Different Amp Popping!

[smutton]

I have a Marshal vs100r Valvestate combo.

Whenever I practice at a certain friend's house my amp will crap out. It goes silent and the power light dims. When I turn it off to restart it lets out a loud pop. I think this issue is with the electrical system in this friend's hosue because this only ever happens there. Is there some sort of power... filter? I can buy to stop this? Thanks.

[dd842]

smutton said:

I have a Marshal vs100r Valvestate combo.

Whenever I practice at a certain friend's house my amp will crap out. It goes silent and the power light dims. When I turn it off to restart it lets out a loud pop. I think this issue is with the electrical system in this friend's hosue because this only ever happens there. Is there some sort of power... filter? I can buy to stop this? Thanks.

Hi smutton, and Welcome! to GN2!

Is it an old(er) house? Has your friend ever checked the electrical system at his house? Have you checked the outlets with a meter?

I don't know where you are located - I am in Canada.

I wonder if it's a current issue, or if there is an issue with "fake" outlets or something (what I mean by "fake" is when a three prong outlet is improperly installed using existing wiring that was intended for a two prong outlet - so the outlets appear okay, but are not grounded and can be dangerous.)

But these are just WAG (wild-butt guesses).

It sounds like an electrical issue, but I couldn't say.

You could use a surge protector, but your friend should have his house checked out to ensure it is safe.

Let us know what you find out, and we may be able to give guesses that are a little more insightful.

Dan

P.S. Interesting nickname - should I even ask how you feel about mature sheep? ;D

[Ripper]

I take my surge protector wherever I go. I dont trust the grids. You never know when a spike is coming your way.
I fried my total electrical system on my Crate amp about 10 years ago. I plugged in, started playing....POP!
It cost be BIG bucks to get her going again.

[smutton]

Hi, thanks for the welcome

Yes, it is an older house, and it is entirely possible that the socket is "fake" because my friend's grandfather renovated the house extensively. I am using a power bar which I think has a surge protector (I will check). I haven't checked the outlets - I don't even have a meter. I guess I should get one and figure out how to use it if I ever want to gig. I'll let you guys know what comes up over the next while, I want to fix this because it looks like we'll be rehearsing there a lot.

(Oh and I am in Ontario too. And, yes, my name is peculiar. I came up with it when I was 12 without realizing what "smut" or "mutton" meant!)

[UnklMickey]

I'd avoid that particular outlet in your friends's house. The connections to the outlet, or something farther back in the house wiring is a bit dodgy. Have your friend make sure his fire insurance is paid up, and includes electrical fires. It's not a question of if. It's a question of when.