Amp acting funny

I've got a VHT Ultra-Lead and last night at practice it acted a little strange. I heard what can only be descibed as a wind sound at points and at other times while playing it sounded like it was oscilating. 2 times the sound just stopped for about a second or 2. The power tubes are brand new and biased, only had them about a month. The funny thing is, after the sound cut out the 2nd time everything went back to normal. No wind, no oscilation no cut outs, just normal. I checked my cables to see if 1 was loose or shorting out but nothing. I've got a gig Friday so I plan to run it through it's paces after work Friday morning to make sure it doesn't go to crap on me that night.

Any ideas?

Well problem sorta solved. It's not my amp (thankfully) but it is my wah. My Dunlop 535 has been very good to me for 8 years now but I guess it finally decided to give out on me. I stepped on it last night at our gig and nothing, I had to stomp it a few times to get my sound back. I'll check it out but considering the going rate for electronics repair it may just be time for an upgrade.

[THLH]

Before you throw out the wha-wha, it could have been a CB or radio signal. If the weather is just right, you can pick up certain frequencies that oscillate. Actually, one time I was playing alone late on a Saturday night and I picked up one side of a conversation, I just about had a heart attack because I thought someone broke into my apartment. This sounds like it could be the same thing. The problem is the only way to fix it is to make your house out of aluminum and ground it.

That wouldn't explain the why sound would completely cut out though. I stepped on my wah and it killed all my sound, I then had to stomp the living crap out of it to get sound again. I don't plan on throwing it out but my band has a live video shoot at Fullsail friday and I need to make sure I've got a working wah. I don't have time to run around to reapair shops paying almost the same amount to get it fixed as would cost to buy a new one. I don't use wah enough to buy 1 of those $300 Teese's so another 535 will do fine.

[6Tones]

Hey wastegate ,I had the same thing happen to my 534Q Wah recently too,same sound ,same problems. Did you ever find out was was wrong and get it fixed?I email Dunlop but they couldnt diagnose the problem.

[John Phillips]

If that's a 535 not a 535Q, think carefully before throwing it out! They aren't the same thing at all, and neither is the BB535 which I think is the current model. IMO the original 535 sounds much better than either of them... in fact better than any other wah I've tried, including the Fulltone Clyde Deluxe. It's fuller and more powerful-sounding.

If it was the switch causing the problem (it does sound like it if stomping on it a few times 'cured' it), it should be quite a cheap repair.

[6Tones]

Originally posted by John Phillips
If that's a 535 not a 535Q, think carefully before throwing it out! They aren't the same thing at all, and neither is the BB535 which I think is the current model. IMO the original 535 sounds much better than either of them... in fact better than any other wah I've tried, including the Fulltone Clyde Deluxe. It's fuller and more powerful-sounding.

If it was the switch causing the problem (it does sound like it if stomping on it a few times 'cured' it), it should be quite a cheap repair.

Interesting, my friend bought the new 535q and I find my older version sounds much better...thats till it stopped working