Need advice re: crackling noise from amp

Bill Holly · Post by **Bill Holly** » 17 Apr 2004 6:48 am

My wife has a Zum SD10, Goodrich VP (L-10-K), and Nashville 1000 amp with George L cables(all less than one year old, well, the Zum has another year on it).

She is getting a disturbing crackling noise out of the amp when strings are picked that as best I can describe sounds like an old cracked speaker cone. (I'm no expert on this description)

However, I don't think it's the amp as I can plug the steel directly into the amp, eliminating the VP, and that seems to eliminate the problem.

On occasion, just unplugging the cord from the output on the VP, and reinserting it into the same output, has temporarily solved the problem, other times moving it from one output to the other has worked.

So, I think there's a problem with the pedal. Could it be the pot already gone bad? Any ideas out there? I'm inclined to just give up eating for a month or two so I can buy a Hilton VP.

Thanks for any help!

Bill

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 17 Apr 2004 8:55 am

I had a similar "crackling" speaker problem recently. Try using some electronic cleaner like "DeoxIT D5" which is available at a lot of music stores or "Funk-out" from Peavey. Spray it on the input and output jacks and work them in and out a few dozen times to loosen any oxyidation that might be there. It seemed to work for me.

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 17 Apr 2004 9:00 am

Yes--that is the first thing you should try. Radio Shack "tuner conrol" cleaner is ok too. The output jacks have a third leg that completes the battery circuit so this is a critical spot in the pedal where dirt or corrosion will mess you up good.

Garth Highsmith · Post by **Garth Highsmith** » 17 Apr 2004 8:05 pm

.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Garth Highsmith on 09 January 2006 at 08:50 PM.]</p></FONT>

Bill Holly · Post by **Bill Holly** » 18 Apr 2004 11:50 am

Garry, Jon, Garth, thank you for the suggestions! I tried the cleaner and that wasn't the answer. I've just made sure the string was not interfering with the output jacks and am waiting to see if the problem returns.

What are the symptons if your pot is going/has gone bad? How about if the battery is going bad?

I'm going to go ahead and replace the battery and order a spare pot.

Bill

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 19 Apr 2004 7:42 am

Make sure that you eliminate the possiblity of it being a bad cable. Try other cables.

Bill Holly · Post by **Bill Holly** » 19 Apr 2004 10:47 am

Thanks, Mike, I think I had covered that base by running the cables direct from the steel to the amp at which time everything worked fine which made me think the steel, the cables and the amp were ok, thereby isolating the problem to the volume pedal.

Now it's confession time!

I replaced the 9 volt battery and the problem appears to be solved. Probably should have done that first.

I appreciate you guys that offered suggestions. Thanks again!

Bob, this one can be locked up.

Bill