Broken Amp

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dmcguitar
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Posts: 87
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Location: NY
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Broken Amp

Post by dmcguitar » Mon Oct 15, 2007 9:03 pm

Hi Guys,
I am not sure where to post this, or if I'll actually get help, but I have a Fender ultimate chorus 2x12 combo. I bought it 8-9 years ago, then replaced it with a 5150 II. Anyway a few years ago it started making funny noises, so i completely stopped using it, and started using my main amp for practice as well.

So I was wondering if anyone here can help me identify what might be wrong with it, I'd like to play it at home for practice (or record cleans... does sound quite nice)

I plugged my les paul into it, with a brand new monster standard cable, so those aren' causing the noise. There are no florescent light on, neither is the computer monitor or TV. There are 2 clips, the short one, entitled hum, is just the sound of the amp when its turned on and no signal is sent (the guitar is plugged in though) It does not matter what volume I put the clean channel at, the hum is always the same level. The second clip is me playing notes (a whole octave i think) from a low Db up. The speakers fart at different rates depending on the frequency. This is only the clean channel, which is crystal clean, any distortion is a result of recording these sounds with my laptop mic, its a little over sensitive.

If anyone can clue me in on what is wrong, if its fixable, how much it may be... or even if its worth fixing. (please don't say, not worth fixing save the money and buy george's new 50watt kit when it comes out) (ill probably do that anyway ;)

Thanks.

Annoying hum: the sound fades cause i moved the mic a bit
http://daveclaeson.com/broke/hum.wav

Fluctuations:
http://daveclaeson.com/broke/speakers.wav

(these are some top tier sound clips, maybe I'll get a record deal off of it... could go well with farting on a snare drum) he he
www.atomicfury.com

that's my band, Im the sole guitarist. Go ahead listen and tell me what you think.. of the band. or me.

-5150II
-custom (I made) 2x12 cab
-custom (I made) strat guitar
-Wayne strat

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Blast
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Posts: 125
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Just the numbers in order: 7
Location: Kansas City

Post by Blast » Fri Nov 16, 2007 7:51 pm

If you didn't have the clip of the hum itself I'd say the second clip, by itself, was the speaker(s). But with that hum it's probably related and probably not the speaker(s). What if you don't have a guitar cord plugged in- same noise? If I woke up with your problem the first thing I would do would be to try a couple other outlets in the house (and maybe even one other one somewhere else) just to rule out AC interference. I don't know the model or how old it is so my second guess would be capacitors, if it has any age at all. Will it come and go if you bang on it (ie: could it be a mechanical, rather than an electrical problem)? After that I would be opening it up and give it the goin'-through... Good luck.
Brian

geoff_bell
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Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:49 pm

Post by geoff_bell » Sun Nov 18, 2007 7:46 am

try wiring it up to the speakers from the other amp. that will eliminate the speakers from the problem. don't forget to match impedence etc ;)

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