In this section, I will tell you how to do some simple repairs and modifications to your Spider Jam.
I will explain how to open the amp up. If you don't have the knack of it, you can waste a lot of time and possibly damage the amp too!
In the Mods section, I'll tell you how to add an external speaker output.
But before we go any further, something very important..."
If you open your amplifier yourself, you will very likely void your
warranty and any subsequent repairs will have to be paid for. If you have any doubts about your abilities in this respect, have the work done by a qualified technician.
I have over 40 years of experience repairing, designing and building amplifiers, both valve and transistor and am very aware of the consequences of working with the high voltages and currents lurking inside amplifiers. Amplifiers can carry lethal charges inside them even when switched off for a considerable length of time.
Except for the mains connection to the mains transformer, fuse and main on/off switch, the Spider Jam does not carry the dangerously high voltages inside when disconnected from the mains, as does a valve amplifier. It does, however, have high currents which could, with one slip of a screwdriver, do a 'welding job' due to a short circuit across a charged capacitor, spewing white-hot metal and giving nasty burns. You have been warned!
Another thing to be aware of is that digital circuitry can be zapped by static electricity. Walk across a carpet and touch the pin of a DSP chip, or any conductor connected to it, and it can be permanently ruined. Before touching anything inside the amp, ground yourself by touching a water pipe, central heating radiator or some object that you know is definitely grounded.
Having pointed all this out to you, if you still want to have a go, at your own risk entirely, here is the procedure...