Gallien-Krueger 800RB light hiss/crackle noise

[vaccastracca]

Hello!
After a search of few years, I finally got a charming mkI 800RB (horizontal power-switch, metal inputs etc etc).
Finally I can play with what I consider one of the best bass amps ever!
It has a very light background hiss/crackle though, which shouldn't be normal (the lent one - same mkI model - i used many years ago didn't seem to have this problem).
Could it just need a simple re-cap job? Seems it has been unused for quite a while before getting to me. Or could it be something more complicated?
The noise is really very light...it comes up as the master volume goes up (with all the knobs at zero it's perfectly silent). And in any case, it cannot be heard in a band situation, and not even alone, if you play...it's just there when you are not playing and you are in a silent room.
Frankly, I could easily live with it, it doesn't bother me at all (I only own old amps, so I am quite used to light hiss, hum or whatever), but I just want to be sure that I don't damage anything if I keep on using it like it is...

[themeanreds]

I have the same question, actually. Mine has the same problem.

I don't really hear it until the master hits about 1 o'clock; then the hiss and crackle (it's actually more of a subtle "woooshing" noise, almost like wind) starts to really be noticeable. The other controls do not seem to affect the noise.

I just got the amp back from my tech, where he fixed a volume fluctuation problem being caused by worn and dirty jacks (this is a common issue with these amps too, it seems). My tech might not have noticed the sound, as the amp has to be turned up quite loud for the hiss/crackle/woosh to be noticeable.

I don't know if I will bring the amp back for the issue to be investigated, as my laziness knows few bounds, but if the noise is a harbinger of more severe problems to come, I would rather have it dealt with now rather than, say, after the amp poops the bed during a gig.

[vaccastracca]

Originally Posted by themeanreds

I would rather have it dealt with now rather than, say, after the amp poops the bed during a gig.

makes sense! ;-)

[Standalone]

My 800 runs your basic hiss at high volume.

This is normal from what I've read. The speakers also do an old fashioned "whump" on power up and power down. Again, this is normal from everything I've read.

A crackle, however, sounds like something a shop should check out. On the whole, though, your amp seems to be just like mine, and I gig it all the time no problems.