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Ampeg V4-B - crackle

woodywyatt

woodywyatt

Guest
Jan 12, 2015
34
32
#1
Hi
I've just purchased an Ampeg V4-B (re-issue) which sounds great but there's a small issue..
The manual suggests that you wait at least 1 minute with power switch on before turning the standby switch on which I did. However, after about a minute (with standby on) there is crackling sound which lasts about 20 seconds then it disappears.

This doesn't happen if the amp is warmed up or if I wait for about 3 minutes before turning standby on. Is there a problem with the amp or should I just wait longer on power on?
Any help appreciated

Really don't fancy repackaging this and sending it back!!
 
#2
It could be tube related.

It could be that the contact between a tube pin and the socket is loose. First thing to try is to re-seat all the tubes in their sockets. You might have a tube that has popped out a bit.

If this doesn’t help, check to see how easily each tube slips in and out of it’s socket. There should be enough friction to allow a good contact. If it is too loose, the socket contacts need to be carefully pinched inward to re-tension the socket terminals. This shouldn’t be an issue with a new amp. The socket contacts can get stretched open when changing tubes or if the new tube’s pins are smaller in diameter.

A tube itself could have a thermal issue, when it gets hot the metal expands, there can be a better contact, the crackling sound goes away. Sometimes this issue goes away with time as the tube is used. Replacing the tube can often solve this issue. If you have a spare, swap it in and see. Start with the small tubes.

There are other possibilites.
 
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#3
I agree with Beans. At any rate, it's probably just one tube causing the problem if it's not an issue with the sockets, which it probably isn't since it's new. However, just pulling out the tubes and reseating them has been known to cure stuff like this before. And if it doesn't get fixed, call or email Ampeg and see what they think. The tubes do have a warranty.

https://ampeg.com/contact/
 

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