My amp just blew out...

SMILEYSIXX · #1 12-03-2010, 04:21 PM

So I have my effect pedal on and I turn it off and my amp starts humming. Thinking my foot accidentally knocked out a plug, I check all the plugs and jacks. Nothing. I plug my bass directly into the amp. Still a hum. None of my knobs are turning the hum down and I can't hear any noise besides the hum. Any ideas on what I can do to fix this?

craig.p · #2 12-03-2010, 04:37 PM

What if you plug nothing into the amp, i.e. leave all input jacks empty. Still get hum?

RickenBoogie · #3 12-03-2010, 04:46 PM

Process of elimination, and when that fails, find a competent amp tech.

seamonkey · #4 12-03-2010, 04:50 PM

Try going into the effects return. This should bypass the pre-amp.

SMILEYSIXX · #5 12-03-2010, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craig.p

What if you plug nothing into the amp, i.e. leave all input jacks empty. Still get hum?

Yep, crazy loud hum. No controls on the amp affect it. Volume, EQ, neither change the hum.

gregbackstrom · #6 12-03-2010, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

Yep, crazy loud hum. No controls on the amp affect it. Volume, EQ, neither change the hum.

What kind of amp? Is there anything plugged into the DI? Can you lift the ground (and does that help)?

SMILEYSIXX · #7 12-03-2010, 05:33 PM

Fender Rumble 60. Nothing with the ground as far as I can tell.

BassNGuns · #8 12-03-2010, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

Yep, crazy loud hum. No controls on the amp affect it. Volume, EQ, neither change the hum.

Sea Monkey is on the right track.
If you plug into the effects return and can hear your bass, most likely it is a preamp problem, because you are almost going straight to the power amp and bypassing the preamp.
Do you have any electronic experience?

SMILEYSIXX · #9 12-03-2010, 06:06 PM

There's no effect return on my amp. Suggestions?

sleepytime · #10 12-03-2010, 06:21 PM

Just curious--what kind of effect pedal, and how did you turn it off?

SMILEYSIXX · #11 12-03-2010, 06:29 PM

Wah effect on a Boss ME-50B. Clicked it off, humming began.

sleepytime · #12 12-03-2010, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

Wah effect on a Boss ME-50B. Clicked it off, humming began.

Judging by the timing of events, it sounds like you may have gotten a wayward spike and nuked a semiconductor. I would bring it in for service. On the other hand, a Rumble 60 might not be worth the expense, if it is not under warranty. Bummer.

SMILEYSIXX · #13 12-03-2010, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepytime

Judging by the timing of events, it sounds like you may have gotten a wayward spike and nuked a semiconductor. I would bring it in for service. On the other hand, a Rumble 60 might not be worth the expense, if it is not under warranty. Bummer.

I'm thinking the expense is gonna be more than I can afford right now, but that leaves me ampless for at least a month with three bands to practice with...

sleepytime · #14 12-03-2010, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

I'm thinking the expense is gonna be more than I can afford right now, but that leaves me ampless for at least a month with three bands to practice with...

The speaker is still good if you can rig something somehow.

jam.majors · #15 12-03-2010, 06:57 PM

Sleepytime is right. I had the same thing happen on an amp twice in 6 months! Thankfully it was under warranty.