Static noise from Champ 600, please help

[flapjack]

I have been getting this strange, static-like noise from this amp mostly when I am playing. It seems to cut in a little after I hit a note or a chord. When I just hold the guitar and the strings I do not hear it. It is especially noticeable/more prominent when playing in the lower frequencies (E and A strings). I have switched the preamp and power tubes and the tubes that are in it make no such noise in another amp. I have used the same guitar and chord through another amp and it is not making the noise that the Champ 600 is. I have tried turning electrical appliances off and have tried playing the amp in different parts of my house, but the static-like noise persisted. I have been playing this amp for a while without this problem until just recently. Any advice/suggestions to get rid of this noise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Flat357]

Have you checked the speaker connection ?

[flapjack]

The speaker connection looks fine to me. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

[markw51]

Since you seem to have eliminated tubes as the issue, it could be a lot of other things - bad solder joint, noisey resistor or capacitor and so forth.

You might try to wiggle the tubes in their sockets with the amp on and see if that makes it worse but keep in mind the tubes are hot. Could be a bad tube socket.

[jrfrond]

I've modified and serviced (out-of-warranty) many of these amps and have not seen that specific problem. It could be any number of things really. However, if the amp is under a year old and you have the original receipt, a Fender service center can have it exchanged for you. That is the Fender warranty service policy on these amps.

[flapjack]

Thanks for all of the responses. I actually thought there was a 5 year warranty on this amp (except for tubes). I guess if the tube wiggle doesn't work I will have to make a choice - have it serviced or give up on it.

[rockinrob]

My experience with fenders is that alot of them have bad solder joints. My own amps, and several friends have had to have service and it turned out they had bad solder joints.

[jrfrond]

Yep, just looked it up. That amp does get covered by the 5-year warranty.

Don't bother trying to service it yourself or by someone else. Get it replaced.

[flapjack]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. If I do decide to bring the amp back for replacement, it would be the second replacement (3rd Champ 600 in just over a year). Hmmm...

[scottb1966]

I had the exact same problem. It would always start when I played the lower notes. I had modified the amp by the article in 300 guitars. I reheated all of the solder joints of the things I replaced and it seems to have fixed it.