Help! My amp is buzzing!!!

giovanni

giovanni

Well-known member
I hope the clickbait title gets this thread some attention because I could really use some expert opinion! I was playing my Tone King Imperial and started noticing a buzzing when playing low notes. It’s one of those things that when you start noticing it you can’t stop hearing it so now I don’t even know if it’s a new thing or it was always like that. Anyways, is this a problem with the amp itself, like something is loose? Or should I just add some bass traps to the room? I was in the basement so it’s a pretty large space although the ceiling is low (maybe 6’5” or so).
Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you guys.
 
Psionic Audio on youtube has some videos on repairing a few tone king amps. His videos are great. I dont know enough about amp repair to help but maybe these videos could clue you in to the common issues with these amps.
 
First things first, try pulling and then re-seating the tubes. If that doesn’t work, try pulling preamp tubes one at a time until you isolate the problem. Another option is to swap one preamp tube at a time with a known, working tube.

Hopefully that’s all it needs!
 
And don't forget to check whether the guitar has some fret noise going on, and if something else could be rattling in the room. Although you would probably notice either one easily, but just in case. Snare drums really like to rattle along, for one.
 
coltonius said:
First things first, try pulling and then re-seating the tubes. If that doesn’t work, try pulling preamp tubes one at a time until you isolate the problem. Another option is to swap one preamp tube at a time with a known, working tube.

Hopefully that’s all it needs!
Click to expand...
This would work if one or more tubes are busted right? The sound I hear feels more like a mechanical buzz, like something rattling. Could it still be the tubes?
 
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Fama said:
And don't forget to check whether the guitar has some fret noise going on, and if something else could be rattling in the room. Although you would probably notice either one easily, but just in case. Snare drums really like to rattle along, for one.
Click to expand...
It’s definitely not fret noise, it sounds like something rattling. There is nothing else in the room that could buzz at the moment and it sounds like it’s coming from the speaker. Maybe I’ll try moving the amp to another room and see if it still rattles.
 
I am not familiar with the layout/size of your particular amps, but I know for mine (Swart 6v6se and STR) the cabinets are small enough and the speakers close enough to the tubes that the vibrations of the speakers can cause a buzzing/tube rattle sometimes.
 
So it's a kind of rattling sound? Does it appear on some notes more than others? It sounds more like something is vibrating than something is distorting?

It could be something as simple as a loose screw or nut somewhere. It's not a bad idea to check that all the screws on the amp are tight. Pot nuts, jack nuts, screws that hold the handle on - everything should be tight. Not stupidly tight, but tight enough to at least not rattle. If you check the speaker do not over-tighten the screws which hold it to the baffle. Tight enough to not move is all you need there. Over-tightening can distort the speaker frame and cause more issues!

Sometimes tubes become microphonic. This seems to happen more with rectifiers and preamp tubes than power tube IME. The sound is more of a ringing than a buzz though.

Often an annoying buzz can occur where the baffle meets the amp chassis, or a back panel buzzes against a chassis or the cabinet. Sometimes simply repositioning the chassis can fix it.

These noises can be difficult to track down!
 
drgonzo1969 said:
Does your tubes have the metal claw to hold them in place? Could be those rattling on glass of tubes
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I remember watching a Psionic video about a company that loaded their amps with coin based power tubes even though there was a metal claw attachments on the socket, meaning the claw was grabbing against the glass. Was it Tone King? If so, that’s something else to address.
 
HamishR said:
So it's a kind of rattling sound? Does it appear on some notes more than others? It sounds more like something is vibrating than something is distorting?

It could be something as simple as a loose screw or nut somewhere. It's not a bad idea to check that all the screws on the amp are tight. Pot nuts, jack nuts, screws that hold the handle on - everything should be tight. Not stupidly tight, but tight enough to at least not rattle. If you check the speaker do not over-tighten the screws which hold it to the baffle. Tight enough to not move is all you need there. Over-tightening can distort the speaker frame and cause more issues!

Sometimes tubes become microphonic. This seems to happen more with rectifiers and preamp tubes than power tube IME. The sound is more of a ringing than a buzz though.

Often an annoying buzz can occur where the baffle meets the amp chassis, or a back panel buzzes against a chassis or the cabinet. Sometimes simply repositioning the chassis can fix it.

These noises can be difficult to track down!
Click to expand...
Yeah it’s like a rattling sound that only occurs on certain notes. It’s hard to tell whether it comes from the speaker or the top of the amp. Maybe I can try cranking up the volume to see if it gets drowned out?
 
giovanni said:
Yeah it’s like a rattling sound that only occurs on certain notes. It’s hard to tell whether it comes from the speaker or the top of the amp. Maybe I can try cranking up the volume to see if it gets drowned out?
Click to expand...
I’d try swapping the power tubes to some that have a full base and see how that works. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the metal touching glass was the source of your problem.
 
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