HELP!! Bass amp/cab Crackling sound

[stevealex35 11]

Hello,

Whilst rehearsing the past few days, my bass rig (Ampeg SVT3pro + Ampeg 8x8 cab) is producing a nasty crackling sound played at medium-to-high volume. I removed the cab cover and put my ear to all the speakers. The crackle is coming through all the speakers, not one in particular.

Tomorrow night I am going to try running my backup amphead through the cab, and see if the same sound is there. If it is NOT, then it must be the amp head. If the sound is still there, then the problem lies in the cab. I think.

Any one had any experience with problems similar to this? Where a crackling sound was produced, without believing any specific speaker to have blown?

Some one online said perhaps the circuit board in the back of my cab could be dodgy.

Booooo. I hate tech issues when all you want to do is beast out some tunes!!

Thanks in advance,

[Ronz 31]

If it's coming through all the speakers it can only be an amp or connection fault. try checking all the nuts on the jack sockets of your guitar,amp and head. Also might sound obvious but change the leads you are using,both guitar and head to cab.

Ronz

[texjamm 4]

Have you tried another speaker cable? If its intermittent crackling (through vibration at med to high volume) it could be a dodgy connection. Also a dodgy guitar cable / bass jack connection could be at fault. Try feeding the amp with another bass and cable thats known to be good.

You could also take off the speaker cable connector plate on the back of the cab and check for loose connections. Is the crackling coming through the horn as well?

[texjamm 4]

If it's coming through all the speakers it can only be an amp or connection fault. try checking all the nuts on the jack sockets of your guitar,amp and head. Also might sound obvious but change the leads you are using,both guitar and head to cab.

Ronz

Darn it! You beat me to it

[Ronz 31]

Lol,admit it,you just copied:jester:

Ronz

[Humey Whilem 10]

Could be as simple as a pot needing cleaning, does it change when you fiddle with your knob(s)...?

[Fish out of water 7]

Not sure its that - the crackling would only happen if you adjusted the pot. If it's happening allthe time then its probably something else.

[Lame Guitarist 19]

Check your pre-amp valves in the amp head. If you have spares then put them in and see if that clears. This most likely sounds like a faulty 12AX7.

Also give your cab plate a re-solder just in case and squirt some electrical cleaner in all sockets, including your valve sockets in the head

[stevealex35 11]

Thanks for all the advice/help guys. I will try some of this tonight. Fingers crossed as I need it to gig this weekend!

Re:

Check your pre-amp valves in the amp head. If you have spares then put them in and see if that clears. This most likely sounds like a faulty 12AX7.

Also give your cab plate a re-solder just in case and squirt some electrical cleaner in all sockets, including your valve sockets in the head

I have no experiece with checking/servicing valves...so I may need to read up a little on that first!! Can you buy pre-amp valves anywhere locally?

Thanks again folks

Steve

[Soda Jerk 5137]

Last time my amp had a problem, it was dipping in volume, so I bashed it on the top with my fist, and it stopped doing it. I'd suggest never underestimating the power of being a petulant macho cunt in situations like these.

[Huw 23]

last time my amp had a problem, it was dipping in volume, so i bashed it on the top with my fist, and it stopped doing it. I'd suggest never underestimating the power of being a petulant macho cunt in situations like these.

winner!!

[Soda Jerk 5137]

I imagine it just knocked one of the preamps back into place with a massive stroke of luck, but it made me feel well hard!

[paranoid 54]

Last time my amp had a problem, it was dipping in volume, so I bashed it on the top with my fist, and it stopped doing it.

Are you saying you are actually Fonzie? That would be amazing!

[stevealex35 11]

OK so for better of for worse, I discovered that it is indeed the CAB at fault here! Tried my back up amp head, changed all my leads, used another guitar...same problem. Same evil crackling sound.

So going by what I have read and what people have told me, I reckon it could be faulty electronics round the back. A friend of mine recommend that I open it up and attempt to by-pass the circuity (with the cab volume control etc), plugging my amp directly into the drivers. That way I can determin if the electronics are fucked.

Hopefully ALL my speakers haven't blown! If they have, I don't know how the hell I did that!?! I always play at a safe volume.

[Guest Gladstone]

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That fucking Darren Forsyth from IRL will have blown them. He's an animal.