need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

[man-in-moon]

i was finally able to crank my tiny terror head today. it sounded real good then all of the sudden i noticed there was a rattle in it. it is loud enough i can hear it with the amp half way up. i took the top off and checked the tubes they were seated fine. i wondered if it might be the power tube retainers so i took the out along with the preamp retainers. and it still did it. i also took the bottom off and checked to make sure everything was tightened down.

i checked the tubes while the cover was off and they are all glowing. it does not do it until the amp is turned up half way and over. i can even turn my guitars volume down to 2-3 and it still does it. i took it off of my cab to see it that was doing it and it did not help. i can take my finger and tap the amp with it on and it makes a sound it almost sounds like a blown light bulb. but as i stated the tubes look perfectly fine as far as i can tell.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

aside from this, how are you liking it??

 

[man-in-moon]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

so far i am liking it a lot actually. like most tube amps it wants to be cranked. but with the 7/15 watt switch it is not that bad. i was worried that it would not sound that good with my epiphone dot. but to me it sounds better than it did with the epi les paul. it takes what few pedals i have put in front of it well. i have a lovepedal amp 50 pedal coming in the next few days. so i will see how well it takes boost pedals then.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

Most likely the output tubes.

 

[man-in-moon]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

i will check them as soon as i can get some new tubes. i may take it back to the store where i got it to let them look at it. since the tubes are still under warranty.

 

[J Moose]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

The stock tubes in the TT suck ballz. I dropped in a set of JJ 84's and some old glass preamp tubes and it sounds at least 150% better, more open, less-over gained & more touch responsive.

Not sure what your hearing... ruled out speaker/cab rattle? Its a LOUD little amp!

 

[man-in-moon]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

yeah i plan on ordering some tubes this week. it is loud thats for sure. i thought it might be the cab at first but when the amp is turned up you can tap it with your finger and it does the same thing.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

I can attest for JJ EL-84s. In a lot of amps, I'm not a fan of JJ's (the preamp tubes sound too dark and seem to suck some of the gain out), but with the power tubes they work really well. They're pretty much regarded as the best modern production EL-84 you can get these days, so hopefully that'll do the trick for you.

It's a cool little amp for sure. A buddy of mine has one that he uses quite often and it sounds great at lower volumes. It's amazing how good of a setup you can have these days on not much of a budget.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

I agree with J Moose and That 90's Guy about using JJ EL-84's. That's probably the fix, although in an amp like that where it's tubes are being shaken by sitting on top of a rattling cabinet, I'd use tube dampers or maybe a silicon stripe around the tube, which doesn't burn.

I asked some tube gurus about rattling tubes, and they all claim that a cheap and easy fix is buying a tube of silicon glue, and running a stripe of it around the middle of all the tubes.

 

[J Moose]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

Its not that I think the JJ's are all that... merely what I had kicking around. The stock tubes in my TT (purchased in December '08) had NO markings what-so-ever. When I pulled the lid, dropping in even boogie 12ax7a's which I don't think are great tubes marked a large & immediate improvment...

YMMV.

 

[man-in-moon]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

i noticed that the tubes in mine do not have any markings either. i will look into some tube dampers. where would be a good place for them? the more i listen to it i think it is the tubes it sounds like when you shake a light bulb that has been blown. i have used JJ power tubes in the past and like them. preamp tubes will be a little tougher. i am a fan of the ecc83's.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

Well dampers won't cure internal rattling from the tubes....EL-84s are a pain nowadays to get right.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

This happens in my Gibson Goldtone, and since it's not my main amp, I've just ignored it.

But it may be worth going to the hardware store and buying a tube of silicon glue for $3, just to see if it cures the problem. If not, get a few JJ EL-84's, see if it stops, then go ahead with preamp tubes just for the heck of it.

Another suggestion would be floating the head above the cabinet using a sheet of foam rubber to lessen the vibration the cabinet transfers to the head.

 

[Chas]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

If you get JJ EL-84's let me know how they work for you. I am stuck trying to decide between getting Gold Lion EL-84's and JJ's right now.

 

[theodie]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

duct tape for all the obvious reasons.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

I agree with J Moose and That 90's Guy about using JJ EL-84's. That's probably the fix, although in an amp like that where it's tubes are being shaken by sitting on top of a rattling cabinet, I'd use tube dampers or maybe a silicon stripe around the tube, which doesn't burn.

I asked some tube gurus about rattling tubes, and they all claim that a cheap and easy fix is buying a tube of silicon glue, and running a stripe of it around the middle of all the tubes.

Wont the heat melt the silicone? Perhaps we should specify a high heat, automotive spec silicone?? man, that would be a gooey mess inside the chassis..

 

[BloodRose]

Re: need help with rattle in my tiny terror.

If you get JJ EL-84's let me know how they work for you. I am stuck trying to decide between getting Gold Lion EL-84's and JJ's right now.

JJs in my Classic 30 made me think I had a new amp! That and a Private Jack speaker were night and day better.