Perpetual Hum in AC30

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

I'll start with this: :banghead:

I have a Vox AC30TBX reissue, and ever since I've had it, there's been this hum (maybe a 60-cycle hum?). Doesn't matter how loud or soft the volume is, and it doesn't matter if there's even a guitar plugged into it.

The hum is there no matter what room of what building it's in, so I'm wondering if there's something inherently wrong with the amp. Any thoughts as to the cause or solution?

- Keith

 

[jeremy]

Re: Perpetual Hum in AC30

it doesnt happen when the amp is on standby right? the term i use for that sound is blow, most amps have some amout of blow. my deluxe reverb has a lot of blow when i turn the neg feedback off.

it isnt necessarily broken. how loud is it?

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Perpetual Hum in AC30

Right, it's only there when the standby is disengaged. When it's on standby, it's silent as a mouse.

It's a pretty loud amp, much louder than the 33 watts it boasts, but even last night at people-are-sleeping levels, it was humming (or blowing, as it were).

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Perpetual Hum in AC30

all amps will be silent witih the standby switch off and all AC-30's are noisey...

 

[J Moose]

Re: Perpetual Hum in AC30

all amps will be silent witih the standby switch off and all AC-30's are noisey...

Yah.

And an AC30 isn't something I'd run while people are sleeping. You'll never get it into a range where it starts to open up & sound good. Best to get something smaller...

I assume the noise isn't a problem at "gig" levels?

Does the level of the hum change much as the volume is swept around or not?

 

[Smilemon]

Re: Perpetual Hum in AC30

If it's anything like my pro junior the sound isn't gonna change much when he cranks it, It's just always there, if i can't play past 3 then i don't bother playing.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Perpetual Hum in AC30

Well, AC30s are notorious for that hum. One trick to tame it is to turn up about halfway the volume on the channel you're not using. I very rarely play my AC30 at whisper levels -- it's just not meant for that, and I have a Vox modeler I can use late at night -- but last night was an exception for other reasons.

Still, I was wondering if there's any way of dealing with the hum (besides the volume trick I described).

- Keith

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Perpetual Hum in AC30

Well, AC30s are notorious for that hum. One trick to tame it is to turn up about halfway the volume on the channel you're not using. I very rarely play my AC30 at whisper levels -- it's just not meant for that, and I have a Vox modeler I can use late at night -- but last night was an exception for other reasons.
Still, I was wondering if there's any way of dealing with the hum (besides the volume trick I described).
- Keith

All VOX amps hum...

I have a buddy that played through noting but AC-30's for several years and at one p[oint he even switched to the HW versions thinking that woudl help...they hum too.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Perpetual Hum in AC30

Well, I'd rather deal with the hum than sell it.