Is hissing noise prevalent in most/all amps with a master volume?

[jpervin]

I have an amp with a master volume and it seems to have an audible hiss when it's turned up.
Is this inherent to MV circuits?
What causes this?

[Mark Robinson]

Hiss is part of the deal with tube amps, the more gain stages, the more likely that hiss is audible. Some speakers reproduce the hiss more clearly than others. If you get rid of the hiss, you will probably get rid of other parts of the sound that you enjoy. I love the seething hiss of a great tube amp. Never much of a problem once the drums kick in.

[pbmw]

I just bought a new JTM45. It has a MV and it's dead quiet. The builder used shielded wire in certain placed and paid particular attention to lead dress.

[gillman royce]

Originally Posted by Mark Robinson

Hiss is part of the deal with tube amps, the more gain stages, the more likely that hiss is audible. Some speakers reproduce the hiss more clearly than others. If you get rid of the hiss, you will probably get rid of other parts of the sound that you enjoy. I love the seething hiss of a great tube amp. Never much of a problem once the drums kick in.

THAT plus the type of pup

[Purplexi]

Originally Posted by pbmw

I just bought a new JTM45. It has a MV and it's dead quiet. The builder used shielded wire in certain placed and paid particular attention to lead dress.

Your legendary JTM may be built well enough to suppress some hiss. However, it's just not that high gain of a set up to cause much noise, even w/an added MV. Any added gain and you'll need a gate.

[mc5nrg]

No.