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Ampeg v4b reissue problems.

#101
JimmyM said:
I can't do anything for you except possibly troubleshoot. Ampeg CS is still your best bet :D
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got my Ampeg V-4B today...sounds awesome!!!..i did however notice when my heater came on I was getting a crackle hiss pop...so I contacted ampeg after making sure all was connected right and tubes all in proper place~ he said that was normal and to get a
Furman M-8X2 Merit Series 8 Outlet Power Conditioner and Surge Protector
  • Furman's AC noise filtering reduces RFI and EMI interference to deliver a cleaner sound without pops, crackles and the local radio station coming out of your amp
so i went ahead and ordered one...forgot sometimes tube amps will do that...besides that it's got a nice nice sound.... why are these letters so big? LOL
 
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#102
I have the same Furman thingy. It’s well built. Basically a power strip with a simple power line filter built in.

If you are saying that when you powered on the amp, in standby, you heard some noise from the tubes, some tube will do this. Usually it’s a pinging. If you are saying that you heard pops and crackles when you turned standby off, it may or may not be power line noise.
 
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#103
beans-on-toast said:
I have the same Furman thingy. It’s well built. Basically a power strip with a simple power line filter built in.

If you are saying that when you powered on the amp, in standby, you heard some noise from the tubes, some tube will do this. Usually it’s a pinging. If you are saying that you heard pops and crackles when you turned standby off, it may or may not be power line noise.
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it was with standby on. it happened when I could hear my heater in my house on then slightly happened but once when heater in my house was off. on a good note if after I get the furman and it still cracks and pops Chicago music said they will accept return and pay for shipping...lets hope this thing fixes the EMI and RFI...crossing fingers basically when amp is on and standby on after a while it crackles/hisses and pops...comes and goes. I turned it on after heater shut off and it maybe happened slightly once.....
 
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#104
AmericanFenderJazzMan said:
it was with standby on. it happened when I could hear my heater in my house on then slightly happened but once when heater in my house was off. on a good note if after I get the furman and it still cracks and pops Chicago music said they will accept return and pay for shipping...lets hope this thing fixes the EMI and RFI...crossing fingers basically when amp is on and standby on after a while it crackles/hisses and pops...comes and goes. I turned it on after heater shut off and it maybe happened slightly once.....
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The Furman should help then. Let’s hope for the best.

Since it’s new, leave the amp on for several hours in playing mode (standby off), let it burn in for a while. In the event that there’s a tube issue, better that it manifest itself sooner rather than later.
 
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#105
beans-on-toast said:
The Furman should help then. Let’s hope for the best.

Since it’s new, leave the amp on for several hours in playing mode (standby off), let it burn in for a while. In the event that there’s a tube issue, better that it manifest itself sooner rather than later.
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cool....I really want to like this amp and hope all is well.....stay tuned for an update LOL
 
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#106
I should have added, sometimes a tube can come loose during shipping. It isn’t a bad idea to check that the tubes are properly seated in their sockets. You can see the power tubes, it is the small ones that can pop out a bit. A loose tube socket contact can cause popping and static.

If you feel confident enough to safely do this, leave the amp unplugged and turned off overnight. Keep the amp off standby, in playing mode. This will drain any stored energy in the capacitors.

Remove the back screen. Don’t loose and screws.

Try not to touch anything but the tubes.

Carefully push each small tube in. Rocking it back and forth as you apply downward pressure. Don’t push it too hard. If a tube is not seated you’ll know it. It will slide into place. If it is properly seated, it will feel solid when you rock it. The tube should be straight. Visually inspect the power tubes, the tubes should be straight and the tube base sitting square on the socket.
 
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#107
beans-on-toast said:
I should have added, sometimes a tube can come loose during shipping. It isn’t a bad idea to check that the tubes are properly seated in their sockets. You can see the power tubes, it is the small ones that can pop out a bit. A loose tube socket contact can cause popping and static.

If you feel confident enough to safely do this, leave the amp unplugged and turned off overnight. Keep the amp off standby, in playing mode. This will drain any stored energy in the capacitors.

Remove the back screen. Don’t loose and screws.

Try not to touch anything but the tubes.

Carefully push each small tube in. Rocking it back and forth as you apply downward pressure. Don’t push it too hard. If a tube is not seated you’ll know it. It will slide into place. If it is properly seated, it will feel solid when you rock it. The tube should be straight. Visually inspect the power tubes, the tubes should be straight and the tube base sitting square on the socket.
Click to expand...
I just turned it on...left standby off....gonna wait a while and turn on standby and then jam a little ..see whats up...if I still get any hiss/pops...gonna turn it off and check tubes tomorrow am......if it still hiss/pops..will wait till the 11th when my Furman power conditioner gets here and see whats up...then if it still hiss/pops then Ampeg said to return it and Chicago music said they will accept return and pay for shipping fees. hope some of this stuff works...i really like this amp :)
 
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#108
AmericanFenderJazzMan said:
I just turned it on...left standby off....gonna wait a while and turn on standby and then jam a little ..see whats up...if I still get any hiss/pops...gonna turn it off and check tubes tomorrow am......if it still hiss/pops..will wait till the 11th when my Furman power conditioner gets here and see whats up...then if it still hiss/pops then Ampeg said to return it and Chicago music said they will accept return and pay for shipping fees. hope some of this stuff works...i really like this amp :)
Click to expand...
beans-on-toast said:
I should have added, sometimes a tube can come loose during shipping. It isn’t a bad idea to check that the tubes are properly seated in their sockets. You can see the power tubes, it is the small ones that can pop out a bit. A loose tube socket contact can cause popping and static.

If you feel confident enough to safely do this, leave the amp unplugged and turned off overnight. Keep the amp off standby, in playing mode. This will drain any stored energy in the capacitors.

Remove the back screen. Don’t loose and screws.

Try not to touch anything but the tubes.

Carefully push each small tube in. Rocking it back and forth as you apply downward pressure. Don’t push it too hard. If a tube is not seated you’ll know it. It will slide into place. If it is properly seated, it will feel solid when you rock it. The tube should be straight. Visually inspect the power tubes, the tubes should be straight and the tube base sitting square on the socket.
Click to expand...
ok just left it on for a good hour....turned on standby and it crackled for a few seconds...then turned standby off and back on...crackled for a few seconds...then I jammed for abut 15 min without any incidents,,,turned off standby then back on...no hissing..., then once again, no crackling etc.maybe you were right and it needed to burn in a little bit. thought the standby switch might have come loose a little during shipping but it was on tight...no looseness to anything at all. am still gonna check tubes tomorrow ... then maybe leave it on a good hour with standby off then on then jam a little and hopefully after a few days it will warm /burn into it and have no incidents. this damn head is awesome...great sound.
 
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#109
AmericanFenderJazzMan said:
ok just left it on for a good hour....turned on standby and it crackled for a few seconds...then turned standby off and back on...crackled for a few seconds...then I jammed for abut 15 min without any incidents,,,turned off standby then back on...no hissing..., then once again, no crackling etc.maybe you were right and it needed to burn in a little bit. thought the standby switch might have come loose a little during shipping but it was on tight...no looseness to anything at all. am still gonna check tubes tomorrow ... then maybe leave it on a good hour with standby off then on then jam a little and hopefully after a few days it will warm /burn into it and have no incidents. this damn head is awesome...great sound.
Click to expand...
beans-on-toast said:
I should have added, sometimes a tube can come loose during shipping. It isn’t a bad idea to check that the tubes are properly seated in their sockets. You can see the power tubes, it is the small ones that can pop out a bit. A loose tube socket contact can cause popping and static.

If you feel confident enough to safely do this, leave the amp unplugged and turned off overnight. Keep the amp off standby, in playing mode. This will drain any stored energy in the capacitors.

Remove the back screen. Don’t loose and screws.

Try not to touch anything but the tubes.

Carefully push each small tube in. Rocking it back and forth as you apply downward pressure. Don’t push it too hard. If a tube is not seated you’ll know it. It will slide into place. If it is properly seated, it will feel solid when you rock it. The tube should be straight. Visually inspect the power tubes, the tubes should be straight and the tube base sitting square on the socket.
Click to expand...
got my Furman power conditioner for my ampeg V-4B today and so far when I turn standby on I don't hear any crackling/hissing. checked all tubes,they are in tight and good.will monitor it next few days and see if it does anything. hope this was the problem with the crackling/hiss . BTW does your furman work for you? ~ thanks in advance
 
#110
AmericanFenderJazzMan said:
got my Furman power conditioner for my ampeg V-4B today and so far when I turn standby on I don't hear any crackling/hissing. checked all tubes,they are in tight and good.will monitor it next few days and see if it does anything. hope this was the problem with the crackling/hiss . BTW does your furman work for you? ~ thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Yes the Furman that I have is a useful tool for power line issues. For instance, I have a space heater that clicks on and off and generates noise. The Furman helps in this case. It is possible that non power line noise can get into an amp. For instance a computer or router power supply can generate radio frequency noise. Even you cell phone can generate noise that an amp can pick up. This can happen with any amp. Some designs do a better job at rejecting noise than others.

If you still have concerns, why not take the amp somewhere else, outside your home, and see how it does there. That will remove any issues at home. It doesn’t ensure that there won’t be noise at the other location.
 
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#111
beans-on-toast said:
Yes the Furman that I have is a useful tool for power line issues. For instance, I have a space heater that clicks on and off and generates noise. The Furman helps in this case. It is possible that non power line noise can get into an amp. For instance a computer or router power supply can generate radio frequency noise. Even you cell phone can generate noise that an amp can pick up. This can happen with any amp. Some designs do a better job at rejecting noise than others.

If you still have concerns, why not take the amp somewhere else, outside your home, and see how it does there. That will remove any issues at home. It doesn’t ensure that there won’t be noise at the other location.
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this is true...maybe outside and wake my neighbors up LOL!!! I just got off the phone with a tech for ampegs and he said since they are shipped from china they spray the tube sockets/pins with some sort of anti rust type thing because of the sea air and that the crackling/hissing could be sign of it burning away and the tube pins needs to be cleaned... he said use a toothbrush and some rubbing alcohol to clean pins then push pins in and out of socket, if you see black substance then its also getting rid of any mess up in sockets but in my case as of now I don't hear anymore crackling/hiss. plus he told me that last year there was some strike and a lot of the V-4b's sat in a loading warehouse for three months. maybe I got one of those? who knows... he also said that my issue sounded more like a filament issue and since i don't hear that crackle/hiss is because i have probably burned it off/out. am I happy? yes....with a few pedals I have found my sound and am kicking some butt on some original RUSH like tunes....my ears are still ringing :) :) thanks for all your info and help beans! now on another note was thinking about getting some JJ tubes.. I hear they are good
 
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#112
Normally you would clean tube pins and tube socket terminal with a product called Deoxit D5. Without that you can use 99% isopropyl alcohol, available at a pharmacy.

As for a brush, use an inter-dental brush to scrub the contacts. Again, they are available at a pharmacy. You have to be careful when cleaning the the tube socket contacts. If you bend the contacts open, the tube pins will not be in good contact with the socket terminal. This would cause pops and static. That’s why I asked if the tubes were pulling out and pushing in with some friction. You don’t want those contacts loose.

Tubes are a whole different topic. Take a look at tubesandmore.com and thetubestore.com, both are good places and offer a variety of products. I like Tung-Sol reissues as well some others.

Glad to hear that you are liking the sound of the amp!
 
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#113
beans-on-toast said:
Normally you would clean tube pins and tube socket terminal with a product called Deoxit D5. Without that you can use 99% isopropyl alcohol, available at a pharmacy.

As for a brush, use an inter-dental brush to scrub the contacts. Again, they are available at a pharmacy. You have to be careful when cleaning the the tube socket contacts. If you bend the contacts open, the tube pins will not be in good contact with the socket terminal. This would cause pops and static. That’s why I asked if the tubes were pulling out and pushing in with some friction. You don’t want those contacts loose.

Tubes are a whole different topic. Take a look at tubesandmore.com and thetubestore.com, both are good places and offer a variety of products. I like Tung-Sol reissues as well some others.

Glad to hear that you are liking the sound of the amp!
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thats why I'd let him do it :) maybe later I'll post some clips from this beast..... have a good one man!!
 
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#114
sadly I had to send the ampeg V-4b back. the Furman power conditioner didn't help out much. just had a few issues with V-4B and the sad thing was it was brand new and maybe a QC issue I suspect. didn't have the time or money to run around and have some tech figure out what was up. I own another ampeg amp and have no issues at all with that one but not everything is perfect and it just seems like I got one with QC issues. don't be hating ampeg users I still love ampeg and have one like i said but I just happened to get one that had a possbile short in standby switch. ampeg CS tech also said it might have been a possible short in standby switch from what it was doing...bummer... also i ordered new tubes/made sure all contacts were clean etc just in case, was the same. store said they had another brand new one and would check it "first" then let me know.... we will see :)
 
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#117
at least they will check other one thoroughly, which they should have done in first place, I must remember to have someone do that when I purchase something. anything actually :) might just wait and get a 2018 model :) maybe just get a VR...Ampeg CS told me that last month Ampeg moved production again.he couldn't remember where but I wonder where the big boys will be made?? anybody know?
 
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#118
62AEC787-D583-40C2-B3F1-DB3B88090B6F.jpeg Question for fellow TBers’. Just got a very clean used V4B in the TB classified section. Love it. Just wondering date of production. Here’s a pic of the serial number. Any help appreciated.

Marc
 
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