EVH5150III red channel noise problem. Need help

[Antonis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jX0Lr2wEHU

I've already tried changing the preamp tubes. ANY guesses of what the problem might be are greatly appreciated!

[Coma]

Re: EVH5150III red channel noise problem. Need help

Go find a tech, man. I just fried a bunch of components in my 5153 and it cost me quite a bit to repair. Started with nasty-ass noises indicative of a bad preamp tube, but then I started noticing some really nasty glow in the power tubes, until they started almost frying.

[Antonis]

Re: EVH5150III red channel noise problem. Need help

Did the noises on your EVH exist on all of the channels?

[Coma]

Re: EVH5150III red channel noise problem. Need help

Nope, red. In my case, it was both two preamp tubes crapping out AND power tubes going bad.

[Antonis]

Re: EVH5150III red channel noise problem. Need help

Nope, red. In my case, it was both two preamp tubes crapping out AND power tubes going bad.

I tested recording from preamp out straight to the audio interface, and the red channel still has the white noise. That should tell me that the power tubes are not the problem, right?

[bsp212]

Re: EVH5150III red channel noise problem. Need help

I've got the 100w EL34 head and had the same issue. What kind of lighting is in the room/rooms you're playing? I found just the red channel on mine picked up noise from LOTS of stuff including the fluorescent lights in my home. It literally sounded like it was amplifying the gas cooking in the light tubes/jet engine during take-off. I also found some noise in the cables I was using. I switched cables to Mogami Gold, the only place I can do anything about the lights is my house, so I changed all the fluorescents to LED bulbs. I put a MXR Smart Gate in the effects loop and it helped a little too. The noise level is much better now.

FWIW, I went as far as taking mine to Guitar Center and compared it to the 5150III 50W EL34 head and a 15W EVH Lunch Box. All of them had the same amount of noise on the high gain channel. The whole line is notoriously noisy.

[Antonis]

Re: EVH5150III red channel noise problem. Need help

I've got the 100w EL34 head and had the same issue. What kind of lighting is in the room/rooms you're playing? I found just the red channel on mine picked up noise from LOTS of stuff including the fluorescent lights in my home. It literally sounded like it was amplifying the gas cooking in the light tubes/jet engine during take-off. I also found some noise in the cables I was using. I switched cables to Mogami Gold, the only place I can do anything about the lights is my house, so I changed all the fluorescents to LED bulbs. I put a MXR Smart Gate in the effects loop and it helped a little too. The noise level is much better now.

FWIW, I went as far as taking mine to Guitar Center and compared it to the 5150III 50W EL34 head and a 15W EVH Lunch Box. All of them had the same amount of noise on the high gain channel. The whole line is notoriously noisy.

I 've had this amp for 3 years not, it didn't use to be like that. I remember clearly that no sound came out of the amp when I used to roll the gain ALL the way back. Now the noise is always there. When I roll the gain up the noise from the gain is just extra

Does your red channel produce any sound when you roll the gain all the way back?

[bsp212]

Re: EVH5150III red channel noise problem. Need help

I 've had this amp for 3 years not, it didn't use to be like that. I remember clearly that no sound came out of the amp when I used to roll the gain ALL the way back. Now the noise is always there. When I roll the gain up the noise from the gain is just extra

Does your red channel produce any sound when you roll the gain all the way back?

Just a slight hiss if you have the volume past 9:00. Sounds like you may have a preamp tube or two going bad.

[Coma]

Re: EVH5150III red channel noise problem. Need help

I tested recording from preamp out straight to the audio interface, and the red channel still has the white noise. That should tell me that the power tubes are not the problem, right?

I'm no expert but that would only tell you that you have problems with the preamp. It's still entirely possible the power section is faulty as well.

[Antonis]

Re: EVH5150III red channel noise problem. Need help

Just a slight hiss if you have the volume past 9:00. Sounds like you may have a preamp tube or two going bad.

I 've swapped them with the tubes of my Laney GH100L that worked fine. No result. Laney works fine with the EVH tubes, and EVH is still problematic with the Laney tubes. I am going to try with completely new tubes