Crackle in Blues Jr.

[the tourist]

So I'm thinking about buying my brother's Fender Blues Jr. But there's a crackle when I hit a chord hard. It's not distortion anything, just a random sort of white noise-like bit. So I'm wondering if anyone knows what that is? I'm thinking of taking it in to get it fixed as I'll probably be buying the amp from my brother as soon as mine sells.

 

[Chill Mike D]

Maybe it's a wiring problem.

 

[mick3b1g]

First thing I would do is change the tubes. Bjrs are great little amps

M

 

[the tourist]

The keyboardist in my band's pretty technical. He suggested tubes. The only reason I'm not apt to think it's the tubes is that they were changed about year ago and the crackle's been there since then. I'm hoping it can get fixed because I played through it yesterday and otherwise it's the exact sound I want... and for $250 used instead of $500 new... and when it's barely been used by my brother....

 

[the tourist]

Sweet. Fixed. So it was the tubes. Which is really damn peculiar since the crackle'd been there since before the tubes were previously replaced....

 

[mick3b1g]

you can always get a bad set..Its common..A thing to try in the future is Very very carefully with the eraser end of a pencil lightly and i mean lightly tap on each tube (especially the poweramp tubes) big ones....If you hear a rattle or crackel or springy reverby kind of thing then you know its bad. I never rec poking objects in back of amps but I think its safe as long as you do it carefully and lightly.
M

 

[the tourist]

you can always get a bad set..Its common..A thing to try in the future is Very very carefully with the eraser end of a pencil lightly and i mean lightly tap on each tube (especially the poweramp tubes) big ones....If you hear a rattle or crackel or springy reverby kind of thing then you know its bad. I never rec poking objects in back of amps but I think its safe as long as you do it carefully and lightly.
M

That's actually what the keyboardist in my band did to devise it was the tubes. He was wearing gloves and had a miniature rubber mallet that he tapped them with. I suppose I shouldn't have posted this in here before having him give it a look.