Amp trouble

Amp: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe

Problem : when playing crackling/ really annoying noise comes from amp.

Now I have only noticed the problem since I was playing around last night and a fairly low volume. I didn't notice it on the weekend at the show, however the amp was obviously turned up alot more.

I've checked all my cables one by one, as well as each pedal and finally took apart both guitars. No grounding problems or power related problems were found anywhere. Which leaves the amp.

I checked all the speakers connections and all input connections. Doesn't seem to be any problems. My last thought is tube related. The tubes look OK so I'm thinking it might be the socket? Any thoughts?

If you're sure its the amp thats crackling, and not just because of loose jack connections, the most likely culprits are the tubes and the power filter caps. You can try tapping gently on the tubes with a plastic chopstick or a wooden dowel to see if the noise gets worse.

This is the sort of thing that makes a good tech worth their fees. See if Gary at Steve's Music Store on Rideau Street near King Edward can steer you to someone good. Or look up Greg Wilson.

I checked both guitar inputs as well as the amp connections. The only that makes any unwanted noise is the footswitch cable if you really pound on the jack.

This type of crackling only seems to happend when I physically play. I was considering an amp tech ( I only go to Steve's ). But I need the amp the next two weekends and their usual turn around is 1-2 weeks. I'm gonna play around with it again tonight to see what I can find.

OK, Plan B:

Call Mark Warren, at the Fret Clinic in the back of Metro Music on Bank Street at Glebe Avenue. He's opinionated as all get out, but if he recommends someone, that's a good tip.

You can also try to find Greg Wilson. He's another very opinionated luthier (must be part of the job description), who has an amazing collection of vintage gear. Anyone that he would trust his stuff to must be worth knowing.

Good luck!

There was a cold solder joint at one of the tube connections. Found this out when I brought it into Steve's today. Richard and Dan were very helpful, in fact, Richard fixed it right then and there in front of me. As well as gave me a new set of tubes because I blew some up the other night as a result of this cold solder joint.