Help!!! My guitar amp making a low hum!

[soong]

Hi all

This morning when i tried to play my strat through my Fender Frontman practice amp, it produced a low hum that would not go away no matter how i played with overdrive or EQ.

My guitar is still audible through the amp, but barely. When i turn volume or distortion up to 10, it still produces the same, low volume clean tone.

My mate tells me the cone is wrecked. I honestly have no idea about the amp side of things. Can someone help me out here??

[lbwdog]

[quote=soong;8948518]Hi all



My mate tells me the cone is wrecked. I honestly have no idea about the amp side of things. Can someone help me out here??[quote]

A blown speaker will not make the amp hum. Also, the sound would probably be more distorted at lower volume.
The hum, and reduced output suggests an amp problem that could be a number of things. Best you can do without professional help would be checking inside the amp for apparent bad solder joints, but first make sure your instrument cable, batteries, etc. are good.

[Marley's Ghost]

I would suggest you take this question over to Talkguitar. They are very helpful with issues like these.


Since us bass players must have knowledge about all instruments, I may however be able to help. Where is the pickup selecter switch set? If you have it in the far left, middle or far right, you will pick up 60 cycle hum. . Try the mddle left and middle right positions, and the hum should go away.

[soong]

Originally Posted by Marley's Ghost

I would suggest you take this question over to Talkguitar. They are very helpful with issues like these.


Since us bass players must have knowledge about all instruments, I may however be able to help. Where is the pickup selecter switch set? If you have it in the far left, middle or far right, you will pick up 60 cycle hum. . Try the mddle left and middle right positions, and the hum should go away.

There has always been a little slight hum because of the single coil pups. This hum is new and serious - like overwhelmingly. When i crank the volume to 10, i only really get a low signal through the speaker.

[Pearly Gator]

Sounds like the solder connections on the plastic input jack. A common problem on that amp. Get someone handy with a soldering iron to reflow the connections.

[tdub0199]

Grounding issues?

[lbwdog]

Like I said in my first post, there is only so much you can do without being adept at amp diagnosis. Check it with another guitar and cable, if it doesn't go away, your only valid option is to take it to a tech.

It's one thing to remotely instruct someone how to perform bass or guitar maintenance and repair, a whole different animal with amplifiers.

[soong]

Thanks for all the helpful responses guys.

If it helps, i think i've narrowed it down. The amp has a headphone jack, and check i listen through headphones, everything is the same (hum, distorted signal even in clean setting).
Does this suggest that the problem probably isnt the speaker?

my mate told me that
"The headphone signal is usually sent out before main amp, plugging in usually breaks the signal to the amp, so it might be the effects, signal processing, I/O section that has developed a fault if the noise is there in the head phones. That stuff is all on one board, usually, so unless something is obviously broken/burnt it's off to the shop for repair. A good eyeball around all the solder and wired connections to make sure they are not broken or dry jointed can save a trip to the shop if your willing to have a go repairing it yourself. Worst case is you can point out the suspected fault to the tech for a head start."

Yes/no?

What should my next steps be?

[johnk_10]

its definitely NOT your speaker.
and your next step is to take it to a tech.

[nhnagaoka]

Originally Posted by soong

Hi all

This morning when i tried to play my strat through my Fender Frontman practice amp, it produced a low hum that would not go away no matter how i played with overdrive or EQ.

My guitar is still audible through the amp, but barely. When i turn volume or distortion up to 10, it still produces the same, low volume clean tone.

My mate tells me the cone is wrecked. I honestly have no idea about the amp side of things. Can someone help me out here??

You may have a short in your pickup. Is there a way you can test the amp with a different guitar or try the same guitar on a different amp?

[B-string]

It wants to have a bass player next to it Does it make the same "hum" with no guitar plugged in?