scratchy pot and loud pop sound to speakers

[esandes]

does that loud popping damage the speakers or speaker cable?

I mean the pops are like gunshot loud.​

 

[Securb]

I would roll the pot back and forth maybe it is just dirty. If that doesn't work I would hit it with contact cleaner. If that fails could be time for a new pot.

 

[esandes]

I'll do that but does it cause damage?

 

[Securb]

No, not at all. Turn the amp down or off. Roll the pot back and forth and see if the pop or static starts to go away. If it does, it means the pot was just dirty. Then rock it until the static or pop goes away. My 72 Fender does not get used a lot, and almost every time I turn it on, I have issues with dirty pots.

 

[Securb]

This is a guitar pot but it is the same process.

 

[jeremy]

right, clean the pot with some contact cleaner or deoxit

 

[esandes]

when the amp (and pots) are warmed up after running hard, the scratch/pops go away.

I just had an amp (2555x) go bad (no output) after dialing in another amp (cold), previously, through the same cab. I thought the loud pops messed up the speakers which caused my recently used amp power section to crumble.

I was playing then the output suddenly got cut in half approximately in the dirty channel. I switched to te clean channel and it was "tinny".

 

[Securb]

Then this doesn't sound like pots. Are the tube microphonic ? Tap on them lightly with a pencil eraser and see if you get noise.

 

[Seashore]

Yup, that really sounds like a power tube went.

 

[esandes]

the tech replaced two bad power tubes and said there's still no output. this is bad.

 

[jeremy]

sounds like something died and took the tubes with it