Mark V:25 hum at 25W

[JT_TMD]

Got a brand new MarkV:25 with a loud hum when in the 25W setting on both channels. In 10W there is no hum. In 25W the volume is also significantly lower than in 10W and I'm feeling the gain is also way lower in 25W.

In both wattages there are also occasional volume fluctuations.

Could this be purely a bad tube problem or do I need to send it back?

 

[jmontgomery]

Most likely a bad tube. Mines dead quiet.

 

[8d2studios]

I can't but notice that there are a lot of issues with bad tubes on this first batch of MiniMarks... I know it comes with the territory but man.... new amp should be at lease a few month problems free of enjoyment!.

 

[Authorized Boogie]

I can't but notice that there are a lot of issues with bad tubes on this first batch of MiniMarks... I know it comes with the territory but man.... new amp should be at lease a few month problems free of enjoyment!.

What are you basing your statement on? A handful of tube issues, in relation to the 1500 amps that just shipped out is far from an abnormally high amount! Although we test the tubes, play test the amps, burn in the amps, and play test again - shipping can sometimes be rough, and is occasionally rough enough to create a situation of premature tube failure. That said, there is simply no way to predict or guarantee the life of a vacuum tube...but in all, we've seen very few tube failures in relation to number of amps. ...just another reason we offer a 6 month warranty on tubes.

Thanks!

 

[mesa metal]

@Authorized Boogie .....would it be a good idea to make sure all the tubes are seated correctly before turning on the mkv:25...due to the travel situation...

 

[Authorized Boogie]

@Authorized Boogie .....would it be a good idea to make sure all the tubes are seated correctly before turning on the mkv:25...due to the travel situation...

Absolutely! Oftentimes, noise is simply caused by a tube that is not seated properly. +1!!

 

[mesa metal]

thanks!!! i do check them regularly in the Vcombo,,just a habit i have...cant wait to play the 2.mm.bb should be here next week sometime...
cheers!!! and thanks for being here for all of us boogie heads....

 

[JT_TMD]

I replaced the power tubes and it didn't make any difference. 10W is still all good but 25W has got a loud hum and lower volume. I doubt it would be a preamp tube since 10W seems ok. Guess I have to take it back.

 

[Len Rabinowitz]

I had a similar issue with a 5:25 express plus head. I would get this hum on both channels 5 watt setting only. It wasn't normal tube hum. Eventually the head died.

It turned out to be a compendium of things. I sent it back and Mesa found some fried parts and some wrong (!) parts. They fixed it and sent it back.

I was still getting that hum though. After some frustration, that hum turned out to be a number of things: location in my room, and a loose jack on my cab, an Egnater Tourmaster 2x12.

The 5:25 goes down to one power tube on the 5 watt setting which will be noisier anyway. I don't know what the wiring scheme on your amp is.

HTH!

 

[Dreamtheaterrules]

I don't think it's time to be complaining about tubes. Mesa tests them more than most before they leave, and let's not forget that this time of year, many of these are sitting in freezing cold trucks for hours during delivery.

When I got my Tweaker head a few years back it had a few intermittent noise/volume issues. I found v2 was simply not properly seated. I simply pushed it all the way in, and the amp was fine. Following which I took them all out, sprayed them all with Caig (which I always do) and reinstalled them.

As MB said, even as tightly as tubes are held in the sockets, the jolts they take during shipping can jar some loose, or contribute to premature failure. ALWAYS check tubes first. IMHO...

 

[nathan28]

I don't think it's time to be complaining about tubes. Mesa tests them more than most before they leave, and let's not forget that this time of year, many of these are sitting in freezing cold trucks for hours during delivery.

When I got my Tweaker head a few years back it had a few intermittent noise/volume issues. I found v2 was simply not properly seated. I simply pushed it all the way in, and the amp was fine. Following which I took them all out, sprayed them all with Caig (which I always do) and reinstalled them.

As MB said, even as tightly as tubes are held in the sockets, the jolts they take during shipping can jar some loose, or contribute to premature failure. ALWAYS check tubes first. IMHO...

Most definitely!! I have bought 5 Boogie amp heads the last few years. I played each at the store,
Recto verb 50 w - no issue
Boogie triple - when I got it home a pre amp tube went out immediately.
Roadking no issue.
Electra dyne - a op amp went bad and had to send it to boogie. Immediately after firing it up at home.
Mini mark - no issue.
So it really is luck of the draw with shipping.
Out of all of the boogies I have had I have only had two issues: Electra dyne op amp failing and my Roadking reverb not consistently working. Stuff just happens sometimes. The Roadking issue is easily fixable but as soon as I go to fix it the reverb stars working perfectly again and I say screw it...lol.
Now to the non boogies I own:
Peavey 6505 plus no issues
Hughes Tubemeister 18 no issues
Diesel lil Fokker - no issue.
Orange dark terror - no issue.
The op amp issue with the Electra dyne and the Roadking reverb is the only issues I have had with any amps the last 20 years. Like I said **** just happens! Service is what's important and boogie took care of the Electra dyne issue perfectly, but about a month after my warranty expired on the Roadking they were only interested in selling me a reverb tank for it, which kinda of ticked me off.

 

[Daniel Kim]

I think your amp is almost identical to mine,

Can you check my amp condition in below video? I recorded it myself (YOU TUBE)

https://youtu.be/lntHihMFpl0

 

[BrownieD2W]

I think your amp is almost identical to mine,

Can you check my amp condition in below video? I recorded it myself (YOU TUBE)

https://youtu.be/lntHihMFpl0

I'm not sure since I'm not there in person with your amp, but in that video it sounds just like hum I get from my big Mark V. I could be wrong, but I think almost all tube amps will have some degree of hum, especially once they are turned up a bit. Like I said, I might be off base here, but I'm thinking this is a normal issue for the most part. A good noise gate may help to eliminate that a bit though.

 

[primal]

I think your amp is almost identical to mine,

Can you check my amp condition in below video? I recorded it myself (YOU TUBE)

https://youtu.be/lntHihMFpl0

I'm not sure since I'm not there in person with your amp, but in that video it sounds just like hum I get from my big Mark V. I could be wrong, but I think almost all tube amps will have some degree of hum, especially once they are turned up a bit. Like I said, I might be off base here, but I'm thinking this is a normal issue for the most part. A good noise gate may help to eliminate that a bit though.

What he said.

Hard to say not being there in person, but that seemed pretty normal to me. The amount of noise I hear on any of my amps (boogie and non boogie)

 

[Authorized Boogie]

Agreed. Based on the video alone - that sounds like a completely normal level of noise from a high-gain tube amp!

 

[VoronArgentum]

I've tried several Mark V:25 and they are all very quite! It's definitely tube issue.