Marshall Class 5 Combo Amp (need Help)

[Kenneth S Meese]

Hello, my name is Ken, I'm new here to the forum hoping somebody can help me out. I just purchased a used Marshall Class 5 combo amp. My problem is it won't power on. It didn't come with a power cord so when I got home with it I took a power cord from my other amp and plugged it into a regular 110V socket and I get nothing no red light no power. Upon looking more closely on the back of the amp where the power cord plugs in I see it says "Mains Input 230V" but below that it says "Fuse" and it gives an option of a 230V fuse number or a 110V fuse number. There is no switch or anything to toggle between 230 or 110. It says made in the UK so i'm wondering if this is made to work only in the UK. Anybody have any Idea what's going on here? Is there an adapter or something to convert 220V to 110V? Please Help!

 

[Adieu]

Very possibly switchable inside, they did that on earlier models like the TSL...you'd need new fuse(s) though.

Any reason you're thinking it's set to Euro mains, vs. any number of other issues? Made in UK is just because Marshall is a british company... Did you order used shipped from Europe or something?


Ex: burnt out tubes, burnt out main fuse....unplug and check the fuse holder, is the fuse inside clean and nice or a charred mess inside the glass tube? Start there

 

[Kenneth S Meese]

Very possibly switchable inside, they did that on earlier models like the TSL...you'd need new fuse(s) though.

Any reason you're thinking it's set to Euro mains, vs. any number of other issues? Did you order from Europe?

I bought it locally here in Florida. I realize it could be many other issues but I'm hoping it's just something simple i'm overlooking. This amp looks brand new it doesn't even have any dust inside (I know this makes no difference how it looks) but it sure looks well taken care of so I'm just guessing it's something simple

 

[Adieu]

I bought it locally here in Florida. I realize it could be many other issues but I'm hoping it's just something simple i'm overlooking. This amp looks brand new it doesn't even have any dust inside (I know this makes no difference how it looks) but it sure looks well taken care of so I'm just guessing it's something simple

Pull the fuse, is it burnt?

Cooked fuse should look visibly thoroughly cooked

 

[Kenneth S Meese]

Pull the fuse, is it burnt?

Cooked fuse should look visibly thoroughly cooked

Nope fuse looks fine

 

[Adieu]

Oh yeah are you new to tube amps? Do you know the whole power then standby thing? Or that they don't instantly turn on?

Or that if you turn it on without a speaker connected to one of the speaker outs, you'll likely burn stuff out inside?

 

[Kenneth S Meese]

Oh yeah are you new to tube amps? Do you know the whole power then standby thing? Or that they don't instantly turn on?

Or that if you turn it on without a speaker connected to one of the speaker outs, you'll likely burn stuff out inside?

Yes I'm new to tube amps but I do know about waiting once you turn them on and this is a combo amp so the speaker is connected. all I did was plug it in and wait about 1 minute and no red power on light. I've never seen a small amp like this require 230V

 

[Adieu]

Yes I'm new to tube amps but I do know about waiting once you turn them on and this is a combo amp so the speaker is connected. all I did was plug it in and wait about 1 minute and no red power on light. I've never seen a small amp like this require 230V

Forget about the 230v, that ain't it unless you ordered it from abroad.

It's just a universal back plate with different country info. New ones for American market have labels in JAPANESE too

 

[Kenneth S Meese]

Yeah I have some Japanese writing there too right under the spot for the power cord

 

[Adieu]

See... probably not a Euro voltage issue.

Do any tubes glow inside when it sits with the button on? Any selectors on back set to external cabinet or headphone or something?

Any sign of the thing having been previously opened up? Perhaps a failed mod or attempt to fix?

Where'd you get it anyway that it got sold without checking that it powers on, Craigslist / Ebay / Pawnshop?

 

[Kenneth S Meese]

See... probably not a Euro voltage issue.

Do any tubes glow inside when it sits with the button on? Any selectors on back set to external cabinet or headphone or something?

Any sign of the thing having been previously opened up? Perhaps a failed mod or attempt to fix?

Where'd you get it anyway that it got sold without checking that it powers on, Craigslist / Ebay / Pawnshop?

I didn't see any tubes glowing , and Yes there is a selector on back for ext speaker and headphone. zero signs of this being opened up it looks brand new. Yes I'm an idiot for not trying it out first but there was no power cord I decided to just take a chance because it looked new and also I paid only $75 for it I figured if It was trash I'll only lose $75

 

[Adieu]

Probably fixable but needs to be opened up. For starters unplug it and leave it that way, for a few days if you don't get any proper advice

Ask somebody who knows these things (not me) about discharging the capacitors on it so you don't accidentally die or something if you wanna go in earlier (unplugged tube amps store lethal voltages in some places inside)

Now if you can get at the tubes only, without exposing any electronics guts... unplug wait and see if they're snug in sockets, cracked or discolored anywhere

Other than that....you'll need advice or help from someone who knows this thing


PS oh and try another cord and another outlet/power strip... it happens, more often than you'd think

 

[Kenneth S Meese]

Probably fixable but needs to be opened up. For starters unplug it and leave it that way, for a few days if you don't get any proper advice

Ask somebody who knows these things (not me) about discharging the capacitors on it so you don't accidentally die or something if you wanna go in earlier (unplugged tube amps store lethal voltages in some places inside)

Now if you can get at the tubes only, without exposing any electronics guts... unplug wait and see if they're snug in sockets, cracked or discolored anywhere

Other than that....you'll need advice or help from someone who knows this thing

Well thanks for your help. I was hoping I overlooked something simple I figured I'd ask here first. I know about the capacitors being dangerous so I'm not gonna mess with it I'm going to take it to a local amp repair shop I guess

 

[rick16v]

It was cheap to get a buyer. It was sold without a power cord to stop the buyer testing it.

 

[JohnH]

seems like maybe its an amp brought from overseas? with 230V input?

 

[John BNY]

You only paid $75 for an amp in good shape for a reason, but on the brighter side, the cost to fix likely will be less than what these amps go for used -- $350 to $500.

I have a Class 5 head, and to the left of the power input jack, right below the Main Input print is a sticker that says 120v-60Hz 35 Watts. Beneath the print "Fuse", it says 230v. I assume Marshall put on the 120v sticker for amps destined for the US market.

Yours may be made for the UK market if it does not have the 120v sticker below the Mains Input, but then again, the sticker could have fallen off.

My advice is to take it to a tech and have him/her check it out. If it indeed was made for the UK market, then you can buy one of these step up transformers. I had to do this for a UK amp some years ago, and it worked great.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CLY1WP... 5V USB Port - CE Certified [3-Year Warranty]

Obviously, don't go this route until you confirm what the problem is with someone knowledgeable about these things. Where is ampmadscientist?

 

[paul-e-mann]

Hello, my name is Ken, I'm new here to the forum hoping somebody can help me out. I just purchased a used Marshall Class 5 combo amp. My problem is it won't power on. It didn't come with a power cord so when I got home with it I took a power cord from my other amp and plugged it into a regular 110V socket and I get nothing no red light no power. Upon looking more closely on the back of the amp where the power cord plugs in I see it says "Mains Input 230V" but below that it says "Fuse" and it gives an option of a 230V fuse number or a 110V fuse number. There is no switch or anything to toggle between 230 or 110. It says made in the UK so i'm wondering if this is made to work only in the UK. Anybody have any Idea what's going on here? Is there an adapter or something to convert 220V to 110V? Please Help!

This doesnt have to be a big deal, you can buy an English style power cord and an adapter cheap, you'll be out a whole whopping $14, that's where you want to start. If it still doesn't power on check tubes and fuses. Also if you could post some pictures of the amp we can verify what youre saying. And welcome to the forum!

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

Well thanks for your help. I was hoping I overlooked something simple I figured I'd ask here first. I know about the capacitors being dangerous so I'm not gonna mess with it I'm going to take it to a local amp repair shop I guess

Welcome to the forum, hope you get your amp to a qualified tech to trouble shoot the problem, could very well be a minor glitch! Cheers

 

[Adieu]

This doesnt have to be a big deal, you can buy an English style power cord and an adapter cheap, you'll be out a whole whopping $14, that's where you want to start. If it still doesn't power on check tubes and fuses. Also if you could post some pictures of the amp we can verify what youre saying. And welcome to the forum!

That's NOT how it works. Plug adapters don't convert anything and are just for plugging in multi-voltage devices with built-in or proprietary power cords.

A Euro voltage transformer with enough wattage to run anything bigger than a cellphone charger is a hefty box weighing several pounds that'll cost you $40ish at least

....and anyway, verrrrry unlikely that's the issue

 

[Micky]

Plugging a 230V amp into a 110V outlet isn't gonna work...