New (used) Tube Amp Question

[JohnW63]

If other amps behaved properly, then you probably don't have a grounding issue. It's easy to check ! HomeDepat for about $6.50

 

[JohnW63]

Next thoughts are , is the power cord from amp to wall OK ? Can you or have you swapped them if they are removable ?

I can't recall, but did you turn all the knobs down and bring things up , one knob at a time ? It could be a bad pot in a knob.

If you've done all that, it would require the skills of a person who has some electronics background at a minimum to get deeper.

 

[midnightright]

Yes, it never acted up or behaved in any otherwise unusual fashion with any of the other amps listed. Thanks for the grounding info. I’ll look to see if I can find one of those. Only trouble I’ve truly had was a very long time ago (2004), with what might have been a defective amp to begin with. A new old stock / shop worn Peavy Classic 30, which I got at a price so low, you’d have said it was a bargain were it used. The reverb on that one sounded like a rocket taking off into outer space the moment you started to turn the dial up. The sales guy just said it’s the coil inside overheating. But the guitar I’d had then—the first of three of these (& my personal fave.)—was a G&L ASAT Special (w/their style P-90’s). Being that I was playing primarily high gain electrically at the time, everything was about as far from fine as one could imagine. When I brought it in, they (now closed for over a decade) said that the gain was maxing out as the preamp or distortion tubes were being over taxed, or something like that & that since it was under warranty, they could ship it off to MO or wherever, but that then you may not see if for several months or more. Also the feedback from the distorted channel itself, coupled with my guitar was quite intolerable even for me at the time. I’d come to find other amp combination s that worked significantly better with that guitar, and also years later, when auditioning / demoing a G&L Legacy, they had one of the same Peavey’s: no noise, on any of the previously mentioned accounts. Through the AC15 they’d had in their private space to try things out was quite fine as well. So much so (it was not for sale), I’d wondered if they’d done something to it — “tricked it out; or modded” something else I’ve never done. Anyway, back to my current one at hand, no idea if it’s the cable. Yes it’s one of those that you can swap out interchangeably, so once stores reopen around here again I can try that. I haven’t checked the dials all being a zero; but I do know that once it’s on, if you turn them all down it doesn’t really seem to help much. The reverb is already all the way off. EQ’s at noon (haven’t even gotten to that point of adjusting) & like I said, it sounds way worse with the OD (or preamp tube) on. I hadn’t expected as much feedback on this in terms of things that could and would or should be potentially wrong. Maybe this is why they haven’t responded. Or their amp tech dept is out. But even then, you’d think they’d respond from a customer service end with such info (which is what one of their messages said back at the start of the year when I was exploring mics). Oh, well, cost was minimal financially. But the pain in the neck was probably not near well worth it...

 

[fronobulax]

In the US an outlet tester will give a definitive answer on grounding. If you can't use it because there are not three prongs then your outlet is definitely ungrounded. Otherwise plug it in and look at the lights.

I piked up one because we were having an electrician come in to prep our house for sale and it was cheaper for me tell them which outlets were bad rather than ask them to check every one. More than paid for itself when we had a contract and the buyer's home inspector claimed there were some bad outlets. Inspector did not realize the outlets were switched so we flipped the switch, plugged in the tester and took a photo. What this did was undermine the buyer's confidence in their inspector and we were able to negotiate on things that had been flagged, rather than "You fix or we walk".

 

[midnightright]

There’s theee prongs to the outlet. And thanks for the info. on the house stuff! Always good to know... Good news is, they got back to me; so hopefully we can figure out what’s going on with it—

 

[Default]

<Belatedly moved to proper subforum>

 

[midnightright]

Anybody know the process for UPS to come pick up the amp to then send back to the store? Long story, way too complicated & complex to get into here (w/o sounding like I’m overly upset; when I really shouldn’t be...)— I dispose d of the box it came w: so they can’t issue a return tag; but are willing to either fix or refund. Problem is , ups store is probably closed — & I may need a box / I don’t have a means to weigh & it could end up costing me half the cost of the amp in order to simply ship it back (though admittedly, I have no idea - the original shipping was free).
I can have or attemp to have it serviced locally, but that could be a while with the shutdown.
In short it is way, way, way too hard to figure &/or out or diagnose over email or phone - in spite of multiple multiple suggestions: the answers to which , simply raise further curiosities; & before long & you know it, my neophyte electronic skills or intellect are far surpassed, or tapped our...

 

[midnightright]

I’m thinking the. Best course of action, in lieu of some of the issues I just mentioned, is to go down to the UPS Hub - assuming they’re open (can’t get that answer via 800 # - at least “I” cant...) - I.n order to find out an estimate for then to ship & package it. I seem to recall a dealer who is also a luthier telling me when asked about an issue with the shipping from a used guild of his, “next time just go down to there (instead of ups store).”

 

[crank]

Late to the party here.

I have a Fender Blues JR that buzzes loudly any plug in my music room. Have not tried it elsewhere in my house. Amp works fine everywhere else. I gig and jam with it on almost a weekly basis. I haven;t looked into the issue at home because I have 2 more amps and a PA system plugged in in the music room all buzz free. Yes they are tube amps.

Signed: no clue.

 

[fronobulax]

Late to the party here.

I have a Fender Blues JR that buzzes loudly any plug in my music room. Have not tried it elsewhere in my house. Amp works fine everywhere else. I gig and jam with it on almost a weekly basis. I haven;t looked into the issue at home because I have 2 more amps and a PA system plugged in in the music room all buzz free. Yes they are tube amps.

Signed: no clue.

Try it elsewhere. It could be something not quite right with the amp, but it could also be that the amp wiring is just picking up something from the environment. When dealing with radio frequencies all sorts of things are emitters and antennas. Microwaves, cordless landlines, cell phones, clothes washer, anything that wants to talke to the internet wirelessly, etc. And if default or Nuuska comment, believe what they say