- What causes a guitar amp to cut in and out?
- Do solid state amps go bad?
- Can a solid state amp break up?
- Why is my amp shorting out?
What causes a guitar amp to cut in and out?
It is either your power cord has gone bad, or the jack for that power cord gone bad. Or both. Either way, try to change your power chord and see if there's a significant difference. Or try this: wiggle your power chord when your amp is turned on, with guitar plugged in.
Do solid state amps go bad?
A solid-state amp usually lasts more than 30 years even if you play it every day. Tube amps have a similar lifespan, but they require additional work like re-tubing every 2 years.
Can a solid state amp break up?
Of course you can drive a solid state amp to the point of breakup. The complaint in the late '60's was that it didn't sound as nice as a tube breakup. Then an engineer from Carvin came up with a circuit that sounded extremely tube-like. He didn't patent it, so it was available to everyone.
Why is my amp shorting out?
There are several different reasons that an amplifier will get hot and shut down. Four of the most common are: Blown/grounded speaker(s), poor power and/or ground connections, too low an impedance (load), or Gain/Punch Bass control settings too high.