Scratching noise while Herbert is getting up to temp, help?

  • Thread starter Thread starter leewhy18
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leewhy18

leewhy18

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Hey guys

I have had my Herbert for about 3 weeks now and I've noticed a scratching/pick scraping sound after I've turned it on to let it warm up and switch it to run on the standby switch. It only lasts for about 4 minutes until the amp gets to temp and it goes away. Should I be concerned? and if so what could it be??
 
I've heard the glass from the tubes crackle a bit as they warm up, but no internal critter noises.

The only mechanical noise I hear is the relays setting to the last channel it was on when powered off.
They are the only moving part. The power transformer is a bit loud too, but that's just a hum.
I wonder if you have something loose in your chassis that's vibrating from the power trans warming up.
Check your chassis screws, back grate screws, preamp tube shields off and make sure your power tube retainers
are all square and tight.
 
MARK2C":2arw0kr0 said:
I've heard the glass from the tubes crackle a bit as they warm up, but no internal critter noises.

The only mechanical noise I hear is the relays setting to the last channel it was on when powered off.
They are the only moving part. The power transformer is a bit loud too, but that's just a hum.
I wonder if you have something loose in your chassis that's vibrating from the power trans warming up.
Check your chassis screws, back grate screws, preamp tube shields off and make sure your power tube retainers
are all square and tight.
Click to expand...

It definately not mechanical. I hear it thru the speakers. The only way i can describe it is that it sounds like a pick scrape that lasts for about 3-4 seconds.
 
When powering on ? Or coming off standby ?

Powering on should not make any noise other than some transformer hum. That thing could power a city block.
Off standby could be causing a preamp tube to make that noise. Some sound like a hiss, swoosh, helicopter or motorboat when
they are going bad. Try a new V1 preamp tube.
 
MARK2C":27f7763p said:
When powering on ? Or coming off standby ?

Powering on should not make any noise other than some transformer hum. That thing could power a city block.
Off standby could be causing a preamp tube to make that noise. Some sound like a hiss, swoosh, helicopter or motorboat when
they are going bad. Try a new V1 preamp tube.
Click to expand...

Its when I switch the standby switch off to run it and play. Just lasts for about 5 mins I thought it might be a tube but was hoping it wasnt. I know that the sound doesnt warm up till you've played it for a lil bit but it even says that in the manual. :doh:
 
The warm up in the manual means the preamp tubes, power tubes and the whole amp in general.
After everything settles in a heats up the tone gets more complex and warmer. That has nothing to do
with a bad V1 off standby. It's a bad preamp tube. We all have $4800 Diezels, or two :D but we are still at the
mercy of a $12.00 preamp tube. The amp is a tank, so don't worry that it's something else.

Did you buy the amp new or used ? Shipment is a bitch on tubes plus if it's a used Herbert you don't really know how old they are
or how they were treated.

Here is the preamp tube task chart from Diezel:

Herbert:
V1 Used by all channels
V2 Used by channel 3
V3 Used by all channels
V4 Mixer & Loop Driver
V5 Return Driver
V6 Phase Inverter


Get one known good 12AX7 and replace them one at a time until the trapped mice go away at standby.
 
MARK2C":osmohqcl said:
The warm up in the manual means the preamp tubes, power tubes and the whole amp in general.
After everything settles in a heats up the tone gets more complex and warmer. That has nothing to do
with a bad V1 off standby. It's a bad preamp tube. We all have $4800 Diezels, or two :D but we are still at the
mercy of a $12.00 preamp tube. The amp is a tank, so don't worry that it's something else.

Did you buy the amp new or used ? Shipment is a bitch on tubes plus if it's a used Herbert you don't really know how old they are
or how they were treated.

Here is the preamp tube task chart from Diezel:

Herbert:
V1 Used by all channels
V2 Used by channel 3
V3 Used by all channels
V4 Mixer & Loop Driver
V5 Return Driver
V6 Phase Inverter


Get one known good 12AX7 and replace them one at a time until the trapped mice go away at standby.
Click to expand...

Originally Rareguitar owned it then sold to pfapin05 then to me when he got a sweet deal on a New Head. I live all the way up in Alaska so its definately came a long way. When i opened it I got in a rush to set it up and didnt check the slop blows and one had broken in transit and it took the other 2 out in a double and nasty sounding "Pop". After that it ran fine when i replaced the slow blows. Thanks for the advice. I'm a noob so this kinda info is invaluable. :rock:
 
Sounds like a bad preamp tube at worst. Sometimes some preamp tubes are fine, but rattle a bit at first as the amp powers up.
 
Damn Lee, I just read about this... lets hope the preamp tube is the issue, pm me and let me know whats going on with it. Besides that flaky issue, how is the Herbert sounding for you? Did you get your Mesa 4x12 finally? PM me so we can talk, or we can get on Skype later and maybe I can hear it for myself.

Thanks, Chad
 
pfapin05":xjvprtlj said:
Damn Lee, I just read about this... lets hope the preamp tube is the issue, pm me and let me know whats going on with it. Besides that flaky issue, how is the Herbert sounding for you? Did you get your Mesa 4x12 finally? PM me so we can talk, or we can get on Skype later and maybe I can hear it for myself.

Thanks, Chad
Click to expand...

Ridonkulus how much power is behind that. I'm afraid to turn it up past 5 since I dont wanna start an avalanche ha ha. I love the head and I think the mesa cab was a good choice. Yeah one of these days we'll catch up chad and I could play a song or two for ya on skype.
 
Let me know when your on Skype, or better yet I will log in and you can call me anytime you want on there.
 
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