Dying Tubes or guitar

SongsForTheDeaf

New member
I've noticed that with my p-90 Godin distorts and gets farty on low volume on the clean channel of my Mesa LSS 4x10 but my Tele sounds just fine cranked through it.. are the power tubes dying or is my guitars pickups toasted ?

I just had the godin in the shop for this reason and they cleaned the inside and rewired the volume pot with a new one so I'm not sure what would cause this distortion
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

Are you using the same settings and channel for the Tele and the Godin? Does the Godin do the same thing into other amps?
If it has the same problem with the same guitars on the same setting, I say tubes or some other amp issue.
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

Are you using the same settings and channel for the Tele and the Godin? Does the Godin do the same thing into other amps?
If it has the same problem with the same guitars on the same setting, I say tubes or some other amp issue.

It does not do it on my solid state Roland BC-30... I noticed it through my friends amp today when we were rehearsing aswell so I'm confused to say the least. My Tele just sounds perfect so I may have to convert to using the tele in all my bands which is not a huge step from p-90s
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

Did they rewire everything (new tone, tone cap input jack) or just install a new volume pot? If just the volume maybe the input jack is shorting or an issue with the tone? Do both pickups have this issue? I haven't seen very many pickups that haven't been messed with (multiple mag swaps etc) just fail. Never had one just quit working myself and I've only heard of it because one of my friends runs a repair shop. He's seen everything go wrong at one point or another.
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

Sorry, missed the part about your SS Roland playing well with it. For kicks I'd try a guitar with humbuckers through the Boogie just to cover all 3 types. If you have a spare set of tubes it would be worth swapping out to check that also.
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

I never talked to the tech but it was just the volume pot that was rewired... I had a Les Paul deluxe with mini humbuckers that did not breakup as much
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

Just put some new JJ el84s in the Mesa.... same problem still.

DAMN!!! I'm thinking of just selling the guitar now over getting it overhauled, it is a great guitar but I could use cash right now anyways and I have kinda molded my pedals around my Tele now since the Godin was in the shop
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

That sucks! That Godin is a beauty. I remember your NGD post a while back. It has 2 P-90's if I remember correctly. Does it have this issue with both? I may be stating the obvious but try shaking the cable while it's in the guitar jack. Could be a bad jack.
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

Preamp tubes can go pretty quick but power tubes tend to last if biased correctly. Stronger pickups will be harder on preamp tubes and a TEL is fairly weak.
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

Yeah I would try swapping the preamp tubes, it's the cheapest and easiest test. Always start with free, or cheap first.
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

ok I have some pre amp tubes hangin around so I will switch some out today, thanks for the suggestion I did not even think of pre amp tubes
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

Does the farty sound still happen when you roll the guitar volume back slightly?
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

no it gets cleaner and not farty.

and to zzmoore the guitar I got used and it did not always sound this way

There is nothing wrong with your guitar or amp then!

The P90s have higher output than the telecaster pickups. If you want your amp to sound completely clean while playing with them you will need to either roll back the volume on the guitar, or change your gain settings on the amp.

Try experimenting with different EQ settings, often using less bass will clean up a signal.
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

There is nothing wrong with your guitar or amp then!

The P90s have higher output than the telecaster pickups. If you want your amp to sound completely clean while playing with them you will need to either roll back the volume on the guitar, or change your gain settings on the amp.

Try experimenting with different EQ settings, often using less bass will clean up a signal.
Yeah...but he said he is at Low Volume on the clean channel.....and that the guitar did not use to behave this way.
 
Re: Dying Tubes or guitar

Whoops . . . missed that part. I can't think of anything related to the pickups or wiring of the guitar that would cause low volume distortion . . . weird.
 
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