Static and buzzing on an Ampeg BA115 HPT?

hrodbert696 · #1 12-21-2010, 04:47 AM

Maybe someone can help me figure out what the problem is so I can take this to a shop tech with more intelligent questions. I play through an Ampeg BA115 HPT with two basses, a Washburn Taurus T25 and an SX jazz. For some time now, I've had random bursts of static through the amp. Lately it seems to be getting worse, more frequent, and lasting longer. It is definitely related to the signal coming from the bass, if I cut volume from the bass I can cut off the static. It's also worse from the SX than the Taurus. But I had initially thought it was a bass problem, took the Taurus into the shop, and they said they couldn't find anything wrong with it, couldn't reproduce the static through any amps in the store.

I'm not a major tech guy, don't know too much about the inner workings of amps -- any ideas what could be causing this, and the best route to isolate and fix it? Would it be likely to involve a fix in the basses or is it probably all in the amp? Major problem or just a minor annoyance that something needs to be cleaned off or tightened up?

Thanks!

**mikeddd** · #2 12-21-2010, 04:58 AM

Input jack on the amp is dirty or loose, possibly. Also, do you run a really hot signal from a pedalboard into the amp? A long time ago, I used to fry an IC that was in the preamp circuit of a solid state Marshall guitar amp with the Digitech distortion pedal I had.

hrodbert696 · #3 12-21-2010, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeddd

Input jack on the amp is dirty or loose, possibly. Also, do you run a really hot signal from a pedalboard into the amp? A long time ago, I used to fry an IC that was in the preamp circuit of a solid state Marshall guitar amp with the Digitech distortion pedal I had.

No, it happens without any pedal at all, when I plug straight into the amp for practice. I'll check on the input jack.