Hi
This is our first foray into tube amps and my first post. I bought my son a B-52 AT100 tube head. It was and is very well reviewed and compared favorably to Marshalls and Mesas and Peavey 6505s.
He plays metal which means he is fairly loud (has a half-stack) but no more so than the other guitarist who has a Line 6 modeling amp. He is getting terrible squeal coming out of this. It came with Chinese 12AX7 pre tubes (4 preamp, a loop driver tube, a phase splitter and a tube driver for the reverb (12AT7).
We were sent a set of ElectroHarmonics by the factory, but they were no improvement at all. They aklso sent a new quad of Sovtek 5881s which I put in, but I have not rebiased as I don't know how (am scared to actually).
He has tried it with 4 guitars: an LTD with active EMG81, two Schecter, an Epiphone with fake PAF and a Kramer with quad rails and they are all just as bad. I can hear them practicing downstairs and I'm just about to throw the &%#^@&# thing out the window!
I have a few questions for the experts among you:
What is causing the feedback noise...tubes, pickups, both, something else?
There are at least 3 identifiable frequencies that appear regularly, so I don't even think an EQ would really help, and anyway, you don't see SLash or Kirk Hammet having a problem with squealing and having to use equalizers. I've even tried a Behringer feedback destroyer and a Rocktron Hush with no luck
What can I do?
I am not replacing 7 preamp tubes and a 6l6 quad at about 160 bucks for JJs just on the off chance it might go away, but I would consider buying one or two preamp tubes to start off with. 2 JJs is 20 bucks, fair enough. But which tubes are the likely offender(s) please? There are 4 in the pre unlike a Marshall, so I am not sure how they are working, although 1 and 2 are shielded, so maybe start there?
ALL reviews, really without exception, from all kinds of guitarists rate this amp very highly indeed. NOBODY that I have read (and I have read a lot!) has said this is a squealing pig that should be trashed.
Thanks
Phil
This is our first foray into tube amps and my first post. I bought my son a B-52 AT100 tube head. It was and is very well reviewed and compared favorably to Marshalls and Mesas and Peavey 6505s.
He plays metal which means he is fairly loud (has a half-stack) but no more so than the other guitarist who has a Line 6 modeling amp. He is getting terrible squeal coming out of this. It came with Chinese 12AX7 pre tubes (4 preamp, a loop driver tube, a phase splitter and a tube driver for the reverb (12AT7).
We were sent a set of ElectroHarmonics by the factory, but they were no improvement at all. They aklso sent a new quad of Sovtek 5881s which I put in, but I have not rebiased as I don't know how (am scared to actually).
He has tried it with 4 guitars: an LTD with active EMG81, two Schecter, an Epiphone with fake PAF and a Kramer with quad rails and they are all just as bad. I can hear them practicing downstairs and I'm just about to throw the &%#^@&# thing out the window!
I have a few questions for the experts among you:
What is causing the feedback noise...tubes, pickups, both, something else?
There are at least 3 identifiable frequencies that appear regularly, so I don't even think an EQ would really help, and anyway, you don't see SLash or Kirk Hammet having a problem with squealing and having to use equalizers. I've even tried a Behringer feedback destroyer and a Rocktron Hush with no luck
What can I do?
I am not replacing 7 preamp tubes and a 6l6 quad at about 160 bucks for JJs just on the off chance it might go away, but I would consider buying one or two preamp tubes to start off with. 2 JJs is 20 bucks, fair enough. But which tubes are the likely offender(s) please? There are 4 in the pre unlike a Marshall, so I am not sure how they are working, although 1 and 2 are shielded, so maybe start there?
ALL reviews, really without exception, from all kinds of guitarists rate this amp very highly indeed. NOBODY that I have read (and I have read a lot!) has said this is a squealing pig that should be trashed.
Thanks
Phil
Comment