|
Post by diggitydowg on Feb 27, 2021 1:22:03 GMT -7
Hey all! 👋
I joined a few weeks back as I managed to snag a near mint condition 15th Anniversary Ghia.
Well, it arrived yesterday and it’s the best amp I’ve ever owned. Perfect match for my tele! I think the way the tone works is inspired and I’ve yet to find a tone I couldn’t use.
One thing I noticed is that with the volume wound up past about 3 o’clock there’s an increasingly loud mains hum. Now, this isn’t so much an issue for me because I like the amp between 11-2 on the volume anyway but I’m curious if this is inherent to the circuit or, given that the amp is almost 20 years old, if it might be a component that needs switching out?
Valve complement looks like TAD and a Jan Phillips rectifier but I’m not sure of the age - certainly sounds good! 😄
Anyway, I love this amp, it’s simplicity masking flexibility which is exactly what I want out of an amp. I’ll post a pic at some point
|
|
|
Post by adam on Feb 27, 2021 6:01:31 GMT -7
Good for you! Don't own one so can't help there, but I still see this amp as being kind of the ultimate studio amp. That Dean Parks video where he shows the tone control basically going from thin to fat (that's really kind of what you need for recording), and then the volume going beautiful clean to a sound with great attitude. I wonder how many records that thing was used on. 100's probably. Just looks like genius in it's simplicity. Congrats!
|
|
|
Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 27, 2021 6:16:27 GMT -7
Congrats, the Ghia is a great amp. If you haven’t found the Dr’s YouTube videos you’ll love them. The one below may offer your solution. I have also found sometimes the electrical in some hoses is noisy, even some sockets or rooms more than others. A few years ago I tracked my hum issues down to that. Now I avoid a couple sockets in my studio/office space, I’m careful about what else I plug into the same plug as the amp when playing. That mostly did it. The last little bit was getting a Furman. SS-6b Pro. Worth the $40.
|
|
|
Post by lowbudget on Feb 27, 2021 6:44:23 GMT -7
I’ve never exactly understood what a “mains hum” is compared to just a hum. Could you elaborate for me?
Meanwhile, an important question: is the hum present when nothing at all is plugged into the amp?
|
|
|
Post by diggitydowg on Feb 27, 2021 8:01:37 GMT -7
Thanks guys!
The hum is a constant low tone, like a buzz. Only at high volume levels though. My other amp doesn’t exhibit this hum and I run an extension with conditioning in it because my house has noisy power. The hum can only be heard during play when the volume is cranked which isn’t a spot I play in anyway, otherwise it’s a bit like dealing with P90 hum so not a big deal at all.
It’s a loud amp! I’m using a Captor X at home which has some attenuation but it sounds great at low volume so perfectly fine for practice. I just love the way it’s plug and play - no EQ tweaking or switching to get distracted by, just turn it up, set the tone where it needs to be and make music! I can totally see why this has been used on a lot of records.
|
|
|
Post by diggitydowg on Feb 27, 2021 8:02:51 GMT -7
Congrats, the Ghia is a great amp. If you haven’t found the Dr’s YouTube videos you’ll love them. The one below may offer your solution. I have also found sometimes the electrical in some hoses is noisy, even some sockets or rooms more than others. A few years ago I tracked my hum issues down to that. Now I avoid a couple sockets in my studio/office space, I’m careful about what else I plug into the same plug as the amp when playing. That mostly did it. The last little bit was getting a Furman. SS-6b Pro. Worth the $40. Thanks, I’ll check this out. Loving the AMA videos, too!
|
|
|
Post by DRZ on Feb 27, 2021 8:21:50 GMT -7
To start swap V1 with a known GOOD 12AX7.
Z
|
|
|
Post by diggitydowg on Feb 27, 2021 8:31:32 GMT -7
To start swap V1 with a known GOOD 12AX7. Z Thanks for the advice Z! I’ll be ordering some spares next week so I’ll try a few out and report back.
|
|
|
Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Feb 27, 2021 9:06:36 GMT -7
Welcome to the Forum - a lot of good people and information here. I have 4 Ghias - none have the hum you're describing.
|
|
|
Post by diggitydowg on Feb 27, 2021 9:39:51 GMT -7
Welcome to the Forum - a lot of good people and information here. I have 4 Ghias - none have the hum you're describing. That’s good to know, thanks! Sounds like it could well be a preamp tube. I’m going to order some today
|
|
|
Post by helmi on Feb 27, 2021 10:48:38 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum.
|
|
|
Post by lowbudget on Feb 27, 2021 11:00:16 GMT -7
Welcome to the Forum - a lot of good people and information here. I have 4 Ghias - none have the hum you're describing. I have two myself and like Mike’s they are very quiet, at least when nothing is plugged in. When I plug in a tele I get the normal 60hz hum. This indicates to me at least that the noise is not due to any fault of the amp, although my Ghias do seem maybe a little more sensitive to pickups, cords, household power, etc. than some of my other Zs. Maybe it’s the simpler circuit. But I can back off the GV just a smidge and the single coil hum goes away and all that’s left is the beautiful Ghia tone. My Ghias are factory stock and yes, they can really get loud! I’m actually considering selling some stuff I’m not using and getting a third Ghia. I have several Mazs too and I love the fact that with just a little knob tweaking they can pretty much do anything. But there’s something about just having two knobs to start with that is very liberating!
|
|
|
Post by jhen86 (jordan) on Mar 2, 2021 7:32:50 GMT -7
Is your hum at 60hz or 120hz by chance? That’d be a helpful factor to know and would help identify the possible culprit. Assuming tubes don’t fix it. You can download a free spectrum analyzer app on most phones. Or simply google tone generator and compare 60/120hz to your hum.
|
|
|
Post by lowbudget on Mar 2, 2021 8:25:52 GMT -7
Is your hum at 60hz or 120hz by chance? That’d be a helpful factor to know and would help identify the possible culprit. Assuming tubes don’t fix it. You can download a free spectrum analyzer app on most phones. Or simply google tone generator and compare 60/120hz to your hum. Tell you the truth I haven’t attempted to put that fine of a point on it. Since it only occurs with a tele plugged in I have just assumed it’s the time-honored 60 cycle hum. And since mine are deadly quiet with nothing plugged in I figure the amps are completely up to snuff.
|
|
|
Post by jhen86 (jordan) on Mar 2, 2021 8:30:31 GMT -7
The details make all the difference. That's a good sign though. If it only happens with your Tele then it is likely that guitar and its pickups. Wouldn't hurt to double check though. The amps ALMOST old enough that a cap job could be called for. If new tubes and humbucker pickups don't remedy the hum could always send to Doc.
|
|
|
Post by lowbudget on Mar 2, 2021 11:20:42 GMT -7
The details make all the difference. That's a good sign though. If it only happens with your Tele then it is likely that guitar and its pickups. Wouldn't hurt to double check though. The amps ALMOST old enough that a cap job could be called for. If new tubes and humbucker pickups don't remedy the hum could always send to Doc. I think you’re probably talking about the OP. Mine are 13 and 3 years old respectively and I’ve never had a single problem with them at all. And I have I don’t know, 12-15 teles that all do the same thing. None of mine are shielded. I once had Ron Kirn advise me not to have him shield the cavities on a build he was doing for me, saying that a lot of guys think it diminishes the rawness of the tele. But I’d be willing to bet you’re right about the retube.
|
|
|
Post by diggitydowg on Mar 15, 2021 0:59:30 GMT -7
Thanks guys, I have a new valve set incoming so I’ll be replacing this week and will report back!
I’m smitten with this amp, there’s so much tonal variation between the two controls. I started running some different drives and fuzz pedals into it and that tone control is amazing, so much more effective than other amps I’m used to.
|
|