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warren0728
August 27th, 2006, 05:44 PM
I am having problems with my ad30vt....i've noticed i get a static sound when playing low notes but don't seem to hear it when playing higher notes. It definately sounds like static and not a vibration, but only on the lower notes (low e and a strings)

I haven't taken it apart yet....it seems like if it was electrical it would happen all the time and not only on the low notes....thoughts anyone?

Happens with different guitars and amp settings....

ww

Cranium
August 27th, 2006, 06:34 PM
Does this happen at very low volumes too?

warren0728
August 27th, 2006, 06:45 PM
i would say yes....volume and master at about 12 o'clock....not sure about volumes lower than that...the attenuater on the back is all the way up....

ww

duhvoodooman
August 27th, 2006, 07:26 PM
Sounds like the bottom end is "falling apart", as they say. I noticed this to some extent with my AD30VT also, until I upgraded the stock speaker. A tube upgrade may help some, too. And it could still very well be a vibration, even if it only does it on low notes. The source vibration frequency definitely makes a difference!

A couple of other things to try, to see if they help any:


Do a factory reset on the amp, per instructions on pg. 15 of the manual.
Take off the back panel and make sure everything is tightened down well, esp. the 4 speaker mounting screws.

Tim
August 28th, 2006, 05:25 AM
Warren,

I had the same problem last month. Try changing the cable between the guitar and the amp. When I changed the cable the problem went away. I think in my case the ground wire may be defective. It is a Planet Wave cable with a life time guarantee. It will be returned on my next visit to Jacksonville. I hope this solves your problem also.

warren0728
August 28th, 2006, 05:29 AM
Warren,

I had the same problem last month. Try changing the cable between the guitar and the amp. When I changed the cable the problem went away. I think in my case the ground wire may be defective. It is a Planet Wave cable with a life time guarantee. It will be returned on my next visit to Jacksonville. I hope this solves your problem also.
your static only occured on the low bass frequencies? I would have thought a bad cable would be staticky (is that a word) no matter what.

I'm gonna try everyone's suggestions....thanks!

ww

warren0728
August 28th, 2006, 03:35 PM
well i reset the amp and i still have the problem....really strange...it is intermittent....i am going to take it apart either tonight or tomorow and see if everything is tight. It does not sound like a rattle...definately like static. I wonder if the bass notes are making some wiring vibrate and that is causing it....

ww

Tone2TheBone
August 28th, 2006, 03:45 PM
You might have to reset the amp to factory settings? Maybe it's a glich in the circuitry or something?

warren0728
August 28th, 2006, 03:53 PM
You might have to reset the amp to factory settings? Maybe it's a glich in the circuitry or something?
that's what i did....no luck....gonna have to take it apart.... :confused:

ww

Tone2TheBone
August 28th, 2006, 04:04 PM
Ummm...trade it for a Peavey Classic 20! Oh wait....you have one already. +1!

warren0728
August 28th, 2006, 04:18 PM
i have been thinking about trading it...but today when i was testing it out after resetting i was actually liking it :eek: (until the static started again).....

ww

el_goodo_maximo
August 28th, 2006, 05:23 PM
It sounds like the speaker is going if it's intermitten. I had a similar problem (except the sound from the amp would stop) and my speaker died...

warren0728
August 28th, 2006, 05:29 PM
It sounds like the speaker is going if it's intermitten. I had a similar problem (except the sound from the amp would stop) and my speaker died...
i hope not...it's probably got less than 100 hours on it(probably ALOT less)...is there anyway to check it? :(

ww

Cranium
August 28th, 2006, 06:56 PM
Sometimes rattling can sound like static, you should definatley take it appart, also you might want to change the speaker, it might solve your problem and will probably improve the sound.

TS808
August 28th, 2006, 07:56 PM
i hope not...it's probably got less than 100 hours on it(probably ALOT less)...is there anyway to check it? :(

ww
Before taking the amp apart and checking the speaker, if you have an extra 12ax7 lying around, change that first. Sometimes (this happened on my old Fender HR Deville) if a tube starts to go, you can get static, odd harmonics, it can go microphonic, whatever. The tube could be reacting to the lower frequencies perhaps and may be on its way out. I'm thinking with the output signal of your guitar passing through the power amp first, I would check that. I'd hate to see you take a whole amp apart only to find out that a tube went bad. Pull one from your Classic 20 and try it in your Valvetronix. If you're still getting the static, then I would go with taking a look at the speaker.

warren0728
August 28th, 2006, 08:07 PM
thanks TS....now that i think about it, it seems to start happening after the amp is on for a little while....i will definately check the tube!

ww

el_goodo_maximo
August 28th, 2006, 09:16 PM
Try A-Bing it with a cabinet somewhere... Only real way to tell.

warren0728
August 29th, 2006, 09:51 AM
well i took the back off this morning (the hell with client work) and made sure everything was tight (it was)....one strange thing happened....after i took off the back and then set the amp back upright to play i found a pick i did not bring into the living room (where i took the amp apart).

Anyway i played for quite awhile with the back off...definately sounded different than with the back on. I could not get it to make the noise i have been hearing (and played long enough for the tube to get nice and hot...tried several amp mosels and volumes and even switched my cord a couple of times....hmmmm

I put the back back on and played for quite awhile longer and still no static.

I wonder if the pick was in the cabinet and somehow vibrating around to make the sound i was hearing. I don't think it could be possible because the sound i was hearing definately sounded like static...like a connection wasn't good.

Still a mystery...i am going to just keep playing it and see if the problem crops up again....if so i will try to record it for you guys to listen too.

still confused :confused:

ww

Tone2TheBone
August 29th, 2006, 10:09 AM
Warren....sounds like Occam's Razor is in play here. I'd bet it was the pick.....

warren0728
August 29th, 2006, 10:24 AM
yeah...hopefully the simplest solution is THE solution....

ww

TS808
August 29th, 2006, 10:25 AM
That is bizarre, considering the pick would likely interfere with all signals, not just the low strings.

I'm thinking too that just the fact that you moved the amp and it seemed fine afterward, could mean something is loose or was?? Leave the back of the amp off for a while, in case it starts again, then pop in a different tube and give it a go.

warren0728
August 29th, 2006, 10:29 AM
i think it is possesed :eek:

TS808
August 29th, 2006, 10:35 AM
i think it is possesed :eek:

One of the biggest criticisms of the Valvetronix line is reliability issues and I was hesitant to buy one to begin with for that reason. Hopefully, these amps will stand up to time. I'm finding lately that I'm having a love/hate relationship with mine.

I saw on the Vox Talk forum last night that someone "thinks" (not confirmed) that Vox is phasing out the AD120VTX and AD60VTX amps. I've noticed too that they haven't shown up in any music catalogs lately. I wonder if they will be replaced with the AD**VT series??

warren0728
August 29th, 2006, 10:41 AM
'm finding lately that I'm having a love/hate relationship with mine.
same here....i have heard good things about the roland cube series of amps...i bought a micro cube for my son and it rocks (for what it is)

ww

marnold
August 30th, 2006, 08:09 AM
same here....i have heard good things about the roland cube series of amps...i bought a micro cube for my son and it rocks (for what it is)

I A/B'd the AD30VT and Cube 30 when I first got the amp. There really wasn't any comparison. I even had an extra set of ears with me. Both of us agreed that that Vox sounded a lot better. I don't know if I could quantify how it sounded better, but it just did. I've had my Vox for almost two years now and have not had an iota of trouble with it. Of course, I'm not touring/gigging/etc. so my amp basically stays in the same place all of the time.

warren0728
August 30th, 2006, 08:19 AM
thanks marnold...yeah i don't gig either so my amps rarely get moved....as long as we don't lose power today (ernesto is giving us a little nasty weather but not too bad so far) i'm gonna play the vox some more to see if the static issue happens again...i still have a hard time believing the wayward pick inside could have caused the problem...i probably won't trade it in.

I think i'm going to get some contact cleaner and clean all the contact points good to to see if that helps.

ww

Tone2TheBone
August 30th, 2006, 09:12 AM
i think it is possesed :eek:

You need a young priest and an old priest....

I'm sitting here thinking....what guitar(s) does this happen on? Its not the dreaded pickguard static is it? Like from your Tele? No?

Have you tried shaking around the speaker wires? If they're loose or cracked inside they'll intermittenly crackle. Vibration from volume would definately make that a possibilty. Rig up a way to connect the amp to another speaker temporarily to eliminate this possibilty. If it still has static then its the amp. Still thinking about this....

warren0728
August 30th, 2006, 09:18 AM
it has happened on more than one guitar...my tele, the les paul and i think my ibanez dual humbucker. I took the back of and the speaker wires are on tight. I wish it happened all the time...it would be easier to track down....but it is harder when it only happens sometimes....

ww

Tone2TheBone
August 30th, 2006, 09:27 AM
it has happened on more than one guitar...my tele, the les paul and i think my ibanez dual humbucker. I took the back of and the speaker wires are on tight. I wish it happened all the time...it would be easier to track down....but it is harder when it only happens sometimes....

ww


Hit it with a hammer? Got me baffled. I'm running out of ideas man sowrry.

Does it sound like an electrical static? Or a vibration static?

warren0728
August 30th, 2006, 09:32 AM
sounds like electronic static to me....i'm hoping to record it with my built in condesor mike on my laptop if it happens again....

ww

Tone2TheBone
August 30th, 2006, 09:59 AM
sounds like electronic static to me....i'm hoping to record it with my built in condesor mike on my laptop if it happens again....

ww


Hey thats a great idea. And then post the file here for us to interpret.

SuperSwede
August 30th, 2006, 01:10 PM
Warren, does the amp still produce that static sound if you remove the cable plug from the input??

If it does so, crank up the volume to the max. Listen after raspy voices speaking latin backwards.. If you hear them, pour one vial of holy water over the amp. Works wonders with our family Ford :D

marnold
August 31st, 2006, 11:39 AM
I could see a pick getting lodged in there funny and causing problems. A good hit with contact cleaner certainly can't hurt. I've heard reports of the AD series speakers cutting out because of gunk build-up in the phone/line jack.

warren0728
August 31st, 2006, 11:47 AM
well i played it again this morning for about an hour and no static....very strange.... (probably because i had my laptop in the music room ready to record if it started acting up)...i am going to clean everything good with contact cleaner.

ww