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Fender Rumble Club

Hmm, might have helped a tiny bit, but it gets quieter and louder, randomly, on its own, so I don't trust it.
727ACE7B_C85D_43D1_A18F_69EBCEB7F3C6_master.jpeg
 
No I had not. I just tried it, but it didn't work. :rollno:

If I plug the cable into "Return" but not into "Send", the noise stops, but so does any instrument Input; it has the same effect at the speaker as plugging in headphones - total silence.

However, if I jumper Send to Return, then wiggle the Send plug, it seems to aggravate the ongoing static. So just maybe there's a connection. I tried running the plugs in and out of the jacks a bunch of times, but no joy.

The noise seems louder when the amp is cold, right after power up. If I let it sit and warm up a while it seems to subside in volume somewhat. It'll be soft sputtering for stretches, then suddenly there's a boiling, popping surge. Very eerie, like listening to sunspots in the radio spectrum. It's almost organic. It reminds me of ionospheric noise in the shortwave spectrum, like there's an antenna inside the amp.

Brian


Thanks for tryin', Brian. :D

Yep, the problem ain't the Return jack's cutoff switch being corroded. Sounds like the static is coming from the preamp signal in the FX Send. :oops:

I wonder, if you connected the FX Send into another amp's FX Return, if the static would come out of that other amp's speaker? That would definitely point to the problem being in the preamp. :whistle:
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Thanks for tryin', Brian. :D
I wonder, if you connected the FX Send into another amp's FX Return, if the static would come out of that other amp's speaker? That would definitely point to the problem being in the preamp. :whistle:
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I just connected FX Send from this amp to FX Return on my "clean" R200, and sure enough, the static comes out of both speakers now, again with Gain/Master turned to 0. :unsure: Not sure if that's good news or not. Is there a way to disable FX in the amp? (I assume not. :bored:)
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I just connected FX Send from this amp to FX Return on my "clean" R200, and sure enough, the static comes out of both speakers now, again with Gain/Master turned to 0. :unsure: Not sure if that's good news or not. Is there a way to disable FX in the amp? (I assume not. :bored:)
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No, you can't disable the FX. But, what you're hearing at the FX send is the preamp section of the noisy amp. Try doing the FX send of the clean amp to the return of the noisy amp. If that gets rid of the noise, it is the preamp section of the noisy amp where the problem would be.
 
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No, you can't disable the FX. But, what you're hearing at the FX send is the preamp section of the noisy amp. Try doing the FX send of the clean amp to the return of the noisy amp. If that gets rid of the noise, it is the preamp section of the noisy amp where the problem would be.
I did, and it stops the noise. But of course it also stops the instrument Input, otherwise I could have an awkward workaround.

I'm also hearing a 60hz hum, but that goes away with the Gain or Master zeroed, while the static remains. Interestingly, the hum does also get sent to the good amp via the FX Send.

Bottom line: This amp is no good for a quiet venue, or studio, but I can work around the hum in a typical live venue by lowering the Master a bit, and upping the instrument volume. The static noise, which quiets down after a long warmup, will go unnoticed in most live venues. I plan to drag this amp around to as many venues as I can get away with, until it ultimately dies, meanwhile saving wear and tear on my "good" R200 and extending its life.
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I'm also hearing a 60hz hum, but that goes away with the Gain or Master zeroed, while the static remains. Interestingly, the hum does also get sent to the good amp via the FX Send.

Update: A Breakthrough! In playing with EQ WRT the hum, I noticed the Bass pot seems responsible for the static noise. I turned it all the way down and the low hum was attenuated, but I also noticed an increase in the static while moving the bass pot. So I rapidly swept it end-to-end, 0-10-0..., many times, and suddenly the static nearly disappeared! I could cry with joy, as I just spent $450 buying this amp. :hyper::bassist:
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Update: A Breakthrough! In playing with EQ WRT the hum, I noticed the Bass pot seems responsible for the static noise. I turned it all the way down and the low hum was attenuated, but I also noticed an increase in the static while moving the bass pot. So I rapidly swept it end-to-end 0-10 many times, and suddenly the static nearly disappeared! I could cry with joy, as I just spent $450 buying this amp. :hyper::bassist:
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Huzzah!
 
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For any FaceBook users here that may be interested, there's a Fender Rumble Club there, too!

I checked it out. I've no intention of joining, but there sure were plenty of nice pictures. A lot more people set their 200 and 500 on top of a 1x15 cabinet than I would have thought. Made me kinda wish I still had mine around.
 
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Update: A Breakthrough! In playing with EQ WRT the hum, I noticed the Bass pot seems responsible for the static noise. I turned it all the way down and the low hum was attenuated, but I also noticed an increase in the static while moving the bass pot. So I rapidly swept it end-to-end, 0-10-0..., many times, and suddenly the static nearly disappeared! I could cry with joy, as I just spent $450 buying this amp. :hyper::bassist:
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I love it when that happens. :thumbsup: