CjGuitarist82
Active member
Hello, all... 1st post here and I need help. I got a used dual recto (three channel) back in Feb. It worked amazingly until a couple of weeks ago. First, my (current) setup.
PRS SE Custom 24 - VHT Valvulator I - Boss TU2 - Dunlop 535Q - Boss CS3 (NEED to upgrade this) - ISP Decimator - 808 (still trying to choose between Ibanez & Maxon, I have both) - Boss NS2 - DUAL RECTIFIER [Then in the loop] - Ibanez DE7 Delay - EH Holy Grail Nano Reverb [All into] - Marshall 1960a
Yes, this amp has spawned a terrible case of GAS, haha. On to the problem.
A couple weeks ago I noticed it was much more noisy than it should be (as it should be Silent with the guitar's volume down & 2 different noise suppressors), so I started troubleshooting. Now, before anyone says anything about the 2 noise suppressors, the ISP quiets extra guitar noise / NS2 cuts the pedal noise... trust me, it works great. The noise I'm getting is kind of static-y and louder when the amp is louder. I can't hear it so much on the clean channel, but I assume that's because it's the Clean channel, and whatever the problem is isn't being pushed enough to really come out. The noise is the same on Channel 2 & 3.
My first step in troubleshooting was checking for ground loop hum, Not It. Next I tried taking individual things out of the chain (pedals, cables, etc.), No Change. I bought a new preamp tube (12ax7, like the rest) and tried it in each position with no noticeable change in the noise or tone (good or bad). I tried taking out 2 power tubes & a recto tube (to make it 50watts) and it still had the same noise. I tried it with the opposite tubes and in the opposite slots with both... same noise. I tried two different guitars, both with the same noise, so it's not the guitar. I JUST got done playing with the guitar plugged Straight into the head with No pedals and Nothing hooked into the FX loop (and the loop turned off), so it's Definitely not anything to do with the chain.
One time while I was playing and getting the noise, I tapped the power tubes and the 3rd one from the left made the noise worse & made all the sound cut out (for less than a second, aka. while I was actually tapping it). I couldn't get it to do it again, though (until tonight, when the same one did the same thing Once when tapped). My initial thought is to replace the tubes, but money's pretty tight so I don't want to drop the cash if there's a chance that's not even the problem. I'm thinking since it wouldn't cause the noise more often when tapped it could actually be a problem with the spot it plugs into instead of the tube itself? I could see the rest of the tubes dimming/lighting up crazy with it when it had the problem while tapped.
I've also (the last few days) had a noticeable volume drop / rise very randomly when playing. Maybe once every 3-5 minutes it'll get half as loud (or twice as loud) over the course of half a second or less.
I had suspicions that it could be a problem with the cab back when it was just noise, but given the volume roller coaster & the noise from the tapped tube, I'm pretty sure it's the head itself. I've looked all over online for someone else with a similar problem (with advice already given) and seen nothing quite like this.
Any advice will be Greatly appreciated.
p.s. I tried playing with it turned up louder (have to keep it quiet in my apartment) but I didn't hook anything up to any of the outputs and I could still (VERY Faintly) hear my signal in the head... is that normal with tubes or could that be connected to my problem somehow. (Probably a stupid question)
PRS SE Custom 24 - VHT Valvulator I - Boss TU2 - Dunlop 535Q - Boss CS3 (NEED to upgrade this) - ISP Decimator - 808 (still trying to choose between Ibanez & Maxon, I have both) - Boss NS2 - DUAL RECTIFIER [Then in the loop] - Ibanez DE7 Delay - EH Holy Grail Nano Reverb [All into] - Marshall 1960a
Yes, this amp has spawned a terrible case of GAS, haha. On to the problem.
A couple weeks ago I noticed it was much more noisy than it should be (as it should be Silent with the guitar's volume down & 2 different noise suppressors), so I started troubleshooting. Now, before anyone says anything about the 2 noise suppressors, the ISP quiets extra guitar noise / NS2 cuts the pedal noise... trust me, it works great. The noise I'm getting is kind of static-y and louder when the amp is louder. I can't hear it so much on the clean channel, but I assume that's because it's the Clean channel, and whatever the problem is isn't being pushed enough to really come out. The noise is the same on Channel 2 & 3.
My first step in troubleshooting was checking for ground loop hum, Not It. Next I tried taking individual things out of the chain (pedals, cables, etc.), No Change. I bought a new preamp tube (12ax7, like the rest) and tried it in each position with no noticeable change in the noise or tone (good or bad). I tried taking out 2 power tubes & a recto tube (to make it 50watts) and it still had the same noise. I tried it with the opposite tubes and in the opposite slots with both... same noise. I tried two different guitars, both with the same noise, so it's not the guitar. I JUST got done playing with the guitar plugged Straight into the head with No pedals and Nothing hooked into the FX loop (and the loop turned off), so it's Definitely not anything to do with the chain.
One time while I was playing and getting the noise, I tapped the power tubes and the 3rd one from the left made the noise worse & made all the sound cut out (for less than a second, aka. while I was actually tapping it). I couldn't get it to do it again, though (until tonight, when the same one did the same thing Once when tapped). My initial thought is to replace the tubes, but money's pretty tight so I don't want to drop the cash if there's a chance that's not even the problem. I'm thinking since it wouldn't cause the noise more often when tapped it could actually be a problem with the spot it plugs into instead of the tube itself? I could see the rest of the tubes dimming/lighting up crazy with it when it had the problem while tapped.
I've also (the last few days) had a noticeable volume drop / rise very randomly when playing. Maybe once every 3-5 minutes it'll get half as loud (or twice as loud) over the course of half a second or less.
I had suspicions that it could be a problem with the cab back when it was just noise, but given the volume roller coaster & the noise from the tapped tube, I'm pretty sure it's the head itself. I've looked all over online for someone else with a similar problem (with advice already given) and seen nothing quite like this.
Any advice will be Greatly appreciated.
p.s. I tried playing with it turned up louder (have to keep it quiet in my apartment) but I didn't hook anything up to any of the outputs and I could still (VERY Faintly) hear my signal in the head... is that normal with tubes or could that be connected to my problem somehow. (Probably a stupid question)
... which means I have to play through my other guitarist's Vetta II combo for practice. :evil: What really sucks is the Guitar Center here only has Groove Tubes (and they're over priced), so I'm going to have to order some... unless Sam Ash has some (I hate that place).
