CaptainCutthroat Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Hey-low, gotta question.. I've got an Ampeg SVT-3 head. It sounds like the dark abyss of death! I've replaced the fan and that did not solve the problem. The sound comes through the cabs and direct outs. You can't hear it live a full volume but it is there. And in recording... fahgettahboutit! My g****rist is suggesting to replace the tubes as he claims that g**tar amps need to have the tubes replaced periodically. Is this true? I've had the amp for almost 12 years now. Any suggestions as to what the horrible hum is or should I just jump in the fire with Davio and get a credit card? Part two: I pulled the URB out to an open jam night in Salem, MA on Monday. I jammed with the owner and his g****ist on some bluesy, rockabilly improv. A little Zep "Dazed and Confused" snuck itself in there and I was definitely the guilty party that started that! The owner was rambling on the mic from behind the kit making up the words to a song about how you get diseases from the bar around the corner. A great experience and something I'll probably be able to do every week. Carvin Bunny Brunel Signature 5 String, ESP LTD 5 String, Ampeg SVT3, Ampeg 4x10 and 1x18 www.captaincutthroat.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Maybe instead of a full tube replacement (which might cost you $300) you can have the bias checked. A gig in Salem? Were there witches present? Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davio Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Part two - freaking great. I'd definitely go there rather than the bar around the corner. I'm not a fan of getting diseases. Part one - I don't know much about tube amps as I've never owned one, but I do know that they must periodically be replaced and from the little bit that I've read I'm kinda surprised you haven't changed them before this. 12 years and all... Then again, I've had my active bass for about 5 or 6 years now and never replaced either of the 2 9v batteries. *shrug* Sorry, but I can't really say whether or not the tubes are the cause of your problem. Is it just a static hiss? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainCutthroat Posted December 5, 2008 Author Share Posted December 5, 2008 No it sounds like a fan whirring and sometimes clinking against something. It actually gets worse when I play but when it's loud it gets drowned out. Carvin Bunny Brunel Signature 5 String, ESP LTD 5 String, Ampeg SVT3, Ampeg 4x10 and 1x18 www.captaincutthroat.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 How about disconnecting the fan and seeing if you still hear the noise? Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Brillant suggestion ! "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 I've got an Ampeg SVT-3 head. It sounds like the dark abyss of death! Sell it to Thanny :grin: "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davio Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Sell it to Thanny :grin: Thank you, David. That made me laugh...and I haven't even had coffee yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroslav Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 No it sounds like a fan whirring and sometimes clinking against something. It actually gets worse when I play but when it's loud it gets drowned out. Yeah...maybe it is just the fan...but if it's like a breathing/pumping noise...it's a tube or a capacitor. The "clinking" noise...does it sound like crackling/popping? It may be that after 12 years....the tube sockets/pins have become a bit oxidized. So...you turn the amp off...cool it down...then pull out one tube, spray some Caig DeOxit on the tube pins (NOT into the socket)...then work the tube in/out of the socket a couple of times. That will clean the connections up. Make sure you grab the power tubes by the bases, not the glass. If that has no effect...then it's something deeper. It could be just one tube even. Do you know what types of tubes are in that amp...what is the layout of the preamp and power tubes? miroslav - miroslavmusic.com "Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Get a new high quality preamp tube you trust not to be microphonic(if they are 12AX7s, a Boogie SPAX7 will do the job), and use it in place of the current tubes, one at a time. If it problem goes away, you've isolated it to whatever tube you replaced when it went away. If that doesn't work, try the same thing with a new power tube. If that makes the problem go away or sound differently, you need a new set of power tubes. If you replace those, you'll probably need to get the amp rebiased too. Just to be sure you know, turn the amp off before you switch either power or preamp tubes. And use a pair of nice thick gloves or something when you grab the tubes to pull them. They get hot enough to burn you. If none of that works, sell it to Thanny... Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainCutthroat Posted December 5, 2008 Author Share Posted December 5, 2008 Hey Thanny, wanna buy an amp? Great tone! LOl! The noise does sound a bit like breathing and the clinking sounds like a fan hitting something metal. It starts right when you get the "I'm ready click" after you turn it on. I've tried to disconnect the old fan and the amp started sounding weak minutes later. But the noise did go away if I remember correctly. That is something I could easily try again with the new fan. The type of tubes in the amp are whatever Ampeg stock tubes are for this model 12 years ago. I'm not sure of their layout either. Also, please describe what you mean by layout and I might understand more to help you helping me. Carvin Bunny Brunel Signature 5 String, ESP LTD 5 String, Ampeg SVT3, Ampeg 4x10 and 1x18 www.captaincutthroat.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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