and are sometimes a pain to fill out, but we decided to do it anyway. Heres
why...
Registration cards were a good idea back when they were used for what they
were supposed to be used for. They provided a link to customers who bought a
manufacturers product and gave that manufacturer a channel through which to
share important updates and news about the product. Registration cards also helped
to keep counterfeit products (which are less well made) out of circulation. The bad
reputation came when manufacturers started using them almost entirely for the side
effects... these include selling names for junk email lists and other advertising that
frankly is best left undone.
Here at Visual Sound we all try to have real lives outside the office, and we dont like
this kind of thing either. We almost didnt include the card because of that. But we
finally decided that the advantages outweighed the bad impression a warranty card
would leave. Now, were able to contact you if there is a late-breaking safety or
operational issue with your amp, or if we release an update for better performance.
Lastly, it gives us some benefits that will help us in the future, like knowing where our
amps sell best and why. That lets us better serve you and your musical needs.
We will not compile mailing lists from our warranty registrations and sell
them, or bombard you with advertising. Period.
All of the user controls that youll need for normal operation of the amplifier are on
the control panel on the top of the amplifier, by the handle.
Input Your guitar cord plugs in here. The jack is a 1/4/ 6.35mm phone jack which
the amplifier louder. The amp will begin to overdrive at higher settings. You may have
to turn the knob higher than on other amps to get the same volume. This is normal.
We designed the Workhorse amps to have a very gradual volume taper, unlike many
other brands which are very abrupt after about 1 on the volume knob.
Treble This knob adjusts the amount of treble in your amplifiers tone.
Mid Adjusts the amount of midrange sounds in your amplifiers tone.
Bass Adjusts the amount of bass in your amplifiers tone.
Reverb A spring reverb tank introduces a type of hall reverb as its turned up
from 0.
Line Out This output is a line level (approximately 1Vrms) version of the amplifiers
sound, suitable for sending directly to a mixing board or PA system. This signal
has been processed by a speaker simulator circuit inside the amplifier so it sounds
more like a real amplifiers speaker sound than most direct outputs from amplifiers.
Plugging into this jack does not silence the speaker on the amplifier.
phone plug from the headphone jack of a CD player or other stereo signal source. The
two inputs are mixed to mono, and then mixed into the output sound of the amplifier.
Using a mono plug in this jack will not damage the amplifier. One interesting use of
this input is to connect an amplifier modeling unit output to the amp. This offers you
the flexibility of digital modelers with the smoothness of real vacuum tube power.
Power This indicator light is lit whenever the amplifier power switch is turned on
from it for a period of time and want it to remain quiet. It leaves the vacuum tubes
heated up and ready to play instantly when you return to the amplifier and flip the
standby switch back to the operating setting. Notice that the switch position which
lets the amplifier make sound is the same direction as ON on the On/Off switch.
The muted or quiet standby position is in the same direction as the Off setting of
the power switch. In the illustration, both the On/Off switch and the Standby switch
are shown in the On or ready to play position.
On/Off This is the main power switch for the amplifier. Turning this to the ON
position allows the amplifier to work. The Off position interrupts the power from
the AC power socket to the amplifiers internal power supply.
Turning the amplifier on
To turn the amplifier on, set the Standby switch to the muted position, then flip the
On/Off switch to the ON position.
When you turn the amplifier on, you will have to wait for the vacuum tubes inside the
amplifier to heat up. This will take approximately two minutes.
The warm-up time on Workhorse amplifiers is slower than most vacuum tube
amplifiers. This was done deliberately to ensure that the vacuum tubes start up
slowly and softly with no sudden surge of electricity to their heaters. This helps
extend the life of your tubes.
Once the heat-up time has elapsed, the amplifier will be ready to operate. Flip the
standby switch to the ON position like the power switch and begin playing.
Turning the amplifier off
When you are finished playing the amplifier, turn the power switch to Off. The
position of the Standby switch does not matter. This amplifier has been designed so
that its internal power supply will discharge any remaining voltage from the internal
capacitors within a few minutes of the time the On/Off switch is turned off.
CAUTION: do not turn the On/Off switch on and off rapidly. This partially
defeats the soft power-on circuitry inside the amp. No amp damage should occur, but
you may cause nuisance tripping of the internal fuses and may wear your tubes out
more quickly than they would otherwise wear out.
Things youll use less frequently are on the back of the amplifier:
AC Power Receptacle: The AC power receptacle accepts any IEC standard power
cable. The same power cable as is used on all personal computers in your area/
country will plug into this receptacle. We did that so you could have the easiest
possible time replacing a damaged power cord, and so that you would not poke holes
into your speaker by putting your power cord inside the amplifier.
AC Power Fuse: The AC power fuse is inside a pull-out tray in the lower part of the
AC power receptacle. To check the fuse, remove the power cord to expose the lip of
the fuse tray, then press down and back to slide the fuse tray out. You may need to
use a coin or the blade of a screwdriver to remove the tray more easily. The fuse is a
standard 5mm x 20mm type. Be sure that if you replace this fuse, you replace it only
with the proper type and current rating.
Visual Sound Workhorse Manual 15
External Speaker Jack: You can plug another speaker cabinet in here. The
internal speaker will continue to operate in conjunction with the external speaker
cabinet. The jack switches taps on the output transformer for you. On the Pony, this
switches between the 8 and 4 ohms tap, so plug 8 ohm speaker cabinets into this
model. We do not recommend plugging a 4 ohm speaker cabinet into the Ponys
external speaker jack. On the 60W212 model, the switch is between 4 ohms and 2
ohms, so plug 4 ohm or 8 ohm speaker cabinets into this amplifier. Do not use 16
ohm speaker cabinets with Workhorse amps.
Upper biasing ports: These holes are here so you can look through them to see
if your output tubes are biased correctly. The holes correspond to the output tubes;
the left hole shows you the biasing lights for V5 on the left side of the chassis, and the
right hole shows you the biasing lights for V4, which is to the right of V5. If you see
no lights inside, the tubes are biased too cold. A green light indicates proper biasing,
and a red light shows for a bias point which is too hot. Sometimes you will get both
green and red lights at the same time. This is no cause for alarm the bias is just at
the edge between green and red. Thats OK.
Lower biasing ports: This is where you adjust the bias. Use only the small plastic
screwdriver that came with your Workhorse for this adjustment, and be gentle. If you
force the screwdriver in too far, you may damage the bias adjustment control. (If you
lose the plastic screwdriver at some point, a #2 Phillips head screwdriver can also
be used.) The adjustment holes correspond to the upper biasing ports above them.
After the amp has warmed up for at least 2 minutes, flip the Standby switch to the
On (play) position and look through one of the Upper Biasing Ports. Insert the plastic
screwdriver into the hole below it and turn the adjustor clockwise until the green LED
comes on. Do the same with the second biasing port. You may need to go back to the
first port and re-adjust it as the two tubes interact with each other a bit. When both
LEDs are green, youre ready to play and you just saved yourself some time and
money by not having to bring your Workhorse to an amp tech! You should check the
biasing every few weeks or so in case the tubes have changed their values slightly
due to heat, heavy playing, etc.
vaccuum tube
tube socket
Your Workhorse amplifier is designed not to need service very much. The circuits
inside are designed to self-protect against many problems that would otherwise need
service.
For instance, there are inrush slow-down parts to stop the sudden surge of electricity
into the amplifier when its first turned on, both on the main AC power line and on the
tube heaters themselves. There are also transient suppressors, devices designed to
eat up sudden spikes that can puncture the insulation of transformers. These are like
lightning protectors, but on a smaller scale.
One of the primary objectives of the design were to make the tubes the most likely
components to need replacement. And the tubes are operated under conditions that
make them last as long as possible, given that they actually have to give us good
amplification tone.
But sometimes a tube will fail after all, thats why they have sockets and there are
other protective parts in there that could fail. Worse yet, sometimes a failing tube
will kill some other part. So lets look at what to do when it doesnt work.
There is a certain order in which we need to do the troubleshooting steps so we can
be sure to get to the right conclusion. So the steps are numbered, with instructions
about where to go next.
1)
Flip on the power switch from Off to On. Does the AC Power LED come
on?
a)
Yes go to step 4.
b)
No go to step 2.
2)
AC Power LED does not come on
a)
No AC power from the AC wall socket:
i)
Check to see that the AC line cord is plugged into
the wall securely, and also into the back of the amp.
If that does not fix it, go to step 2aii.
ii)
If the cord is plugged in properly, move the AC line
cord to another AC power outlet that will power a
lamp. If that does not fix it, go to step 2aiii.
iii)
If the AC power LED still does not come on, try
substituting another power cord. Bad cords
Visual Sound Workhorse Manual 18
do sometimes happen. If that doesnt help, go to
step 2b.
b)
Bad AC power fuse:
i)
Unplug the AC cord from the AC power socket on the
back of the amp and remove the fuse from the fuse
holder. Is the fuse blown?
(1)
Yes, the fuse is blown. Replace the fuse with exactly the same amperage and
type rating. It is important to use the same type because the amp requires a SloBlo type fuse to allow the start up surge through to run the amp without blowing.
IMPORTANT!! If the new fuse blows within a short time, take the amplifier to a
service technician for repair before using it again. There is a possible safety hazard
that the fuse is protecting you from. Do NOT replace the fuse with a higher rated fuse
and continue using the amp. You are causing a potential fire hazard if you do this.
(2)
No, the fuse is not blown. Put the original fuse back in the holder and try it
again.
(a)
If it does not work now, go to step 2c.
(b)
If it now works, take it to a technician and have him fix the
faulty fuse connections. When removing and replacing the
fuse makes the amp work, the connections to the fuse or
AC power line are intermittent and should be cleaned up
properly and safely by someone trained to work safely with AC
power wiring.
c)
Internal failure: Go to step 3.
3)
Internal failure: The amplifier has some internal circuit failure that requires a
trained service technician to repair it safely and without further damage to the amp.
4)
Does the amplifier make sound after a short warm up time?
a)
Yes go to step 6.
b)
No, no sound go to step 5.
5)
No sound at all with power indicator on:
a)
Be sure that the volume control is not turned all the way
down. Dont tell anyone, and we wont either.
b)
Check for a worn out tube. If sound does not return after
rocking the tubes in their sockets, look for heater glow in
each tube. A tube that does not have a slight orange heater
glow may have a burned-out heater. Note which tube has no
glow and go to 5c.
c)
Check for poorly seated tubes. Rotary-rock the tubes in their
sockets; if sound returns, the sockets are dirty. Remove and
reinstall the tubes.
Visual Sound Workhorse Manual 19
This should keep the amp functioning until you can take it
to a service technician to get the tube sockets cleaned. If you
had a tube which had no heater glow and still doesnt have a
heater glow after rotary rocking the tubes in their sockets,
replace the tube with a known-good tube of the same type.
d)
Check for faulty or loose speaker wires. If speaker wires are
loose on the speakers, re-seat them firmly on the speaker
connection tabs. Check to see that the internal speaker cable
is firmly seated in its jack, plugging and unplugging it a time
or two with the amp turned off. Then try again.
e)
Otherwise, take the amplifier to a service technician for
repair.
6)
Amp makes sound:
a)
Sound cuts in and out suddenly; replace your guitar cord
temporarily with a known good one and try again. If it still
cuts out, wiggle the guitar cord in the input jack while a
note is sounding. If the amp still cuts out, check the wires
going to the speaker to ensure that they are making good
contact. Then, if it still cuts out, take it to a tech to repair the
intermittent jack or wiring.
b)
Sound cuts in and out when playing loud notes; take the amp
to a service technician for repair of the internal circuit
problem.
c)
Sound is ugly/distorted;
i)
If you have recently replaced the power output
tubes, follow the biasing procedure to rebias the
output tubes correctly.
ii)
Otherwise replace preamp tubes with a known-good
spare tube, one at a time. If replacing preamp tubes
one at a time does not cause sound to be clear, take
the amplifier to a service technician for repair.
d)
Hum or buzz;
i)
Loud hum coming from the cabinet but NOT the
speaker; turn the power off immediately and take
the amp to a service technician for repair. This could
be a problem affecting the amplifiers safety and
needs to be repaired before any more use of the
amplifier.
ii)
Hum from speaker
(1)
Check your guitar cord by replacing it with
a known-good one.
Visual Sound Workhorse Manual 20
(2)
Check the reverb cable inside the amp.
Are both send and receive plugs firmly
seated in the jacks for the cable?
iii)
Buzzing sound from speaker
(1)
Constant buzzing
(a)
Check guitar cord as in 6dii
(b)
Check for fluorescent light-
induced buzz by taking the
amplifier to a place where there
are no fluorescent lights on the
same circuits.
(c)
Internal problem go to step 3.
(2)
Buzzy tone only on notes
(a)
Plug in an external speaker and
try the amp again. If the buzz
comes from the internal speaker
but not the external speaker,
the internal speaker may be
faulty. Take the amp to a service
technician to have the speaker
checked.
(b)
If both internal and external
speakers are buzzy only on notes,
rebias the amplifier carefully. If
that does not make the buzzy tone
go away, take the amplifier to a
service technician for repair.
e)
Loud hiss
i)
Pull the input cord out. Still got a bad hiss? Go to
step 3. This usually indicates a failure causing
high frequency oscillation. This problem should be
incredibly rare, but its not impossible.
f)
No reverb
i)
Check to see that the reverb cable is properly
seated in the spring unit and that the reverb control
is turned up.
ii)
If that does not help, go to step 3.
g)
Burning smell, or smoke
i)
Turn it off, unplug it and take it in to a qualified tech
for repair.
Visual Sound Workhorse Manual 21
Authorized Technicians:
Any authorized Fender amplifier service technician is also authorized to do repair
work on Workhorse amplifiers. Have your local authorized Fender amplifier service
technician contact Visual Sound with any questions they might have.
Fender is a registered trademark of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation and has no affiliation with
Visual Sound LLC.
Please feel free to contact Visual Sound directly regarding any questions or problems
with your Workhorse amplifier by going to www.visualsound.net. Up-to-date contact
information can be found there.