Ghost Note

[Goldtop]

I've noticed a strange ringing sound or what is called a ghost note when playing a open G chord. It does this using any of the channels clean or dirty. I had the amp serviced a year ago by Mike B at Mesa and he gave it a clean bill of health. So I wouldn't think it was the filter caps. Could it be a preamp tube?

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Definitely sounds like a Preamp Tube. Since it affects both channels, try replacing the 1st Preamp Tube, and the Phase Inverter.

You can also try the Reverb Tube (if you have one), and the FX Loop Tube. These are also common to both channels.

Hope this helps,
Andy

 

[srf399]

My MKIV is doing the same thing... All channels. I read in the manual last night that it was like ly a preamp power tube LOL what ever they mean by that. I'm assuming they mean the phase inverter preamp tube. Please update if you have success by changing your preamp tubes. Thanks

 

[RR]

Is it a Maverick or LoneStar Special (Class A quartet of EL84s)?

Mark Samson, founder of Matchless, used to design Bad Cats amplification, and now is on his own is an Vox AC30 guru and claims that EL84s Class A opertion has this "ghost note" to some degree.

Other than that, I dunnaw no.

 

[Goldtop]

I swapped out each preamp tube one at a time and it didn't make any difference. Could it be a power tube? Please help!

 

[brett336]

I have got the same thing going on with my late model Mark IV. When I am groovin' on an open G chord, I get that same ringing in the background of the chord. I have swapped out all of the preamp tubes one-by-one with no change in the ringing. I play Strats - Although, one has a HB in the bridge.

The only thing that I have found to stop the ringing was to put an improvised rubber string damper behind the nut on my guitar. And the problem seems to isolated to the open G-string. Without the home made damper, I can get the chord ringing and the ghost note starts up, I take my right index finger when I here the ringing, touch the G-string behind the nut and the ringing stops.

I would sure like to know what it would take to kill the ghost note. But I would also hate to change to different tubes because I REALLY like my sound these days... And it took me a while to like my Mark IV this much!

Brett