Really don't know what is causing this but what happens when I play these days is that a charge seems to build up and every once in awhile a LARGE pop emanates from my amp. I can assure you that I am not that electifying of a guitar player!! The amp sits in a carpetted room where it has been for the past few years. This seems to have developed this winter ( may be a cause if it is cold and dry out?) It is particuarly evident when turning off the amp and always seems to occur at that time. Also notice if one of the other guys turns on an amp or plugs in it also affects my amp and usually a loud pop occurs then too. So far I have unplugged all other equipment from the plug I use and plugged my effects chain in to another recepticle and have also tried disconecting the effects chain entirely. Seems to occur with all my guitars so is not likely shielding. It is more prevalent with my acoustic with Baggs sound hole pickup. Any thoughts? I am concerned that the popping is so loud and sudden that it may harm a speaker. As a side note it occurs whether I am plugged into my fender deluxe 900 amp or my EVJ head.
Robbie
How old is this amp? Aging electrolytic capacitors often arc through the oxide film on the aluminum foil anode, making pops and crackles. Sometimes they sound like a thunderstorm!
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Hey Ricochet, thought I might hear from you on this. The Fender 900 deluxe is solid state and about 4 years old, the Evj is a year and a half or so. It really seems to be a static build up as I can hear/feel an arc between my finger and the amp sometimes when I go to shut it off and even when setting down my accoustic I sometimes get an arc between my hand & the strings. A strange occurence yesterday (and I hate to mention it for obvious reasons, men with butterfly nets come to mind) but yesterday there was a radio transmission (OK Voices) coming from the amp, this seemed only to happen when the effect chain was hooked up with my Danelectro compressor turned on.
Robbie
It is getting to be wintertime, and with the heat running inside air gets mighty dry, leading to problems with static. I recall the time I reached for my old Apple ][ Plus computer to type on it, a long fat blue spark jumped from my finger to the computer case, and the computer restarted! You may just be zapping the guitar.
It's fairly common to pick up radio signals. Figuring out where it's coming in can be challenging.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
When you say "it is getting to be winter" you better believe it, this AM it was -30 degrees Celcius on the thermometer! You may be right and I may be zapping the amp because we have had a long cold snap here in Manitoba. But you know this is really the first time it has become noticable. Other years we haven't had an early cold snap like this and by the time January rolls around I am usually in the Baja. Will let you know if I find a solution. Thanx for your input
Roobie
When you say "it is getting to be winter" you better believe it, this AM it was -30 degrees Celcius on the thermometer! You may be right and I may be zapping the amp because we have had a long cold snap here in Manitoba. But you know this is really the first time it has become noticable. Other years we haven't had an early cold snap like this and by the time January rolls around I am usually in the Baja. Will let you know if I find a solution. Thanx for your input
Roobie
Try wiping your guitar down with an anti-static dryer sheet.
Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.
Will try an antistatic sheet, thanx for the tip
Robbie
