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Post by jsnaecker on Feb 23, 2009 17:09:58 GMT -7
A while back I posted about a crackling sound that comes and goes in my Stangray. I checked all the chassis screws were tight, checked tubes were in snug and checked the speaker wires. It seems to come and go at will and is like a staticy, crackly sound. Amp is about 2 months old with probably 50 hours on it. Could it be that preamp tube I hear is finnicky? Also with 50 hours do you think the speaker is broken in yet? Thanks.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Feb 23, 2009 18:22:36 GMT -7
Unfortunately any of your tubes could be the culprit. The other stuff you checked is the first line of defense, but if that doesn't do the trick, the next step is to lay in a supply of spare tubes and start swapping. You swap one, then play till you either hear the problem again or never hear it again. Don't just swap them all - then you won't have any idea which caused the trouble. Take your time, swap one, play for a while, then if the problem returns, go to the next one. Never change more than one thing at a time! Then once you isolate the trouble you'll know which tube to throw out. There is a chance you'll find that the problem is not a tube but a socket or other mechanical problem. As you change tubes, pay attention to anything that seems odd or out of the ordinary. You'd be surprised how often a problem ends up being some kind of stupid thing that you could not have possibly imagined. Just pay attention. Hope that helps...
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Post by jsnaecker on Feb 23, 2009 18:24:55 GMT -7
Thanks bentop. So do you think at about 50 hrs. the speaker (an alnico gold) is broken in?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Feb 23, 2009 18:38:44 GMT -7
Thanks bentop. So do you think at about 50 hrs. the speaker (an alnico gold) is broken in? I couldn't actually say. I would think it could be, but it depends on so many factors that I hesitate to confirm or deny anything specific. I have a Gold in my 1x12 Convertible cab. I've probably got a few dozen hours on that one right now, and I don't feel it's anywhere near the Golds I have in my THD cab that has a couple hundred hours on it. It seems to me the Golds break in at a real slow pace, but steadily improve over time. That's not at all what happened with my Weber Blue Dogs - they changed almost overnight. So every speaker has its own characteristic in this regard, and the Golds are just slow and steady...
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Post by jsnaecker on Feb 23, 2009 19:16:00 GMT -7
Thanks bentop, you just run around everywhere answering questions!
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Feb 23, 2009 19:44:44 GMT -7
Thanks bentop, you just run around everywhere answering questions! Yeah, well that's what I like to do. I've been doing this junk for over 40 years, and I've learned a few tricks of the trade, so why should I be stingy with them? Now Myles has helped correct my course a time or two, as has the Doc, but I used to repair this kind of stuff for a living, and you'd be surprised how often the solution has nothing at all to do with electronics. If you don't know that, you automatically assume the worst and haul your gear down to the shop where they hit you up for a gigantic fee, when you could have plugged the power cord in your own dang self. Even when it's an electronic problem, often it's tubes, and again, you can try that yourself if you know a few simple techniques to avoid getting fooled. You change two things, and get an improvement, which one helped? And if you don't think of that in the first place, you end up chasing your tail. I wish someone had been there to help me when I was busting my back on all these same kinds of problems. It is my lot in life to help you where I could have been helped all those years ago when I had the same kinds of troubles. Maybe I'll make a tiny difference in this world, maybe not. But I sure hope I do.
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Post by jsnaecker on Feb 24, 2009 5:07:33 GMT -7
You do, I appreciate it.
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Post by DRZ on Feb 24, 2009 5:51:37 GMT -7
Thanks bentop, you just run around everywhere answering questions! Yeah, well that's what I like to do. I've been doing this junk for over 40 years, and I've learned a few tricks of the trade, so why should I be stingy with them? Now Myles has helped correct my course a time or two, as has the Doc, but I used to repair this kind of stuff for a living, and you'd be surprised how often the solution has nothing at all to do with electronics. If you don't know that, you automatically assume the worst and haul your gear down to the shop where they hit you up for a gigantic fee, when you could have plugged the power cord in your own dang self. Even when it's an electronic problem, often it's tubes, and again, you can try that yourself if you know a few simple techniques to avoid getting fooled. You change two things, and get an improvement, which one helped? And if you don't think of that in the first place, you end up chasing your tail. I wish someone had been there to help me when I was busting my back on all these same kinds of problems. It is my lot in life to help you where I could have been helped all those years ago when I had the same kinds of troubles. Maybe I'll make a tiny difference in this world, maybe not. But I sure hope I do. I sure appreciate all your help here Steve. Thanks, Z
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Feb 24, 2009 6:45:51 GMT -7
You're welcome.
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