Peavey Valve King 112 (Static!?!?)

[Big Red]

Hi Folks,

I have a year-old Peavey Valve King 112 combo, which has never left my apartment. I rarely take the main volume above "1", so there should be plenty of life left on all of my valves....I think.

The thing belches static through the speaker on BOTH the clean and dirt channels. While playing plugged straight-in tonight, not only did I get static, I also got a noise that sounded like a Mack truck under full acceleration. Again, this was on the clean channel. I switched the amp to standby mode, and it continued to make that noise. And then I turned the thing off before it got scary-loud. When I try it with different guitars, I get the same result.

Are the valves already shot? Or is it something else?

Thanks in advance.

[ScottB]

Is your cell phone in your pocket or clipped to your belt? If so, try putting it in another room.

[Big Red]

Originally Posted by ScottB

Is your cell phone in your pocket or clipped to your belt? If so, try putting it in another room.

Nope. I play in the main room of my apartment where my computer and TV are. The problems I'm experiencing have developed only recently, so I'm not sure it has to do with radio interference (right term?).

I'm a tube-amp noob in every sense of the phrase, so I can only guess what is going on. Over 40 views on this thread, and only 1 response....hmmmmm...I must be an ultra-noob, or everyone is still hung-over, or having sexy-time. LOL.



Cheers

[Mr.WizardNeck]

I'd say it's a problem with your tubes. Did you flip any switches or anything recently? Is it something that just happened or did it appear and then get worse? I'd say it's your tubes but I don't have too much experience with tube amps but when the standby switch is on and the amp is making noise, it has to be the tubes. Either that or your cord is screwed and your standby switch is messed but I've only ever seen that on an old musicman. Check the blue glow of the tubes when you kick it off standby and tell us about it. Flashing? Some not lit up blue? You have to view them at the right angle from behind to see it.

[Big Red]

Originally Posted by Mr.WizardNeck

I'd say it's a problem with your tubes. Did you flip any switches or anything recently? Is it something that just happened or did it appear and then get worse? I'd say it's your tubes but I don't have too much experience with tube amps but when the standby switch is on and the amp is making noise, it has to be the tubes. Either that or your cord is screwed and your standby switch is messed but I've only ever seen that on an old musicman. Check the blue glow of the tubes when you kick it off standby and tell us about it. Flashing? Some not lit up blue? You have to view them at the right angle from behind to see it.

The static problem just appeared out of nowhere. The Mack truck sound started to appear the other night. I might have accidently flipped the standby switch too soon while I was in booze-hound mode one night. Friends don't let friends drink and operate tube-amps. In any case, I'm going to have a friend look at it.


Cheers and thanks.

[cbgb9894]

Hey- I had the same EXACT problem, static on both channels and then that sound similar to a mack truck! haha. anyway- i took the valveking to sam ash and talked to the repair guy. Apparently its a problem with the EFFECTS LOOP JACK??? I could not beleive it, i thought it was the tubes for sure. Apparently the effects loop was busted, causing the signal to short out and make that staticy noise. its only costing me 5 bucks for parts and 35 for labor to fix my baby. Hope i helped!!

[SonicProvocateur]

Originally Posted by cbgb9894

Hey- I had the same EXACT problem, static on both channels and then that sound similar to a mack truck! haha. anyway- i took the valveking to sam ash and talked to the repair guy. Apparently its a problem with the EFFECTS LOOP JACK??? I could not beleive it, i thought it was the tubes for sure. Apparently the effects loop was busted, causing the signal to short out and make that staticy noise. its only costing me 5 bucks for parts and 35 for labor to fix my baby. Hope i helped!!

Such things definitely happen; even on high dollar amps. Simple problems like dirty/muffed up input jacks (in his case, the messed up effects loop jack) cause a world of trouble. More often than not, its something like a loose/bad solder joint, or something has wiggled its way loose or broken.

Good catch on that one. Best bet would be take it to your local repair shop and have them look at it; sometimes a bad jack can't be -visibly- inspected for, and has to be tested with a voltimeter.