Weird intermittent amp noise.

boogieman

Playing this morning and I’ve started getting a strange intermittent noise, almost like rustling paper. I’m pretty sure it’s the amp doing it as I’m feeding the signal from one side of a Strymon pedal and the amp fed from the other side isn’t doing it. The problem one is a Blackheart Handsome Devil.

I’ve tried a different input lead and the same thing happens. Where should I start looking? I bought it used and it’s never had a revalve while I’ve owned it, preamp valve going down maybe? 

gringopig

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theflyisback

I’m experiencing something similar on my Laney VC30. I recently swapped the tubes and it sorted it for a while but it’s started playing up again. Need to get it serviced of course but need to do a couple of gigs over the next few weeks before I Take it out of action.

I went through a few weeks of fuses blowing but it’s settled now. Also, there is one particular kettle lead im using that improves it a lot for some reason. 

Otherwise when I turn the amp on it hisses and buzzes for a spell and the knobs crackle when you turn them but after about 20 mins it stops and works fine.  

Another issue I had recently was that it started sounded awful and thin (a bit ’flangey’) when I was using the fx loop (which has its own effects volume pot) but I’ve stopped using it now and just go front end with everything.

Does this sound like an obvious problem?

ICBM

boogieman said:

Playing this morning and I’ve started getting a strange intermittent noise, almost like rustling paper. I’m pretty sure it’s the amp doing it as I’m feeding the signal from one side of a Strymon pedal and the amp fed from the other side isn’t doing it. The problem one is a Blackheart Handsome Devil.

I’ve tried a different input lead and the same thing happens. Where should I start looking? I bought it used and it’s never had a revalve while I’ve owned it, preamp valve going down maybe? 

Probably, but as gringopig said it can sometimes just be a bit of dirt in the valve socket contacts. Try wiggling them about a bit. If that doesn't fix it, you need one spare preamp valve - substitute it for each of the ones in the amp in turn and see if you can identify the faulty one.

It could also be a power valve but less likely from the type of noise.

theflyisback said:

I’m experiencing something similar on my Laney VC30. I recently swapped the tubes and it sorted it for a while but it’s started playing up again. Need to get it serviced of course but need to do a couple of gigs over the next few weeks before I Take it out of action.

I went through a few weeks of fuses blowing but it’s settled now. Also, there is one particular kettle lead im using that improves it a lot for some reason.

Sounds like a bad contact in the IEC socket or that the other cables have loose pin contacts. The cable by itself cannot make any difference.

theflyisback said:

Another issue I had recently was that it started sounded awful and thin (a bit ’flangey’) when I was using the fx loop (which has its own effects volume pot) but I’ve stopped using it now and just go front end with everything.

Does this sound like an obvious problem?

A parallel effects loop - which the Laney is - will do that if there's digital latency in whatever is in the loop, or a phase reversal which can happen with analogue pedals as well.

You can modify the loop to series, which is better.

boogieman

Cheers all. I’ve got a spare preamp valve so I’ll have a tinker around with the amp when I get a chance. 

theflyisback

ICBM said:

theflyisback said:

I’m experiencing something similar on my Laney VC30. I recently swapped the tubes and it sorted it for a while but it’s started playing up again. Need to get it serviced of course but need to do a couple of gigs over the next few weeks before I Take it out of action.

I went through a few weeks of fuses blowing but it’s settled now. Also, there is one particular kettle lead im using that improves it a lot for some reason.

Sounds like a bad contact in the IEC socket or that the other cables have loose pin contacts. The cable by itself cannot make any difference.

Thanks for the help.  I'll look into this first and replace the socket.  If this simple fix is the root of all the problems I'll be majorly chuffed because its an awesome amp that probably, value wise, would be easier to write off for a new one than fix anything major.

57Deluxe

you sure it isn't just your playing you're hearing??!

boogieman

57Deluxe said:

you sure it isn't just your playing you're hearing??!

Ha ha, I wouldn’t be surprised.