Amp Dudes Help: TT Problems

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euan
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Amp Dudes Help: TT Problems

Post by euan »

Euan buys an amp, amp has a problem. My TT is intermittently showing a noise/no sound problem. I switch the amp on in standby leave it for a good few minutes then occassionally then put it into gear. I get some white noise straight away that quiets down and then no sound at all. Also sometimes during playing the volume drops and it gets really fuzzy. Boosting up the gain and volume seems to sort it out sometimes.

It's not the tubes because I've changed them all out, and it ain't the guitar or cable cos they've both been swapped. I've got no clue at this point with what can be wrong.

I'm probably going to take this back to Soundcontrol on Saturday and get a refund/maybe send it back to Orange. No clue yet, have to find if Soundcontrol with take it first.

But it would be nice to know what people thing the problem is.
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Post by Doog »

Hmm, it sounds just like a preamp tube crapout but you said you tried that already..

Boo man, that sucks. Hope you get it sorted.
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Post by filtercap »

A guess: the quiet/fuzzy bit could be a tube voltage supply problem. You know how an amp will continue to amplify for a second or two after you switch it off, with the sound getting smaller and fuzzier the whole time as the tubes "starve" for voltage. I'd suspect one or more bad solder joints.

With my Ampeg head, I once had strange problems caused by a solder flake bouncing around across a circuit board, randomly "circuit-bending" the amp. It was fairly new at the time and still under warranty. The amp, not the solder flake. With that cleared up, it's played fine for years.

It's a drag when that happens with new equipment; it makes you wonder if it's just a rare thing, or if the whole unit's a nest of undiscovered problems waiting to introduce themselves one ... by ... one. I hope fixing/exchanging the unit isn't too much of a hassle.
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Post by Mike »

I'm totally with filtercap on this. Take it back.
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Post by euan »

Right so the TT has two 8Ω inputs and a 16Ω input. I've been plugging in the 8Ω speaker in my Laney into one of the 8Ω inputs on the TT. That's okay isn't it?

Cos I've just discovered if I plug into the first 8Ω plug I get the noise all the time now and if I plug into the other I get TT vibes. Dodgy output transformer?
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Post by Mike »

Bad output jack.

Either of the 8 ohm outputs is fine to drive a single 8 ohm load.
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Post by filtercap »

I'm totally with Mike on this.

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So playing through the "good" jack provides uninterrupted TT vibes over long periods of time? Much better than the whole tube-voltage scenario. Here's hoping.
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Post by Mike »

Yup, cos the two 8 ohm jacks are connected to the EXACT same OT tap, they are open circuit when a jack isn't connected to them. So when you use both you have to use two 16 ohm cabs to have your 8 ohms shown to the tap.

If the other jack produces fine sound all the time the tap is fine and taht jack is fine - 90% that the other jack is fucked.
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Post by euan »

Who knows. I've gone back to testing with the other output and It's been fine for the last hour or so. As long as the amp shows it's fucked tomorrow I'm cool. Though last time I was in Soundcontrol they didn't have any 8ohm cabs.

Anyway, I'm going out for some fucking beers. Catch you guys on the otherside of a motherfucking hangover.
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Post by euan »

Walking in today. Walked out with a brand new one. Sounds a little more trebly that my previous one. Buying from stores sometimes is a lot easier.
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Post by Mike »

Awesome. you wanted more trebs right? This is all good.
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Post by euan »

Mike wrote:Awesome. you wanted more trebs right? This is all good.
Totally. Only minus is it seems the power tubes are mounted at a slight angle...
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Post by filtercap »

My Twin's power choobs don't sit perfectly straight either. Better tone that way. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. 8)

Of course, the sockets are about 30 years old if they're original. As long as they're gripping the pins OK, fine by me.

I'm glad it was easy for you to get a replacement.
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Post by Mike »

you could tighten the sockets if you wanted to - personally i wouldn't bother...