HELP! SUNN Concert Lead, NO DISTORTION!

[Yahtzee]

Greeetings, I just purchased a Sunn concery lead and I can't get the distortion to work. It didnt come with a foot switch, could that be the problem. Is there any way to open up the amp and bypass the footswitch needs?

thanks!

[JoeArthur]

Yes, the distort feature of concert amps need a footswitch to work.

You didn't specify if it was an older two channel or the newer single channel concert lead.

I have the older model... that uses RCA jacks in the back for footswitch connections.  I made a "shorting plug" out of an RCA plug that acts like an always on footswitch.  I plug it into the left most jack on the back.

[Yahtzee]

This shorting plug you speak of.. i would assume that you take the rca cable, cut it open and attach the ground and lead together? I'll try it!

Thanks

[Yahtzee]

Its the older two channel one. I took an Rca plug and stripped the wire and attahced the lead to the ground and didnt do anything. When i hooked it up to the reverb it did turn the reverb off on the other channel, so maybe my problem is deep embedded...

[JoeArthur]

Sorry... but yes, that is what a shorting plug is... the inner lead attached to ground.

You might try the shorting plug on the right jack... meaning to the right of the left one that controls the distortion.  The right one should control the boost and when you plug in the shorting plug, the volume should drop.

I would open up the amp to check out the distortion.  It is probably some crud built up on the RCA jack... or possibly the lead from the preamp board to the jack has worked itself loose - the connections at the preamp board are all made with clips that slide over lugs.

[Yahtzee]

yes i tried the bright boost (right) side and that made the distortion knob act like an EQ.. weird. I also opened the amp and tried touching the two pins on the jack together.. and the connections on the board are good, so I guess we are in circuit board terriroty now..

scott