Amp advice

[derek]

I am fairly ignorant when it comes to amps, so I need some assistance. I have a Hartke Kickback bass amp (SS) I use to teach with, and last night it began to distort. Even at low volumes, it sounded like I had a fuzz pedal on. Any suggestions? I tried knob adjustments, cord replacement, etc., no change. Any help would be appreciated.

[SamBooka]

Does it have a headphone jack? If so, is if farty through the headphones?

Does it have an ext speaker out that you can test with another speaker?

[Dad3353]

Originally Posted by derek

...it sounded like I had a fuzz pedal on...

Good evening, Dirk...
Sam's on the right track; the few symptoms given suggest the speaker coil rubbing. It's fairly frequent, depending on the initial quality of the speaker and the volume being played at for a long time (or just bad luck, of course...).
The tests from Sam should pinpoint the problem. If headphones (which temporarily replace the speaker...) sound ok (no rasping...), then it's pretty clear.
What to do if it's the case? Replace the speaker with...
1- A new one from the maker (Hartke...)
2- An equivalent from another maker (loads of choices...)
3- 'Recone' the present one (perhaps not worthwhile for that amp, unless you're sentimental...)
4- Use an external cabinet
5- Play with headphones .

If, however, the distortion is still evident through the 'cans', a visit to a tech. would be in order. Too many potential sources, and fiddling about in an amp without precautions is not recommended for the inexperienced (and we need you in good health to rid us of 'spammers' ...).
Please keep us up to date on progress...
Hope this helps...