Members ILikeFish Posted November 11, 2007 Members Share Posted November 11, 2007 Not sure if this is a good place to ask but... I just bought a Peavey Mark IV bass head.It's kinda dusty & it crackles & pops here & there.What is the best method of cleaning an amp, What products should I use?Thanks. P.S.Any one know where I can get a foot switch for it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jimytheassassin Posted November 12, 2007 Members Share Posted November 12, 2007 It cracks and pops how? Only when you turn the knobs? Be sure it has been off for atleast a while before you open it up. DON'T touch anything directly. Capacitors and transformers can hold lethal voltages. DON'T work with it on either. Make sure it's unplugged and be safe. You could get a can of compressed air to blow dust out from inside, and a can of spray lubricant for the volume/tone pots. The lubricant should not be wd-40! =P There's specialized types at radioshack for instance, called Contact Cleaner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ILikeFish Posted November 12, 2007 Author Members Share Posted November 12, 2007 I should have been more descriptive.Yes I get the crackles & pops when I turn the knobs.Sometimes I do this weird distortion sound from it when playing tho.I just figure it's old & dusty/dirty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rockin_dude Posted November 12, 2007 Members Share Posted November 12, 2007 Well i have the same head last time it started making a weird distortion soundsi put output tratsistors in . before it blew ,Still a nice head to use .And cleaning it is simple like jim said .. me i use my air compresser for the blow out part just use the reg on it .not sure what year you have but if it has cooling fans in it use a screw driver to block them from free spinning,or you`ll be buying new ones real soon . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ILikeFish Posted November 12, 2007 Author Members Share Posted November 12, 2007 LoL, No cooling fans here.I'm pretty sure is an older one (early / mid 80's).It's been well used, & dirty.But for $150 i'm happy.Now I just need to find a foot switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jimytheassassin Posted November 12, 2007 Members Share Posted November 12, 2007 Ya, pots get dirty and carbonized in time.. The lubricant/cleaner will fix that. Carefully spray a quick burst into the pot, through it's open backside hole/slot. If your can doesn't come with a "straw", you'll need one. It comes out fast too, so try spraying onto something you don't care about first to get used to it (like into a plastic trash bag). Once you've got a little inside the pot (hopefully it isn't dripping wet =P )..work the knob back and forth gently within it's furthest extent for about 1 minute. Spray a little more, and do it again if necessary. Repeat for each knob. You'll notice the knob will begin to turn more smoothly, and your crackle should have disappeared when you turn the amp on next time. If it still sounds funky, take it to a repair shop and have them meter your resistors/capacitors, and look it over. Maybe you have something out of spec. It shouldnt' cost too much to just have it looked at. But if something needs to be replaced I have no clue what the cost could be. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mickeydean Posted November 12, 2007 Members Share Posted November 12, 2007 do not stand in a bucket of water while working on an amp. that's a mistake i'll never make again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ILikeFish Posted November 12, 2007 Author Members Share Posted November 12, 2007 Humm, I was playing a little bit ago & the volume just started fading in & out.That's not good is it.Their was a static sound that was accompanying it. ETA Well I opened it up.She was pretty dusty but the problem seemed to be a wire that was just dangling from it's plug.I cleaned it up, fixed the "short" & replaced the frayed power cord.Played for about an hour & now all the problems seem to be gone.I hope, I really like this thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jimytheassassin Posted November 13, 2007 Members Share Posted November 13, 2007 awesome dude! cheers. Now, go lay down the brootalz:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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