I got my first tube amp (fender hot rod deluxe) about a year ago, and I think I finally blew a tube. However, being new to tube amps, I'm not sure that this is the case. I can't see any physical damage to any of the 5 tubes, and they all light up.

I've got severe volume loss, and right before it started acting up, it popped when i turned the standby on and off. Also, my Soulbender is popping when I turn it on now and my Small Stone kills my signal. But that might be unrelated. Basically, my amp sounds like it usually does about a second after I turn the amp off and keep playing. Very distorted.

One more thing...I just got a Weber speaker about a month ago...could it be the speaker?

Thanks for the help.

I suspect a pre-amp tube is gone bad.

My suggestion: get a 'know good' pre-amp tube (the small ones, coded 12AX7 or ECC83) and swap it with the first pre-amp tube. If nothing changes, then replace the 2nd, 3rd.

If this doesn't cure the problem, it can be the powertubes or something else. In other words: bring it to a tech.

Good luck!

9 out of 10 times, a problem with a fairly new tube amp is going to end up being a tube. I agree with John Stax and suggest replacing the preamp tubes one at a time to see if you can isolate the offending bottle. Power tubes work in matched pairs so if you have to check those, replace both.

I'm getting an intermittent noise in my '71 Bandmaster Reverb right now that I have to troubleshoot in the same manner. It makes a screeching sort of noise when I take it off standby. If I quickly click the standby switch on and off, it stops and it sounds fine while playing. But I suspect a preamp tube is the likely culprit. If it turns out to not be a tube, to the tech it goes.