Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

Nostalgic Distortion

Nostalgic Distortion

New member
So I bought a new used 40w tube amp & everything seems to be working so far but I've only had it a few days & the guy that I bought it from was a slimy D-bag! It took him almost 3weeks to ship it if that tells you anything? So I'm a little worried it's just going to explode or burn out one of these times I turn it on or off?

Anyway, after I turn it off I hear this clicking noise? Not through the speaker, it's the head itself, it makes this tick/ting noise after I kill the standby & on switches? I've actually experienced this before with my VOX NT50, also a amp I bought used? With the VOX I figured it was just the tubes & transformers cooling off & it was a normal thing? Then the VOX went to hell in a hand bag pretty quick so now I have this one & it's doing the same thing? Can somebody tell me if its a normal thing & it's just cooling off or if this is something I should be worrying about?

I ended up shelving the VOX before it completely died in hopes that one day I'll find a decent amp tech & it can be brought back to its former glory? Because of where I live it's actually easier to buy a new amp then get one fixed, SUCKS!!! The new one is actually my replacement for the VOX and I'd be very unhappy if it too died after only a few hours of use. As always, any help is greatly appreciated!!!!
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

File a case with eBay and get your money back if that's where it came from. No point in throwing money at something (unless you bought it "as is").

The fact that the seller took 3 weeks to ship it makes me think he's trying to run out the clock on returns.
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

It's the tubes and transformers cooling down.

Listen to your car after you turn it off. You'll hear a similar noise.

Every tube amp I've owned clicked and ticked, including my beloved '67 Fender Dual Showman I no longer own.

Sent from my VK810 4G using Tapatalk
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

I contacted them after a few days of not being able to get ahold of him, it was too early then to start a claim but I can now. I'm just not sure what they'll do? Technically the amp is in working order, so far, I think maybe he knew it was on its way out & tried to dump it? He actually sold it like new, he said it had just come back from Egniter and they serviced it & installed the upgraded O.T.? Because I didn't buy it new from a dealer they aren't being very helpful? I have been talking to a guy who's @ least telling me what to look for to find out if his story is true? I don't know, I'm getting this sinking feeling in my stomach? I feel like I'm getting F***** without the courtesy of dinner and a kiss first....

If that's the case it will meen that something has been wrong with my last three amplifier purchases & it doesn't seem to matter if they are new or old? I bought my AC new & UPS broke the reverb, somewhere, I know it's not the tank but that's it?if I wanted them to fix it they wanted to take it back for 4-6 weeks so they could inspect the packaging and the amp, I had the driver on video flipping it end over end up my driveway & through the snow, HUGE neon green and orange fragile stickers on it & @ least 2 per side? After I spoke with the district manager & even emailed the video to him he just kept saying they do that all the time & never have problems and it's company policy to flip a package if it's too heavy? They can't give them dollies, or come see if there someone home to help? I pretty much got the impression that they were going to try & weasel out of it so I said F it & there's no way I'm giving it back so they could break it even worse!!!

That one isn't such a big deal, I've got a Holly Grail & a full sized H.O.F., they suite my reverb needs just fine & everything else is perfect on it! I love that amp, although the real spring reverb would be nice? It's the VOX and the new one that are the biggest disappointments! It's not like I even live in a place where I can take them to a tech and get them fixed, the closest place is hundreds of miles away and by the time I paid shipping, parts, & labor it's pretty much to the point where I might as well buy a new amp? Both of them sell for around $600 new? So I don't know if they are even worth fixing? Ahhhhh!!!! I don't know, I'll give eBay a shot? Maybe things will work out but I'm not going to hold my breath!!! I'd still like to know what that clicking noise is if anyone has a guess????
 
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Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

Thank you for that, maybe I'm just overreacting? I hope thats the case anyway, perhaps my last two experiences were bad & im just projecting? I collapsed a lung earlier this week & I've been working 12hr shifts since all week roofing, by the time I get home I can't even really play guitar, pulling the chassis is about the last thing I feel like doing & even if I do I don't know all that much about valve amps? I could end up starring directly @ the problem & not know it.....
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

Nostalgic Distortion said:
Thank you for that, maybe I'm just overreacting? I hope thats the case anyway, perhaps my last two experiences were bad & im just projecting? I collapsed a lung earlier this week & I've been working 12hr shifts since all week roofing, by the time I get home I can't even really play guitar, pulling the chassis is about the last thing I feel like doing & even if I do I don't know all that much about valve amps? I could end up starring directly @ the problem & not know it.....
Click to expand...

Know anybody else with an amp with octal power tubes? Let it run for a little while and turn it off. You'll hear the same sound.

My only EL84 is a Vox AC4TV8. The tubes are all enclosed in that so you can't hear much of anything, but I imagine an open chassis with EL84s will sound similar.

Sent from my VK810 4G using Tapatalk
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

Happens to all of my amps all of the time. Relax and play music.

Your posts tend to have a lot of unnecessary words and incorrect question marks, which makes it read like it was written by a teenage girl. It's kinda funny..
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

First, I concur with the other posters who mentioned the noises from the tubes and parts cooling being normal. Second is that Egnater has had some power transformer issues with some of their amps. So, the story from the seller about the replaced transformer could very well be true. I don't know if that helps or not but as it stands, it sounds like you are complaining about a properly functioning amp. The seller may be a d-bag for taking so long to ship but that doesn't necessarily mean the amp is about to die. Not based on the noises you are worried about anyway, which seem to be perfectly normal.

It sucks to have to ship an amp off for repair. And shipping costs make it suck all the more. But purchasing an amp that may end up collecting dust because I was unwilling to bear the cost to ship them for repair is a concept that I just don't understand. Unfortunately, it is a potential downside that comes with the territory. It seems to me that one has to accept that possibility before making a purchase. That said, you bought the amp used, it took an annoying amount of time for the seller to ship it, but you got it and it works.

Assuming you purchased from ebay, bear with me here because I don't know all the ebay rules ... I'm curious as to why the seller would have to eat the return shipping costs for something that works. Wouldn't you have to pay the return shipping if you are just wanting to return it because you are wary of cool down noise (that appears to be normal based on your description) ?
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

I get this with my amp heads after the tubes have been fully warmed up and been used for a good 30 minutes. Kinda annoying but doesn't affect the performance in any way. At least I hope it doesn't anyway.
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

Could be relays clicking open/shut as well.
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

So this is where I've landed on the whole Egniter and VOX issue, shipping them out to be looked at & possibly serviced just doesn't make sense. They are heavy & the less time they are stuck in a box being kicked around by U.P.S. or Fed Ex the better! For the most part I use one of the three Class A 15w tube amps I've got kicking around or my AC-Twin. I also have a few S.S. Fender's & a little 5W Champion 600, these get the most use because 90% of the time I'm playing at bedroom/practice levels. The VOX NT50 is going to be sitting on my shelf for a while & the Egniter is only going to be used when I'm playing out with the band and need the extra headroom.

Sometime before summer is over I'm going to be spending a week or two in Brooklyn. I'm just going to bring both of them with me and call around a week or two before we leave so they are expecting me, basically try and make some kind of appointment? Hopefully they'll be able to address the issues while I'm down there! If for some reason they can't get it finished before I leave @ least I'll only have to pay return shipping one time & it will be packed up by a professional amp tech so perhaps it will even make it back in one piece? This is about the best option I've got @ the moment? I'll tell you, it's a good thing I've got so many amps, because if I only had one or two I'd be screwed!!!!
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

GilmourD said:
That would last all of a fraction of a second after shutdown.
Click to expand...

Pretty much true. I did not see where the OP referenced an exact time frame when he heard the clicking sounds, though. Maybe I did not read carefully enough.

I will say, though, as a musical electronics tech/guitar repair tech, that I find it is difficult for the average person to put into words the sounds they are hearing/problems they are experiencing with a piece of gear...particularly over the phone or via email. Correctly diagnosing a problem can really only be done properly in person.

I'll refrain from throwing out ideas in threads like this from now on. YOU have got it under control. :wave:
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

BrianS. said:
Pretty much true. I did not see where the OP referenced an exact time frame when he heard the clicking sounds, though. Maybe I did not read carefully enough.

I will say, though, as a musical electronics tech/guitar repair tech, that I find it is difficult for the average person to put into words the sounds they are hearing/problems they are experiencing with a piece of gear...particularly over the phone or via email. Correctly diagnosing a problem can really only be done properly in person.

I'll refrain from throwing out ideas in threads like this from now on. YOU have got it under control. :wave:
Click to expand...
I hope you didn't take my response personally as if I was telling you to stop talking. That was not my intent. I was just trying saying that such would be barely noticeable.

Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

My Egnater does that. And a lot more since I changed the power tubes; the new ones run a lot hotter.
It's the sound of **** cooling down.
A Harley does that more pronounced than other bikes since they're air-cooled, without a radiator.

100% normal, as far as I know.
As long as you allow the tubes to cool off a bit in standby mode before shutting the amp off, it will be fine.
 
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Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

I got a 100w 112 that clicks when kicked on and also fits when you switch between selectors. Sounds like a cheaper tube but it's all solid state and I'd reckon it's normal behavior for your amt too. Besides, whats the worst that can happen? Blown transformer? Tubes bursting? A lot of newer amps have fail-safes to prevent fires and overloads.
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

re: the busted reverb.
I will be willing to put money on the fact that one of the tiny wires connected to the springs have worn out and broken. Super easy fix.
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

Totally normal. ticking will be heard when heating up and cooling down. its a tube amp thing!
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

I'll re-pull the tank and check that out. It looked fine when I pulled it the first time but I was looking @ the springs and lead connections more than anything, I don't think I ever really got down & checked the little wires going to the springs themselves?
 
Re: Clicking Noise When Amp is Cooling Down, please say this is normal????

See, right there. That's a statement, not a question. Use a period (.) not a question mark (?).
 
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