please help me!

[dual rec]

Just today I was playing my LP through my modded dr. I thought my amp started sounding crappy so I started messing with settings b/c I am a tone freak anyway. I thought my settings were just getting old to my ear. After about an hours time everthing seemed to be getting more and more muddy. I was using active pups so I thought no big deal, ill tweak some more. Now there is hardly any gain and there is extreme feed back and more bullshit coming out of it. I thought maybe the battery in my lp was dying so i switched to my rg550 and same thing. The sound that is happening kind of reminds me of when you accidentally pull a chord out or something when the amp isnt on standby. Like a grunge grinding noise. I don't believe it is the amp that is screwed up because it is modded for road use. It's meant to be put through hell and keep pushin and I dont even use it like that.
Throough the fx loop I am running a digidelay. My guitar is straight to my amp if any of this helps. Its all hooked up right and so on. I really hope there is a simple fix for this b/c I hate payin people to fix something. Please any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. If it aint fixed by this weekend I will have to play with a vetta instead of my beutiful tube amp.

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

Progressively worsening mud = Power Tubes (eventually it will blow the fuse too)

Feedback/ gain loss/ more bullshit = Preamp tubes

How old are the tubes in your amp? Power tubes last about a year or so, Preamps last longer depending on what kind they are. Change them all (rectifiers too) and keep a spare set in your oh-**** bag for gigs.

 

[dual rec]

My rectifier tubes are brand new. Maybe 4 months old. The other 6550 tubes look kind of old. they are huge.

 

[G.I.G.]

My rectifier tubes are brand new. Maybe 4 months old. The other 6550 tubes look kind of old. they are huge.

6550's??? Are you running 6550's in the power amp section or are you refering to the rectifier tubes? Just wanted to clarify since you mentioned your amp was modded.

If you are running your amp in the tube rectifier setting, it could be your 5U4G rectifier tubes making it sound muddy. Running the tube rectifier vs. the silicon diode will make it sound more flubby anyway.

It sounds like your problem came on pretty suddenly so it's probably not any settings, but just double check that your settings on the back of your amp havn't changed (i.e. bold vs. spongy, tube vs. silicon diode, etc.). I've fallen into that trap befor not knowing what was going on with my amp, when it just turned out to be a setting that got changed. Just a suggestion.

 

[dual rec]

yes I am running 6550's in my power amp section. I have stock mesa rectifiers. The amp was modded by a guy by the name of joel in Nashville and he does a lot of marshalls. I have already checked all of the list it is definatel not anything but the amp. Its in nashville right now so it should be ok in a couple of days.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Sounds like it's time for new tubes!

 

[tele_jas]

Try narrowing it down.....Pull the two inner or two outer power tubes and one rectifier tube and then plug the speaker cab in to the next lower ohm jack on the back of the amp (if it was in 16 ohm jack, now put it in the 8 ohm jack, if it was in the 8, put it in the 4) and try it?? If it is still doing it, swap out tubes one at a time until you find the culprut. Also try it in silicone rectifier (solid state) mode. Also pull everything out of the FX loop (even the cables) and try a different guitar.

Fro the preamp tubes, tap on them with the eraser end of a pencil (with the amp on and turned up some) and see if one of the tubes is overly sensitive (V-1 will be a slight bit more sensitive, so I'm talking a lot more sensitive).

 

[ylo]

Good advice, but . . .

Silicone is used for breast implants. Silicon (no "e") is used for diodes. Silicon Valley is near San Francisco. Silicone Valley is near LA.

Sorry to be a wize-***, but I work in the semiconductor industry and it pains me to see people get these two mixed up.

 

[tele_jas]

****....... I knew I was going to screw that up

:wink: