Valve amp - rattle sound in one of the lamps

Spicy Lauren

I was told it was a bolt that was loose around the lamp...

What should I do?
It's a bit worrying...

Voodu Child

Spicy Lauren wrote:

I was told it was a bolt that was loose around the lamp...

What should I do?

Tighten it?

If you're talking about the valves (lamp), be careful, they can get pretty hot. And don't go poking around inside of the amp (anywhere not easily accessible) because there can be lethal voltages, even when unplugged.

But if its just a screw or bolt that you can see, yeah, sure just tighten it.

Spicy Lauren

No, I cant see it. You mean, tighten the lamp in?
I'm useless at these things... Women hey!

Voodu Child

Spicy Lauren wrote:

No, I cant see it. You mean, tighten the lamp in?

Ah, its kind of hard to give advice without seeing the problem.

You have a guitarist don't you? Get him to have a peek.

Spicy Lauren

I AM the guitarist!

Paladin

Spicy Lauren wrote:

I AM the guitarist!

A girl?!? Yeah yeah. Pull the other one

You either have to be brave and open the amp (unplugged) and tighten the loose bolt, or else get someone else to do the exact same thing...
...if it is indeed a loose bolt...

Spicy Lauren

I'm afraid to break everything!

Voodu Child

Paladin wrote:

A girl?!? Yeah yeah. Pull the other one

You either have to be brave and open the amp (unplugged) and tighten the loose bolt, or else get someone else to do the exact same thing...
...if it is indeed a loose bolt...

Thats not great advice, filter caps will hold a lethal charge for weeks after the amp has been unplugged.

If you don't know what you're doing, don't 'be brave' and open the amp up.

Quattroste

We may be looking at this the wrong way. You say there's a rattle sound in one of the "lamps". By this I guess you mean the valves. Just cos they light up it doesn't mean they are "lamps" "Oh look at the cute likkle lamps in the back of the amp" (Girls eh ) Just kiddin, don't slate me.

Anywho, if you can identify the valve that is causing the rattle then you just need to change that valve. Switch the amp off pull out the valve and replace with a new valve. If you can see the valves then they are most likely the power valves. Generally the pre-amp valves are covered with a steel thingy!

By the way, if you don't mean valve by the word lamp, then ignore everything I have just made you read.

feylya

Listen to voodoo_child on this one. Tube amps are lethal even if they've been plugged out for 40 years. If you aren't 100% sure of what you're doing, don't do it.

NeMiSiS

Sure it's not just the reverb spring that needs tightning ?
Some amps one of the valves may be covered with a steel housing with a spring inside it, this may have come loose, just pull it out and reseat it.

Wear rubber shoes.. ona rubber mat.. in a rubber room, if you are worried..

TK

Frankiestylee

I'm pretty freakin' scared of my amp now after all this 40 year lethal charge talk.... what if it attacks me in the night, I'll be helpless!

I'm pretty sure this is a definitive answer in the aul solid state vs valve!

Anybody wanna buy an amp?!

Voodu Child

Frankiestylee wrote:

I'm pretty freakin' scared of my amp now after all this 40 year lethal charge talk....

Theres high voltage capacitors inside lots of things, televisions, amps, even camera flash circuitry, any one of them could zap you with several hundred volts if youre not careful. One of my electonic engineering lecturers in college spoke about building an EMP bomb using bits from old televisions to generate huge voltages and a few other bits of junk..:eek:

It's not a good idea to mess around with ANY electrical equipment if you don't know what you're doing...;)

Spicy Lauren

Quattroste wrote:

if you can identify the valve that is causing the rattle then you just need to change that valve. Switch the amp off pull out the valve and replace with a new valve

Yeah I know which one it is. The rattling is caused by the vibration of me playing the guitar. When I hold the said valve the rattling stops.

Can I just pull the thing and replace it like that??
Where can I get new valves? How can I know which model to get? Are they pricey?

thanking u

Frankiestylee

What make of amp etc?

Oh I have so much random circuitry lying around.... I've probably built myself a lil death trap of shiny junk!

Spicy Lauren

Frankiestylee wrote:

What make of amp etc?

Fender Blues Deluxe re-issue '65 (i think) tweed finish

Quattroste

If its one of the bigger valves(there should be 2 of them in your amp) they are 6L6's. You can get them on Eurotubes.com, Watfordvalves.co.uk, and many other places.

In Ireland you can get them here for €49 for a pair. (your better off changing both of them)
http://www.247guitar.com/detail.php?StockCode=GT6L6RDUET

You can just pull the old ones out and replace them very easily. Don't be afraid to use a bit of force as they can get set in there if they are there a long time. When handling the new ones use a pair of gloves if you can or some tissue so you don't leave an oily residue from you skin on them. This is supposed to cause uneven heat distribution or something like that.

Voodu Child

Quattroste wrote:

If its one of the bigger valves(there should be 2 of them in your amp) they are 6L6's. You can get them on Eurotubes.com, Watfordvalves.co.uk, and many other places.

I don't know if a new set of valves is the solution to the problem.

Actually, even after all these posts, i still don't know what the problem is, or if there even is a problem. Lauren needs to get a mate to have a peek at the amp.

Quattroste

I suppose a good test to do before buying new valves would be to swap the two 6L6 valves around. If the same valve rattles then it's the valve. If the other valve now rattles in the position of the original rattley valve, then it could be the valve housing?? Worth a try I guess.

Nice sig Voodoo.

Spicy Lauren

Lads, its one of the smaller valves thats causing the problem...