major svt 4 pro problems!!!

[rcroach]

i got a ampeg svt 4 pro about 5 years ago for christmas and have had major problems with it for the last 3 years. im actually on my second one after ampeg agreed to replace the first one free of charge as it was under warranty. my current svt 4 makes this clicking sound when i turn it on. the signal cuts in and out as it is making this rapid clicking noise. it first started doing it at a gig we had outdoors in late fall about 3 years ago. i gave it to my local music shop for repairs and they in turn sent it to a authorized ampeg repair guy. after about 3 weeks the guy called me and said my amp had "catastrophic" failure but he didnt tell me what exactly it was that failed. i then called ampeg and they sent me a brand new one. the new one after about 6 months started doing the same thing at another gig we had. when it first started my drummer reached over and slapped the top of it and it started to work again. for about 3 months you could slap it and the clicking would stop but now it "clicks" constantly and is completly unplayable. i gave it to a neighbor that has been working on musical equipment for about 20 years to see if he could repair it. he actually thought he had fixed and gave it back to me. it worked for 2 practices then i took it to another gig and it started doing the same damn thing as soon as i turned it on. needless to say i had to borrow another bass players amp from one of the bands we were playing with that night. i dont have enough money to buy another amp and have since resorted to using the amp on my fender combo to power my mesa 8x10 at practice and at gigs. my band is becoming increasingly less patient with me, someone please help me. thank you and god bless, AARON.
p.s - have a merry christmas!!!

[Growly Lytes]

The band is less patient` That doesnt sound good to me.Do they have the money to fix it for you ? I dont think so.....then they should be patient in the meantime.
Dont worry it will happen to them too one day !!
I hope you find out the problem, it doesnt sound good as both of them have done the same thing.How can it happen to both units ?
I dont wanna say it but maybe there might be a problem from your side.I really dont see how both would do the same thing.

[rcroach]

unfortunatly they are getting impatient, i really cant blame them though especially after the last time. at practice its one thing but at a show its very upsetting. i didnt mention it in the start of the thread but my ampeg combo has been sent back to ampeg for repairs twice as well. im not really savy when it comes to electronics but i dont think ive really done anything to hurt it. we really only make around $150-200 at a regular gig, sometimes as low as $75.00. we really havent been able to afford any equipment lately as we just got done paying for 1000 copies of our fist release. theres not really alot of money in original rock/metal where we live. it seems im just having problems with ampeg. they sound awesome but it seems all ive got from them were lemons. im not sure if this helps but the "clicking" sounds just like the power switch when you turn it on or off. it sounds as if someone is turning my amp on and off repeatedly. the signal also sounds that way as well, like someone is turning my amp on and off repeatedly.
thank you for the reply

[craig.p]

If it were on my bench, the first thing I'd check for would be cold/loose solder joints, one or more bad tubes, and one or more bad/loose tube sockets.

The "whack upside the head" fix suggests this is a mechanical problem, i.e. one or more of the above or something similar.

I assume you're following the manual to the letter WRT connecting your cab(s), and that you've already proven your speaker cables(s) to be good.

[craig.p]

Forgot something else: Connect effects send and return with an instrument cable and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then the effects return jack's NC (normally closed) contacts are dirty.

[TheHopiWay]

Here's a long shot:
I recently had problems with my Ampeg making clicking sounds at gigs that could not be reproduced at home. Having the drummer turn off his stinkin' i-phone solved the problem. Seriously.

[grendle]

Originally Posted by craig.p

If it were on my bench, the first thing I'd check for would be cold/loose solder joints, one or more bad tubes, and one or more bad/loose tube sockets.

The "whack upside the head" fix suggests this is a mechanical problem, i.e. one or more of the above or something similar.

I assume you're following the manual to the letter WRT connecting your cab(s), and that you've already proven your speaker cables(s) to be good.

+10

[Selta]

11 months to the day; congrats!

[JtSD619]

and this is why i dont use ampeg products any more