F-50 ?

[Mike77]

Just got a mint F-50 very cool amp but I hear some hiss when I turn it up loud. Is that normal?

 

[fishyfishfish]

Yep. Pretty much any high gain amp will hiss when turned up. The F series is a little on the noisy side IMO, Specially on the Contour mode.

 

[voodoo_child]

Actually, I think the F-50 is pretty good when it comes to noise, compared to a lot of high-gainers, and even other Boogies.

But yeah, even the very best high-gain amp will have some hiss when you turn the gain up. You can always to incorporate a noisegate or noise reduction device into your rig if its a problem.

 

[soundchaser59]

That Boss Noise Suppressor NS-2 pedal works surprisingly well for this..... I was impressed at how it will suppress noise/hiss even on a held chord that fades out slowly. The hiss fades out along with the chord, without sounding buzzy or cutting off prematurely.

I normally dont advocate Boss pedals, but I hate unwanted noise/hiss as much as the next guy, and the pedal is not terribly expensive.

 

[Hobo]

I have an F30 combo that had a lot of hiss when I first got it. I got rid of the MESA tubes and put in a complete set of JJs and hiss is gone.

 

[lennon08]

I also have a F-50 head. I put in some GT (power) and Tung Sol (preamp) tubes. It is quiet as a church mouse!