Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Anyone out there want to fix my TR35B? I have had this amp since my Grandfather purchased it new for me in 1982/83. I blew it up a couple of times in the 80's not knowing anything about impedance.....I was a teenager with a home-made stack! Anyway, its been setting in a closet at my mothers house for the last 20 years and now that my daughter has taken interest in guitars, I thought I see if I could get it running again. Not sure what all is wrong with it, I had to get both "big" transistors replaced the first time it let go. Is there someone or somewhere that I could send the head to for repair?
Thanks in advance!
L.T.Skaggs

Welcome, Lynn. Sorry none of the experts have answered yet, but don't give up hope. FWIW, I think I remember someone saying that the transistors are hard to find ... but that may have been in regard to a different brand solid state amp.

Yes, the transistors are hard to find.

Just saw this thread. I have a TR35B that blew up. My repair guy said that the power amp was totally shot and advised replacing it with a power amp module (?) I guess a kind of one small box thing.

I wasn't too sure as the amp has such a special sound that I've never got with any other, but as the old power amp was unrepairable I let him fit the new one.

Well it wasn't that cheap to do but the results are just great. To my ears it sounds exactly like it used to

He did say that he felt the power amp failed because of lack of ventelation, in fact there isn't any at all! He said the only way that hot air could get out was through the spare jack sockets not being used and said I should drill some holes in the back of the amp, but that was a step too far for me, so I just use it to practice with now.

I just had a look at the schematic for the RB-30 and they look a lot alike the schematic of the TR-35 to me. The RB-30 have more "modern" power transistors which are the parts that blow up first if overheating is the problem.
Could this maybe be a fix for TR-35 power transistors problem, anyone??

Mr. Atherton:

I saw your note on the RickResource.com page about your TR35 bass amp. I've got one, too, with the power amp transistor blown, and my repair guy says that they don't make the right transistors anymore and he can't find one anywhere.

So, what's the deal with this power amp module? What's it do and how's it work (or as much as you can explain, if you don't know), and especially what did the work-around cost?

I want to keep my amp working because:
1) it was a gift from a good friend,
2) I like the sound,
3) I hate to throw anything away.

So if you can help me figure out how to make it work again, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

Jeffery R. Lindholm
[email protected]

I'm looking for an RT 195 transistor. I just called the repair guy, and that's what I need. Can anyone help? Thanks.

Jeff Lindholm
[email protected]

did you consider as an option to take it elsewhere... to someone who does solid state all the time and can nail it down without much hassle on our side? in all these years very few amp guys that i have met actually worked on solid state enough to be able to do that....i bet if you find someone who worked for bell labs or some hi-fi repair shop or somewhere like that prior to 1985 they will have no problem fixing it quickly from just looking at the schematics..

I have a TR35B, also. I've owned it since my sister gave up learning bass when I was in high school and I started up...27 years ago....ouch, thinking about it hurts! It's been a great little amp - wonderful sound and surprising ability to fill a small "room". Is it true it's really 75 watts and not 35 as I've thought all these years?
Anyways, I used it at a graduation party we played outside this summer (instead of dragging my Yamaha rig out) and at one point it rained between sets. While none of the gear got wet, the air was a bit damp. It then sat by my other rig for about a month unplayed.
I brought it out to a small club and to my consternation the power was very, very low and distorted the low notes. (Luckily our practice place was not far away and I could get my band practice amp over in time!).
Has anyone else's Rick shown these symptons, or did they just quit working when your amp "blew"? I also looked at the Slo-Blo fuses and the white wires wrapping the inside blades on each one are disconnected at each end. I put new fuses in (not the correct ones - just to see) and there was no change.
Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!
Lorne [email protected]