Motorboating...

Joe M · October 7th, 2009, 06:07 PM

Unfortunately, I'm not talking about a nice cruise on a lake....

I just noticed, on my 2 month old Fender Tweed Twin RI, a slight motorboating sound when I turn the volume all the way down on the amp. It also makes the sound with nothing plugged in. It's very faint, and it doesn't increase in volume when you turn the volume up on the amp. In fact, when I'm playing, I can't hear it at all. I swapped out the V1, V2, and V3 12ax7's for ay7's since I wanted a little cleaner sound. Honestly, I haven't played the amp much since I swapped out the pre-amp tubes and I didn't really notice the sound before, but I guess it could have been there.

Before I haul the amp back to the dealer and have someone tear into it, is there anything I could check myself? I know it would be easy to swap the tubes back but thought I'd ask here before even doing that, if that could possibly be the problem.

Thanks for any help....

FUNKYDUNKY · October 7th, 2009, 06:22 PM

JohnnyCrash · October 7th, 2009, 06:28 PM

Typical motorboating doesn't sound like what's going on.

1. Do you have a ceiling fan (or other fan in the room)?
2. Try putting the original tubes back in.
3. Are there TVs, PC monitors, radio equipmnent, etc in the room?

I had a celing fan actually causing faint whub-whub sounds and couldn't believe that sort of doppler affect was even possible. I posted here and others told me it really happens. I turned off the fan and the sound was gone!

Joe M · October 7th, 2009, 06:41 PM

No fans, no other equipment, other than a stand alone Fender Reverb unit. I did have my iPhone about 10 feet away from the amp, could that have possibly been the cause?

Guess I'll swap back the tubes later tonight...

patrickhowell · October 7th, 2009, 07:25 PM

Cell phones, wireless routers, fluorescent lights are often the cause of this kind of interference. Try to give it a good amount of space from any other electronics and see if that fixes it.

Joe M · October 8th, 2009, 11:07 AM

Thanks for the suggestions, guys, it was my iPhone. Took it out of the room and the noise went away....who woulda thunk it???

dalandan · October 8th, 2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe M

Thanks for the suggestions, guys, it was my iPhone. Took it out of the room and the noise went away....who woulda thunk it???

iMotorboat sounds from your Apple Fender iTwin.

Martin R · October 8th, 2009, 01:36 PM

We saw Jim Lauderdale and other writers in a small hotel meeting room during the Americana Conference. There was some sort of whacked, "throbbing" sound thru the PA, and they all said "iPhone" simultaneously.

Just one more thing to mess up a show...

Martin
E. Christina Herr & Wild Frontier

guitarzan13 · October 8th, 2009, 01:46 PM

Sorry....I was thinking of a different "motorboating"

getbent · October 8th, 2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin R

We saw Jim Lauderdale and other writers in a small hotel meeting room during the Americana Conference. There was some sort of whacked, "throbbing" sound thru the PA, and they all said "iPhone" simultaneously.

Just one more thing to mess up a show...

Martin
E. Christina Herr & Wild Frontier

I have to remind our drummer "airplane mode"

I'm thinking of writing a song about it.

JosephB · October 8th, 2009, 02:27 PM

there's an app for that.

October 7th, 2009, 06:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
Joe M Moderator Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,858	Motorboating... Unfortunately, I'm not talking about a nice cruise on a lake.... I just noticed, on my 2 month old Fender Tweed Twin RI, a slight motorboating sound when I turn the volume all the way down on the amp. It also makes the sound with nothing plugged in. It's very faint, and it doesn't increase in volume when you turn the volume up on the amp. In fact, when I'm playing, I can't hear it at all. I swapped out the V1, V2, and V3 12ax7's for ay7's since I wanted a little cleaner sound. Honestly, I haven't played the amp much since I swapped out the pre-amp tubes and I didn't really notice the sound before, but I guess it could have been there. Before I haul the amp back to the dealer and have someone tear into it, is there anything I could check myself? I know it would be easy to swap the tubes back but thought I'd ask here before even doing that, if that could possibly be the problem. Thanks for any help....

October 7th, 2009, 06:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
JohnnyCrash Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Fullerton, CA Posts: 8,748	Typical motorboating doesn't sound like what's going on. 1. Do you have a ceiling fan (or other fan in the room)? 2. Try putting the original tubes back in. 3. Are there TVs, PC monitors, radio equipmnent, etc in the room? I had a celing fan actually causing faint whub-whub sounds and couldn't believe that sort of doppler affect was even possible. I posted here and others told me it really happens. I turned off the fan and the sound was gone! __________________ -- I constantly have to remind myself I'm a grownup and it's just the internet.

October 8th, 2009, 01:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
guitarzan13 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: LaGrange, GA Age: 44 Posts: 1,806 8 Photos	Sorry....I was thinking of a different "motorboating" __________________ Practice make permanent!!!!....Perfect practice makes perfect!!! Chris B. www.neonjones.com

October 8th, 2009, 02:27 PM	#11 (permalink)
JosephB Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Atlanta GA Age: 18 Posts: 386	Have a problem with motorboating? there's an app for that. __________________ Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion. -Jack Kerouac

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October 7th, 2009, 06:41 PM	#4 (permalink)
Joe M Moderator Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,858	No fans, no other equipment, other than a stand alone Fender Reverb unit. I did have my iPhone about 10 feet away from the amp, could that have possibly been the cause? Guess I'll swap back the tubes later tonight...

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patrickhowell Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Lynchburg, VA Age: 24 Posts: 253	Cell phones, wireless routers, fluorescent lights are often the cause of this kind of interference. Try to give it a good amount of space from any other electronics and see if that fixes it.

October 8th, 2009, 11:07 AM	#6 (permalink)
Joe M Moderator Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,858	Thanks for the suggestions, guys, it was my iPhone. Took it out of the room and the noise went away....who woulda thunk it???

October 8th, 2009, 01:36 PM	#8 (permalink)
Martin R Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 216	We saw Jim Lauderdale and other writers in a small hotel meeting room during the Americana Conference. There was some sort of whacked, "throbbing" sound thru the PA, and they all said "iPhone" simultaneously. Just one more thing to mess up a show... Martin E. Christina Herr & Wild Frontier

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