Amp crackle question

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mniel8195

mniel8195

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Hey guys I have a evh 50 watt head and i have some amp crackle almost like a little static that comes in and out. I guess I never noticed it until I hooked up my decimator g string via 4 cable method. Now I can hear it. I have isolated it by plugging straight into the amp with no effects as well so I know it's not my pedalboard. It's plugged into a monster power contioner than into my wall. The only thing I have not changed is the speaker cable which I don't have an extra laying around. The power conditioner is not grounded either not sure if it has to be. The crackle or static is faint and can only be heard when the guitar is not beig played. Any ideas on what I can do to fix this?
 
Did you try swapping pre amp tubes?? That is where I'd start.
 
You're gonna get some hiss in any high-gain setup, but crackle could be a tube or a bad resistor. Hopefully it's a tube because that's easy to fix. It could also be a dirty jack or tube socket.
 
I don't see how how it could be dirty socket since the amp is so new. The tubes are seated incredibly well. I don't know of its more of a crackle or if its static. Maybe I'll will try moving the amp to a different outlet? Would that be pointless if I already have it hooked up to a power conditioner?
 
One thing I will note is that the static or light crackle does not increase when I raise the volume not even when I max it out. My overall tone does not seem to suffer either.
 
I've had power tubes go noisy. Might try that, too, given that the volume doesn't change with the Volume control setting.
 
input jack.
cord.
PI tube.


i'd check in that order, regardless of what you can "see how" or not "see how" :)
 
Is there anyway to determine which preamp tube it may be? I will check if it is the speaker cable as well
 
is there a way i can plug into the power section of my amp to isolate whether or not its a preamp tube? like plugging my guitar into the amp out? also do tubes make a different noise when you tap on them while powered on?
 
mniel8195":2adfwy07 said:
Is there anyway to determine which preamp tube it may be? I will check if it is the speaker cable as well
Click to expand...
If you have a spare tube you use process of elimination by changing out one tube at a time. BTW, it's not good to tap on the tubes.
 
mniel8195":2jc3ryp9 said:
is there a way i can plug into the power section of my amp to isolate whether or not its a preamp tube? like plugging my guitar into the amp out? also do tubes make a different noise when you tap on them while powered on?
Click to expand...

Don't plug into your amp out!!!! You can plug in to your effect loop return though to hit the power section.
 
before i noticed this i think i may have plugged one of my effects loop cable into the amp and and quickly realized i put it in the wrong input. could this have caused the issue?
 
no.

as long as you're keeping a matching speaker load on the power side of your amp (ie, the speaker outs), as mentioned, nothing's going to happen by plugging your guitar into the effects out or in. you can test the power section by plugging into the effects in. you should get a clean sound only.

but, looking back on this thread and re reading what and how you wrote what you did, i think your best best bet is to take your amp to a qualified amp service tech, or back where you bought it and have it looked at by someone that knows how to troubleshoot an amp properly.
i dont think it's a good idea to try and walk you through anything further than that.
 
Thank you I think I will check the tubes I have rebaised a jcm900 so I know how not to kill myself or damage the tubes. Like I said it could be the power outlet or maybe I'm just picking something up from the apartments around me. I'm going to check the preamp tubes tonight and report back
 
update: so i did the light tapping test with a pencil with the amp powered on and i could hear no audible difference between the tubes when tapped also no sound was transferred through the speakers when doing so which if im correct is what is suppose to happen. I also plugged into the effects return to get a power amp only sound and the crackling still persisted. to be honest i have a hard time believing that their is a bad connection or the tubes to be re seated or cleaned because the amp is so new and they are in there tighter than any amp i have ever owned. So im not sure what to do next would it be worth it to buy a new preamp tube set or should i just take it to my local tech and see what he has to say? im guessing its not the speaker cable either because i heard no audible difference when messing with the cable "moving it around"
 
well if the crackle is still there and you bypassed the pre amp stage, then it's in the power section somewhere. So not a pre amp tube. My EVH had to be taken in as it had several cold solder joints and some loose connections. I'd check your power tubes first, then it's likely off to a tech.
 
I had a similar problem that ended up being a bad solder joint by one of the tube sockets.
 
well i think i figured out it was a bad power amp tube because it makes a weird clinky sound when tapped its not audible through the amp but it sounds like something is vibrating inside of the tube. Plus the problem existed when i plugged into the effects return. i guess im going to buy a whole new tube set and just replace one of the power tubes. At least that way i will have some spare tubes laying around.
 
You can't replace just one power tube. You'll have to get a matched set and replace both and bias the amp.
 
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