So my 3 1/2 month old practice amp started to make crackling and popping noise last week. I tested the tubes, the power tube read fine, the preamp tube wouldn't read. Replaced the preamp, no improvement. One of the other noises was a squeel that would appear after a note was played and started to decay, sounded like a cross of a harmonic, and fingers through a chalkboard. Even though it read fine, I grabbed a 6v6 power tube from a friend, a really cheap china made thing, don't even know thwe maker, and now the amp works fine, although I will getting a more quality tube. So anyone with a champ xd that starts crackling and buzzing, which I've read some threads that lead me to believe this is a pretty common problem 3 to 4 months into ownership, replace the power tube, even if it seems okay.

Cool, yeah Ive heard about this issue before.. I'm glad your amp is ok now!

What brand of tube did you pull out of it.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson