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Post subject: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off???!!
Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:00 am
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OK, this amp is awesome. Apart from what I consider to be a relatively bad buzzing background noise. I have a little blog where I share some of my artist presets (Metallica, Maiden etc) and I used to share them on fuse.fender.com. (in case you wanna check them out: "http://themtones.blogspot.com" an my fuse name is ThemTones).

OK enough about that and more about this debilitating issue I'm having with my amp.

Here's the best way I can humanly describe it.

It sounds like the tone knob on my guitar is turned down about half or more (taking out all brightness and gain). This means I can't put any crispness or grit AT ALL. Even on clean sounds. I mostly play Maiden and Metalloca and pretty much hair metal so you can imagine my frustration (I literally feel like breaking my guitar atth moment).

The thing is I am about 80% sure it's the same in yhr earphones but I'm not sure how they sound in comparison so I can't tell for sure.

I have:
- Reset the amp presets by holding the Exit button in while turnin on the amp.
- When this has happened before, I installed the original firmware and updated thr amp to no avail.
- Disconnected and reconnected the speaker terminals at the rear of the amp (with it turned off obviously)
- Tried different 1/4 inch guitar cables
- Tried a different guitar
- Turned all the knobs in every direction possible
- Turned the amp well up to make sure te speaker isn't being restricted in any way.
- Tried many many presets, both clean and distorted or with heavy gain.

In summary it sounds like it's lost all tone (like signal isn't being induced properly) and it means I can't even get a good clean sound with Any twang or sparkle. I guess you could say it sounds like I've got the tone knob on my guitar down (which by the way barelu changes the tone now!) and maybe a compressor is draining my tone or something, leaving my tone plasticy, resistricted and just dull and terrible.

It has done this a few times before, just when I tun it on.

Probable causes:
- Could it be damp that has caused this? (I left at a friends house where his window was smashed :/)
- Maybe limited power? Even though I tried it in the wall directly, I usually have my amp plugged into an extension along with some pedals (which I plugged out for troubleshooting).

Have any of you guys had this problem? I NEED help or I will rip my hair out (arghhhg!!). I literally refuse to play my guitar in the amp incase I get angry an throw it out the window.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off??
Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 7:40 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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two quick checks:
-connect your mp3 player to the aux in and see if it's still dull or not, If it is, there'S something wrong with your speaker and/or power amp, but not likelly to happen. If still sounds bad, try some headphones on the phones out.
-try a different, very short, guitar cable and if possible a different guitar


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off??
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:55 am
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I can't say I've ever heard of this sort of thing at all. Just to verify a couple of things:

It sounds like this happens intermittently? If so, how often does it occur? Does turning the amp off and back on ever fix it?

When this occurs does it affect all presets and all models?

Are you plugged directly into the amp from your guitar or are you going through any pedals?

I would definitely agree you need to listen through the headsets to see if it's happening there as well.

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Post subject: Re: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off??
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 5:22 pm
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OK guys. I do not need to clarify these poibts as, if you read my whole post or even search the post for "lead" or "guitar" or "presets" or "pedals", I've already said the pedals are not in the loop and i've tried different cables and guitars, presets, turnig i off and on and even resetting the amp etc.

I have tried the earphone javk amd it sounds the same way - all tone removed and it's left somewhat neutered, soundwise. Although the earphones generally transfer every bit of edge and tone to your ears and it souds brighter than the amp, it still is a bit toneless, enough to convimce me it's not the speakers.

Notable, though, is the fac that I've had this a few times so far having the amp. It is NOY solved by switching thr amp off, not removing and reinserting the power cable into different wall sockets.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off??
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 5:43 pm
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Do you have active pickups in both guitars you tried in the amp? If so, replace batteries and try again. Otherwise.....

SuperCookie47 wrote:
- Could it be damp that has caused this? (I left at a friends house where his window was smashed :/)

well, you know 'damp' and 'electric' generally do not mix well. I would say if you used the amp while it was damp, all bets are off. Bring it to an authorized service center to let them take a look at it.

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Post subject: Re: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off??
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 2:18 pm
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Check that the positive and negative speaker connections are on and solid. Also, check that the input jack is tight and secure.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off??
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 4:48 pm
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As I mentioned, I have removed and refitted the terminals (securely).
I also mentioned trying different. 1/4 inch cables which I obviously fit in properly. I have blew into the jack and checked for anything lodged in the jack which would stop a good connection.

Please before you reply, please read my full post in case it mentions what you're talking about. BTW I'm not an electrician but I'm not stupid amd quite handy with technology usually. The more I play it it sounds as if the full signal is getting into the amp but being squished and muffled severely, reducing the brightness and fullness, also the presence (now I have set some presets to Presence=10, whereas before they would've been around 7.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off??
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 5:39 pm
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I didn't mean to offend.My apologies. I admit that I didn't read the entire thread. I have had similar issues so I thought I would share.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off??
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 5:53 pm
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it was the input jack in my case.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off??
Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 3:03 am
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Professional Musician
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Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:37 am
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Quote:
before you reply, please read my full post in case it mentions what you're talking about

OK, this is the second time you've chided people who've been kind enough to reply with suggestions. Maybe you don't mean anything by it, but - if I can offer a friendly hint - please be aware your tone sounds hostile and is only going to put people off replying further. All the replies so far are just trying to be helpful, there's no need to be critical of them. Also, given that you seem to have already tried everything with no success, trying a few of the common things again that other people have experienced can't do any harm, just to double-check; we all sometimes miss things first time.

It sounds like your best option at this point is probably to take the amp to a Fender service centre: as you seem very confident the amp's input and output are fine, the guitar and cable are fine, and you've done a factory reset so the amp's innards are fine, there's not a lot else to suggest.

I will re-offer one suggestion (cf 'strings' reply above), that you haven't commented on, but I expect you've already tried this too. You don't give details of the guitars you've used. If they have active pickups, try changing the batteries.

Another possibility is: is there any physical damage to the speaker, or its mounting in the cabinet? Has anything got stuck in the cabinet (it is an open-back, so easy for things to get in there) and is interfering with the free movement of the speaker cone?

Finally: is the cabinet hard against a wall; try moving it away from the wall. If it's on the floor (particularly carpet or anything else that might deaden the sound), try raising it up. Also try tilting the cabinet back to 'fire' the sound upwards into the air rather than along the floor, etc, etc.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off??
Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 3:24 am
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Quote:
OK, this is the second time you've chided people who've been kind enough to reply with suggestions.


With all due respect, and not to derail this discussion: When SuperCookie47 very politely (he even says "please" twice) asks people to carefully read his description of the issue before answering, at least I don't consider this to be to chide anyone.
On the contrary. By refering to his description The OP is making sure that people don't waste their precious time in their kind effort to help him out.

To SuperCookie47: Hope you get the amp sorted out.

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Post subject: Re: Mustang III (Version) Suddenly Sounds Like Tone Is Off??
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 9:29 am
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I'm sorry if I came across as ungrateful or disrespectful, as that is certainly not how I intended to be. I simply was stating that if my whole post is read in its entirity, maybe your suggestions might have been tried already and will be of no use to me, not that didn't want to hear your simply inside-the-box ideas.

As concerns the active pickups, I don't have them installed in any of the guitars I tried.

The guitar I use almost exclusively is my Dad's Ibanez Roadster with (I think) DiMarzio-something coil pickups. I also tried my brother's and cousin's guitars, all having passive pickups, shielded and non-shielded. I'm 100% sure it's not the guitar(s) as they've worked perfectly for years (my Dad has had that guitar for 20+ years. Also, I've tried the guitar on different amps and it sounds fine.

P.S. When I say I've tried something, like for example different cables or checking that the cable connection is being obstructed or reduced by anything, I mean I have really tried! I mean I have took it out, tried different cables (many), clean the inside (female) and outside (male, jack end). Checked for dust. Try to slightly scrape the surface of the jack end to increase contact surface area.

I'm starting to fear that leaving my amp in the cold that one night was enough to maybe short circuit a resister or something or another semiconducter inside the DSP. I'm not very electrically literate or experienced at all but I think I can deduce this from what I have tried. Another rather useful troubleshooter I tried was using my Dad's P.A speaker and thr numbness/tonelessness/lack of presence was still very distinguishable. :cry: :x

Thank you all for your replies :D


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