Tourmaster noise

  • Thread starter Thread starter JCC
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JCC

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Has anyone found a way or amp mod that reduces the amount of hum in the Tourmaster series of amps. I love the tone when creating and writing, however when it comes to putting the mic to it in the studio it's lets just say not good. So grab the boogie and lay down a the track.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

JCC
 
Unfortuantly this it's not that simple. I have played a number of Tourmasters at several Guitar Centers and they all hum the same. I must then assume it is not just a simple tube issue, the issue must lie either in the hardware or design. I'm certain the folks at Egnator are aware of it because many have asked the same question. So I am just wondering if there is or will be a mod that addresses the sitiation.

JC
 
Its the toroid transformer. We have only heard of a few people having hum issues with the amps that have been sold. Could be dirty power, bad grounding or other issues in the store. Every time I have gone to a GC store to watch people play, they sit in front of the amp at a very close distance.
It is proximity hum. Meaning the closer you are to the amp the more possible the hum will be. It is compounded by, if used, 60 cycle hum from single coils. I can make the hum happen when I sit close to the amp. If I move away from it the hum is reduced, if not gone. So my recomendation is:

1. Make sure you are not close to the amp...need to be 5 feet away.
2. A mu metal box could be made to cover the troid Transformer and isolate the hum if it is still present after moving away.
 
Jeff Hilligan":3fninrwi said:
Its the toroid transformer. We have only heard of a few people having hum issues with the amps that have been sold. Could be dirty power, bad grounding or other issues in the store. Every time I have gone to a GC store to watch people play, they sit in front of the amp at a very close distance.
It is proximity hum. Meaning the closer you are to the amp the more possible the hum will be. It is compounded by, if used, 60 cycle hum from single coils. I can make the hum happen when I sit close to the amp. If I move away from it the hum is reduced, if not gone. So my recomendation is:

1. Make sure you are not close to the amp...need to be 5 feet away.
2. A mu metal box could be made to cover the troid Transformer and isolate the hum if it is still present after moving away.
Click to expand...

Jeff, I am glad you guys are acknowledging the EMI issue. I first reported
the issue to both you and to Jeremy M. in LA in February. I never got a response from you, and I was
unable to convince Jeremy that it was an issue and gave up after multiple rounds of telephone tag.
This is not the usual grounding or single coil issues, I know how to deal with those, and it doesn't happen like this with any other amp.

I'd like to use the Tourmaster in the studio, but
a 5 foot field of EMI around the amp is a big problem. Most guitar amps emit this kind of field
at 2 feet or less. When the Tourmaster is on, even a guitar plugged into a different amp will hum like crazy!

If you could offer the mu metal box as as a retrofit, I would be glad to install it or have my local tech install it.
Its a great amp and I want to use it for recording, but as it stands now I can't.
 
The ultimate solution to the noise problem and other issues I ran into with the amp was to eventually return the amp. I liked the amp and enjoyed playing it here around the house. after owning it for about two weeks I finally took it to a full combo blues gig and thats when I really cast a doubtful eye on this amp. At the gig the third & fourth channels were for all intents and purposes un-usable due to noise and over the top distortion issues.

As far as changing preamp tubes....forget it! I put in dozens of NOS vintage and new production Mullard re-issues and found this amp to be almost non responsive to tube changes in that no matter what tubes I tried, the amp pretty much sounded the same as with the cheap GT junk that came with the amp. I put the same Mullard re-issues in both my Rivera TBR-1 and Mesa Boogie Blue angel and got startlingly different results.

Yeah its the transformer....I agree.....why put one out like this in this market with the noise issues that keep cropping up???? If I had to sum up my doubts about this amp in two words it would be these: electrically unstable! Where was R&D??? Now you say the noise issue is the transformer???? At this price???? Whoah!

And now it will be time for all the drooling Egnater sycophants to jump in with their insults and claims that you just don`t know how to set the amp up like they do.....read the reviews at HarmonyCentral.....buyers are bailing on these amps with the same complaints: Intermittent cracles, pops, weird hums and crappy over the top distortion channels.

next time I go to the blues gig, it will be with my single channel, 38 watt Mesa Blue Angel. I paid less than half what I paid for the Tourmaster and would put it up head to head any day with this over-engineered, under-built Chinese turd! My Mesa rules....hands down! I agree: tinker with a temperamental, inconsistent tweakers wet-dream all you want, but then cut the track with the Boogie!
 
Follow up to Jeff Hilligan,

I have been working with amps for more than 35 years and I do understand proximity and 60 cycle hum. Additionlly when certain effects are connected (loop or input) they really pick up alot of hum. All of these things mentioned are not a problem with my Marshalls, Mesas, or Fenders. Now the non-tech dumb question.

Can this new cool transmormer be replaced with a standard transformer (a mod like the Voodoo guys do)?

Ultimately I will keep the amp and use it for strait clean sounds. There is no resale value to the amp. If I want a four channel amp it will be a Roadster or Road King
 
Having said how much I hate the electromagnetic noise coming from this amp,
I do want to say that otherwise it is a really good amp, especially for the price.
The clean channels combined with a 5 or 10 watt
power setting are among the sweetest clean channels I have ever heard,
the overdrives are very good and unlike the last two posters I prefer the tones from this amp
to any Mesa amp I have ever played through. Just fix the transformer issue and I will be a happy camper.
 
I agree with rockridge98 the question is a simple one:

"WILL EGNATOR FIX THE TRANSFORMER ISSUE"

YES or NO


JCC
 
Guitardo":1pe9fjhg said:
And now it will be time for all the drooling Egnater sycophants to jump in with their insults and claims that you just don`t know how to set the amp up like they do.....read the reviews at HarmonyCentral.....buyers are bailing on these amps with the same complaints: Intermittent cracles, pops, weird hums and crappy over the top distortion channels.

next time I go to the blues gig, it will be with my single channel, 38 watt Mesa Blue Angel. I paid less than half what I paid for the Tourmaster and would put it up head to head any day with this over-engineered, under-built Chinese turd! My Mesa rules....hands down! I agree: tinker with a temperamental, inconsistent tweakers wet-dream all you want, but then cut the track with the Boogie!
Click to expand...


Wow, have a little pent up frustration do ya?

While this forum is a great place to share info and pass along info such as these problems, please take your teenaged bashing rants back over the Harmony Central forums.
 
I'm sorry to have caused such a stir, I am just looking for some help on the noise issue. Again I ask respectfully

... Egnator ...

Will you be providing a fix for the noise issue????
 
JCC":3lhrj3ku said:
I'm sorry to have caused such a stir, I am just looking for some help on the noise issue. Again I ask respectfully

... Egnator ...

Will you be providing a fix for the noise issue????
Click to expand...

Dont worry about that, you arent stirring anything up, some people just piss and whine like children once they log on to an internet forum.

Hopefully this issue gets resolved.
 
JCC,

Have you tried calling Egnater at either 877-EGNATER or 248-541-9100? You might have better luck as Im not sure they have been on the forums as much lately. I think they are working really hard to build alot of amps to fill backorders.

Good luck man.
 
EWSEthan":1ubpmgni said:
JCC,

Have you tried calling Egnater at either 877-EGNATER or 248-541-9100? You might have better luck as Im not sure they have been on the forums as much lately. I think they are working really hard to build alot of amps to fill backorders.

Good luck man.
Click to expand...

This is very good advise.

You could also send a PM to Jeff. I'm not sure how often he checks them over visiting this forum, but he is probably more likely to see a PM in his inbox than a thread on the forum. Just a suggestion. Hope it all works out for you.
 
To boot,them fools are gonna be at the LA AMPSHOW,this weekend,I hope :D I'll go and hassle them for you! :lol: :LOL:
 
rockridge98":3qmcp9ac said:
Bump, now that Jeff is back, hoping he will comment.
Click to expand...
FYI, Jeff did contact me by PM, they are working on a resolution, but no details yet.
 
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