Amp makes ticking sounds while warming up

[jefferson]

I just got my first tube amp, a 1972 Garnet Jammer combo. When I turn it on the something makes a ticking sound which kind of concerns me. I took the chassis out and turned it on to see if there was anything arcing, and there wasn't, so i assume the sound is coming from either a tube or the huge ancient solid state rectifier. The sound sometimes happens while I'm playing also, but only when the volume is all the way up. When it happens the sound cuts out for a split second. I don't think the tubes have ever been replaced, and if they have, it was probably at least 20 years ago. The preamp tubes are GE 12AX7s and 12AU7s made in Japan, so they're probably pretty old. The power tubes are 6l6s and arent labeled. There is no standby switch which i think may be causing my problem. The amp may have had a tube rectifier that was replaced by some kind of drop in replacement solid state rectifier, judging by the size of the thing. If you have any ideas about whats happening, feel free to throw them out there.

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[marvar]

Re: Amp makes ticking sounds while warming up

The only time my amp was ticking was when I put a new pre amp tube in it that was doa, after I replaced it , all was ok again. I'd look at the pre amp tubes first.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Amp makes ticking sounds while warming up

The only time I heard ticking was when I had a watch on and put it too close to the pickups with the volume up.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Amp makes ticking sounds while warming up

The only time I heard ticking was when I had a watch on and put it too close to the pickups with the volume up.

LOL, You boob! :laugh2:

 

[greendy123]

Re: Amp makes ticking sounds while warming up

How is long is the ticking sound? If it's for a few seconds it could be the glass on the tubes expanding from the heat change making the sound.

 

[jefferson]

Re: Amp makes ticking sounds while warming up

It does it about 10 times over the first 5 seconds after I turn the amp on. I guess that could be it, but that doesn't explain why it does it sometimes well after I've turned it on and why the sound cuts out for a split second when it happens.

 

[marvar]

Re: Amp makes ticking sounds while warming up

It does it about 10 times over the first 5 seconds after I turn the amp on. I guess that could be it, but that doesn't explain why it does it sometimes well after I've turned it on and why the sound cuts out for a split second when it happens.

It really does sound like a tube problem- I would substitute a known good tube in the first position and see what happens.

 

[Curly]

Re: Amp makes ticking sounds while warming up

Is the component board made of fiberboard, like old Fenders?

if so, you could have "voltage creep" ... then read this tech article from Victoria:
http://www.victoriaamp.com/45410update.html

start looking in the middle of the 3rd paragraph

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Amp makes ticking sounds while warming up

Does the amp have vibrato? Sometimes the vibrato ticks even when it's clicked to "off". Lew

 

[Kac]

Re: Amp makes ticking sounds while warming up

I keep my pocketwatch in my front pocket all the time when I'm playing, and get a great ticking sound through the amp!

I love it ~ Rock On!

 

[jefferson]

Re: Amp makes ticking sounds while warming up

I've been thinking its a tube problem, since it always happens when I first turn it on and the tubes are still cold. When I get a chance to obtain a spare tube i'll test this.

Another thing i was reading about was that the neon lamp (power light) can make the amp make a ticking sound when it is turned on. The article i was reading (http://psg.com/~dlamkins/Articles/vk-trem-fix.php?cat=amps) said putting a .022 uF capacitor in parallel with the lamp fixes the problem. This amp does have one of those lamps, but I'd have to take it apart again to see if there is already cap there.

It has a reverb and a tremelo, but from that article it sounds to me like the tremelo ticking problem happens in time with the tremelo frequency, which is not the case here. In fact, I don't hear any ticking in the trem at all when I've tested it. If it were due to the reverb, would it mainly be when I turn the amp on or would it be going on the whole time?

It very well could be the voltage creep thing. I don't know what the boards on original fenders looked like, but the board on this thing is some kind of fiberboard. I'll have to investigate this further also.