• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

bass head trouble

K

kevin1659

Mar 18, 2011
7
0
#1
When I plugged in my basses the volume would cut in and out and would have a weird buzzing on all the frets when I played.
I made sure it wasnt any cables at all and it wasnt my basses battery. I think it is a wiring problem in the head because I banged it against my cab 3 times (each time fixed it a little more and the last bang fixed it completly for now). Does any body know were the wiring might be bad at?

It had done this every now and then in the past but fixed itself in like 5 minutes but I recently did a talent show at my school and it was working fine for the show but when I played back at home is when it started acting up.
 
#2
If your amp has effects in and out jacks, connect them with an instrument cord and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then get inside the amp and clean the effects-return jack's NC (normally-closed) contact pair. (They look like two small flat fingers pinched together; inserting a plug causes the contacts to separate.) If the jack is an enclosed type, good luck getting to the contacts. :rolleyes: You'd need to shoot some plastic-friendly spray contact cleaner inside the jack. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Do NOT use this stuff on switches/pots unless you follow it with a lube after it dries, because it appears not to contain any lubricant.

If the problem isn't in the effects loop return jack, then you probably have a cold/broken solder joint somewhere OR a broken circuit board trace. These are generally not that difficult for a tech to chase down. If you want to chase it down yourself AND you know how to solder, all it really takes is something long and insulated (chopstick, for example) to press down on various points to trigger the problem. You'll also need a magnifying glass because trace breaks and broken solder joints can be really tough to spot with the naked eye.
 
#3
Sorry Craig, but I disagree. Advising someone to open the case of an amplifier without knowing their technical competence with the voltages thus exposed is not a good idea in my mind.

OP, bashing an amp against immovable objects is not a good thing for the longevity of your equipment. It's abuse pure and simple. It will make your existing problems worse and make a possibly cheap repair into a much more expensive one!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back