Please Advise: Pre-Amp RIGHT channel OUT


For some reason the RIGHT channel went out on my
Pre-Amp tonight while listening to music.
The Volume control knob was at 9 O`Clock,
and NOT even at 1 watt per channel!
1. What caused this to happen tonight when I`ve been
listening to my pre-amp for at least 4-6 hours a day
for the last 3 weeks?
2. When I put FORCE DOWN on the volume knob,
to turn it up or down, the RIGHT channel COMES BACK!
When I put FORCE IN OR UP, on the volume knob,
THE RIGHT CHANNEL GOES OUT!
3. WHAT CAUSES THIS?
4. CAN some contact cleaner spray SOLVE this problem?
5. When I let go of the volume knob, AFTER pushing
DOWN on the knob, the RIGHT channel stays ON,
AND EQUAL VOLUME to the LEFT CHANNEL.
6. IS this a SERIOUS issue?
7. HOW much will it cost to fix this?
8. My pre-amp is from 1990. HOW much LONGER can I
expect this amp to last?

isellstuff
Sean- that's what i thought when I brought my 20 y.o. top of line Yammie pre in w/the same problem. $150 later, I got a cleaned but not repaired unit back!!! Yikes. Guess who lost me repair business? Too bad, they are only 2 miles from my house.
You guys hit it on the head. That is cleaning and solder joints on the pot itself. Should be a cheap fix, even if you have to take it in for repair. Sean
>
We've probably posted together at the same time with Swampwalker basically meaning the same issue.
Gregm is right that it is probably a contact issue , but it seems to me that the solder joint at the volume pot rather than a dirty contact is more likely to be the cause. Of course, cleaning the volume pot is always a good idea w/an older unit.
In addition check cracked solder joints arround the volume controll internally.
It does NOT sound like anything is wrong with the preamp's circuit -- so, no serious issue.
More like a contact problem with the volume pot. Contact cleaner spray would be useful -- but you'd have to apply it on the inside of the pot, on the contact surfaces, with the amp switched off, of course. Then turn the volume up & down a few times to clean of the contact surfaces.

Changing a volume pot is not an expensive undertaking -- if it comes to that (you'll have to use the same value replacement pot, of course). It might even improve the sound if you opt for a quality pot!