Why Is There No Sound Coming From My Guitar Amp?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Check if the amp or PA you are plugged into is turned on. If using a mixer, make sure it’s not muted and that all cords are plugged in all the way. … Always make sure

your amp is working

and the cables are in good working condition. If possible, plug in another guitar to the same line to see if it works.

Why does my guitar amp have power but no sound?


The speaker is completely blown

.

The output transformer is open or otherwise faulty

. The speaker jack is not wired correctly. The speaker wiring has deteriorated, or the jacks have rusted to the extent that they can no longer make the proper connection.

How do I know if my guitar amp is blown?

The most common aural indication of a blown speaker is an

unpleasant buzzing or scratching sound

, by itself or roughly at the pitch of the note the speaker is attempting to reproduce. Or there could be no sound at all.

How do I know if my amp transformer is bad?

If the bulb glows bright then the power cord or transformer winding is shorting out internally. Drain the caps and disconnect all three power cord wires, wrap each one in electrical tape and plug in the amp. If the

bulb doesn’t light then the transformer is shorted internally

and must be replaced.

Should a guitar amp hiss?

A healthy amp is likely to make some sort of noise when idle. The amount varies depending on the voicing and design of the amp in question. Hiss is caused by high volume

settings

, high gain settings or bright EQ settings. Sadly there’s no way to avoid this if you choose to play in this way.

What causes an amplifier to hum?

More often than not, when your amp is making a humming sound, it’s caused by

dirty power, a bad ground connection, or fluorescent lighting

.

How do you diagnose a guitar amp?

  1. The amp doesn’t turn on.
  2. The amp makes no sound.
  3. The amp passes signal but makes strange, non-musical sounds.
  4. The amp passes signal that sounds distorted.
  5. The amp is extremely noisy.
  6. The amp has low volume.
  7. The amp smells like it’s burning.

What do bad power tubes sound like?

Preamp tubes usually cause problems through noise or microphonics. If noise, you will hear

hiss, crackling, popping or similar issues

. If you hear squeal, hum or feedback, it is typically a microphonic tube. Noise from microphonic tubes will typically increase with a volume increase.

How do I know if my tube amp fuse is blown?

Because fuses can sometimes look good to the naked eye even when they’re blown, the best way to check is to use a multimeter.

Set the meter to read continuity in ohms (Ω) and measure across the fuse

. If the meter indicates continuity or an almost zero reading, the fuse is good.

Why is my speaker not working?

Restart the Device. One of the common methods to fix it when your Android speakers are not working is

to reboot your device

. If there are apps or other utilities causing interference with your phone’s speakers, turning your phone off and then back on should fix most of those issues.

Why are my guitar strings not making sound?


If the string is not seated well in the nut at the headstock, it may be sitting on the side of the neck

and would make no sound. If the string is not connected properly at the bridge, that might cause it to be lying flat on the fretboard, incapable of making any sound.

Can a amp go bad?

You should

replace them every 10 or 20 years

, and there is a high chance that your amp will sound as good as new. … Of course, if there are no issues with your amp or the sound, then you should not change a thing. Probably the best thing about amps is that you can easily tell if something is wrong.

Why is there no sound coming out of my bass amp?

Another common cause of bad sound or no sound is an issue with

your cables

. … Test out some different cables if you have them and you could have an easy fix. Bear in mind, because bass (and guitar) cables are unbalanced, they will pick up noise disturbance from other electrical equipment.

Why did my amp burn out?

There are two major reasons why an amp might smell like it’s burning:

The amplifier is covered in dust

, which is in fact burning from the heat of the tubes. The amplifier is malfunctioning and a component is burning.

Do all guitar amps hiss?


There is no such thing as an amp

with zero HISS. Turned up loud enough, all amps will give off some amount of HISS. Again, boosting the guitar signal can help here. See Improving Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).

How do I remove hum from my amp?

If the noise persists, insert an isolating transformer (adaptor) to the earth cable. Adaptor has an earth lift switch that minimizes the amount of current that goes through the cable wires. Another way to eliminate the ground is to

connect a grounding wire from the speaker to the amplifier

.

What is amplifier noise?

Noise is

an unwanted signal that creates disturbance to the desired signal content in the system

. … This can be an additional signal that is produced within the system or can be some disturbance accompanied with the desired information of the input signal. However, it is unwanted and has to be removed.

How long do amp tubes last?

You can expect a conventional amplifier tube to have a service life ranging

up to 10,000 hours

. Tubes with military specifications are built to last up to 100,000 hours.

How long do valves last in guitar amps?

“In theory, a valve should have a working lifespan of anywhere

between 1,000 and 5,000 hours

for common types, and up to 8,000 or so for the more rugged industrial/mil-spec variants.

How do you tell if you need new tubes in your amp?

  1. Excessive noise (hiss, hum) including squealing or microphonic tubes.
  2. Loss of high end. …
  3. A muddy bottom end; Sounds like there is too much bass and note clarity is lost.
  4. Erratic changes in the overall volume. …
  5. The amp doesn’t work!

How often should you change tubes in a guitar amp?

On average, tubes can last from

500 to 1,000 hours

, so if you play with your amp two to three hours every day, you can safely expect to get around a year or less from your vacuum tubes.

How hot do guitar amp tubes get?

In standby they’re

about 140 degrees F.

Do guitar amps have fuses?


The fuse is in the amplifier

to protect the amplifier’s circuit from tube failure and other extreme voltage issues! When the fuse blows, its not the fuse that’s actually bad. Obviously a blown fuse will no longer allow the amp to function… and that’s by design.

Will an amp still turn on with a blown fuse?

If the fuse is present and blown,

the amp can’t turn on because the circuit

providing mains voltage is open. Simply replacing the fuse may or may not solve the problem.

Why is my audio service not responding?

The most common cause of this error is actually your audio drivers.

If your driver is outdated, damaged, or installed improperly, you may run into a number of audio issues

including the “audio services not responding” error. Windows 10 users also noticed that this error occurs after installing a new Windows Update.

How do I turn my speaker on?

To turn on your speakerphone,

first dial a number and press the call button.

You’ll then see an option for “Speaker” or an image of a speaker. Simply press this button to turn on speakerphone.

What is a valve amp for guitar?

Guitar Valve Amplifiers. A

true anolog sound

. Sometimes known as tube amps, guitar valve amps use valves in any or all the stages of amplification. Their output is so authentic – some musicians don’t consider anything else.

Why is my receiver not working?

Try

different cables

to verify this is not a bad set of cables. Try setting the Audio/Video (A/V) receiver to a different Surround Sound mode. … Check each speaker to make sure they are properly connected to the A/V receiver. Perform a Test Tone function to verify if the speakers are working correctly.

Why are my external speakers not working?


Check if the external speaker is set to the default output

. Ensure the external speaker has power and the cables are connected properly. Connect external speaker/headphone to another device and check for sound. Test your computer’s hardware.

Why does my amp fade in and out?

Generally, tube amp fade out, is

caused by bad power tubes

, but since you changed them, I suspect a bad plate or cathode capacitor. When it gets hot, it physically changes shape and goes bad. They are generally in close proximity to the tubes. It may also be a bad or weak socket.

Charlene Dyck
Author
Charlene Dyck
Charlene is a software developer and technology expert with a degree in computer science. She has worked for major tech companies and has a keen understanding of how computers and electronics work. Sarah is also an advocate for digital privacy and security.