Princeton Reverb Reissue - Issue

Chicago Mike · Post by **Chicago Mike** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:51 pm

So I've been getting some serious rattle when I play a few of the lower notes. Seems like tube rattle, but I'm not sure.

Has anyone got experience in diganosing a rattle, like the best places to start? I've read on the internetz that it's a tube issue and that there's really not a solid solution.

So this is probably a shot in the dark but thouht I'd see if anyone had gone through this issue.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 6:22 pm

you could give these a shot, if you don't have them installed already.

http://www.tubedepot.com/sk-ret5.html

I'm not sure to which extent this would reduce rattle but at -$10, I say it's worth a shot.

I had similar problems with an ancient Harmony H306. It turned out my issue was speaker related. The old speaker chassis (like the metal part on which the cone is mounted) had cracked. I replaced the speaker and that was the end of that. Considering your amp is recent, I doubt this is the root of your issue.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 6:30 pm

Not had anything on mine yet - but like you said I've read things about this sort of thing on the Fender forum.
Sorry - no real help at all.

Chicago Mike · Post by **Chicago Mike** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 6:45 pm

Thanks, it didn't start when I first got it but after a couple of weeks of full out jammin' at nearly maxed volume did I start to hear it.

It's only on certain notes on the neck, so it's weird....and a pain in my ass b/c it's really noticable when playing clean passages.

I'll check out that link...might be worth the ten spot to solve an epic issue for me. Thanks.

Will · Post by **Will** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:12 pm

Probably tubes getting rattley.

Going through and tightening up the screws wouldn't be a terrible idea, though.

filtercap · Post by **filtercap** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:32 pm

Might try one or two of those retainers on my Vibro Champ. I've been getting similar rattles lately. Grabbing the power or rectifier tubes generally makes it go away, until I need my other hand for other things like playing guitar. I re-tensioned the sockets, but the metal terminal bits sit pretty loosely in whatever that bombproof plastic is they make sockets of, so the tubes can still vibro around even when the terminals are gripping the tube pins tightly. The sockets are 30 years old, but I don't fancy all the unsoldering/soldering it would take to change them out.

Not surprising that certain notes cause the rattles... resonant frequencies, etc. Check around for any loose items on a nearby desktop or whatever that might be vibrating too.