Why does my amp tick?

I'll ask you a silly question....

Do you have your cell phone on you when you're playing????

Steve

 

As long as it doesn't vibrate, it should be cool, ask Tyler Durden.

 

You don't get the reference? Did you see the movie?

 

...seriously though, I've heard of preamp tubes doing that. Try changing them.

 

I liked the movie on the first couple of passes, but then it started to dawn on me how much the movie itself (and the hyper packaged DVD) was the very thing it was supposed to be making the viewer aware of. It's a fun movie nevertheless.

Anyway, the reference was to Ed Norton's luggage at the airport which was flagged because it was ticking. He was at the customs counter and the customs guy was saying "we only really worry when a bag vibrates, that's far worse". "But", he continues, "occasionally it's just a dildo..." and goes on to subtly insinuate that Ed Norton had a dildo in his bag.

Pardon my impertinent post...your thread title just reminded me of it.

 

A quartz watch held near a pickup will cause your amp to tick like your mom's old mantle clock!

 

Are you being serious? I wear my watch on my picking wrist and I get the ticks through every amp I play through.

 

I have had amps tick as well. If I recall correctly, changing the preamp tubes got rid of the problem.

 

It could very well be the power supply at your house. My amps used to tick at my old studio apartment... it was an older building in the city. Now I live in a 7 year old house in the country with a clean power supply and my amps don't tick, are much more quiet, and actually sound better and are more consistent from day to day... more stable current running to them has something to do with it I think... that and they're in a temperature controlled environment, but now I'm rambling.

I think certain types of energy meters can cause this ticking... Try plugging your amps in at another location and see if the problem goes away.

I could be wrong, but I think a power condition could solve your problem. I agree that it can be irritating, but it never bothered me while playing... only while the amp was idling.

 

Seriously, I had a ticking problem that I noticed first on my old Vibro Champ. And it was truly over a year before I realized that it was caused by my watch, which I wear on my right (picking) wrist. I'm a lefty playing righty, by the way.

DanR

 

I agree about the power conditioner.

My Zinky would 'tick' on the highest gain mode. Drove me nuts. I got rid of my G-Major...still ticking. Got a Furman power conditioner....problem gone.

 

Quite serious. Freaked me out the first time it happened.