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Post by Strato on Oct 17, 2005 22:18:52 GMT -7
Hey Z-fans... I'm actually trying to decide on which Z would suit me best...
I use an OD called a Tube Works Tube Driver aka BK Butler or chandler. It comes stock with a 128x7. I use A 1969 Gibson ES-335 as well as several newer fenders through a Twin Reverb Reissue.
When i first got this thing 5 years ago, i was blown away with its smoothness. However, after sitting on my shelf for a few years being replaced by a TS9, it developed a really bad hum. I have tried several new tubes, none of which seem to solve the problem. I expect there to be some noise when the drive is engaged, but its excessive. Its also very excessive when the pedal is not engaged. Whats most interesting is the fact that when the pedal is plugged into my furman power supply, you can hear the pedal itself hum. Thats with no amp or anything plugged into the input/output jacks. The pedal still sounds great but the hum makes it unusable. The pedal had very little noise when it was first bought and was awesome for the first few years of use. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks for your time..
Strato
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dewman
Junior Member
Posts: 86
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Post by dewman on Oct 17, 2005 23:24:55 GMT -7
I have a Real Tube by Tubeworks, Butler design. Sounds like you have either a ground problem or maybe a bad electrolytic capacitor or the 12AX7 is on its way out. The ground can be lifted using a two pronged adaptor plug, but you should assemble your effects chain, connect it to the amp (with grounded wire plug) and also plug in your guitar before lifting the ground and plugging in the pedal. This way, everything is connected and going through the single ground of your amp. Lifting the ground removes the bad ground loop. However don't do this unless everything is plugged in or you risk shocking your self pretty seriously. Gerald Weber talks about this in one of his recent amp repair books, you can generally find a copy at major bookstores or online- look for the chapter on'Texas tone el maximo - aka his multiamp setup. If the pedal is relatively old, say from the 80s, then it could need to have the electrolytic capacitors replaced. It is common for the electrolytics to dry out and harden over time, rendering them unable to filter the current. This is more generally a problem with tube amps, but nonetheless its easy to order a few capacitors from Mouser electronics and go in and replace them if you know how to solder. Try replacing the tube as well, since it could be on its way out and becoming microphonic and picking up hum from the transformer or other circuitry components. Lastly, if it is an internal transformer model (regular AC cord) then the transformer may be bad. However, it is more likely that you have a grounding or capacitor -based problem from your description. Have a pro tech look at it for your best bet.
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Post by Strato on Oct 18, 2005 17:38:56 GMT -7
Well I have a feeling that it mught be the transformer... I bought the pedal new about 5 years ago. And i have several tubes which i have swapped, all showing no change. Thanks for your help.
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