Has anyone else had any problems with their Artisan 30?

[zac_harris]

I was just wondering if it is normal to have a background crackling noise coming from the amp even when nothing is plugged in and all the volume and gain knobs are turned down?

I'm guessing it isn't?

Does anybody know what this could be? And has anyone else experienced the same problem?

It has been back to the store numerous times for different problems and supposedly off to Blackstar once but every time it has come back there has been another fault.

I would really appreciate some advice or help as to what the problem could be?

As far as I'm aware it has been re-valved 3 times, or so the shop says...

Thanks very much

Zac

[lucknow1856]

I'm not very techie so won't be much help on that score (sorry) but if it helps this doesn't happen on mine. With all levels at zero you should hear nothing. I certainly wouldn't accept that problem - if the amp has been sold to you like that and it's been like that with normal use from day one then it's not 'fit for purpose' and they've sold you an item that simply doesn't work ('re-valving' or no 're-valving') - pretty clear cut, I would have thought, from a consumer rights point of view.

Out of interest, what other faults has it had? These are not old amps and it's worrying to hear yours has had a few problems.

[guitar-dog]

I had a similar experiance, but it wasn't with my artisan, it was my peavey classic 30 and what it came down to was not the tubes but the output tube sockets them selves becoming loose from either a bad solder or vibration and maybe even overheating from the combo loosening them. what he did was while the amp was on he jently nudged the tubes and sure enough they started making the same crackling noise, so what he did was resolderd them and everything else in the amp which fixed the prob.

but the amp tech didn't catch it the first time so that may be the same prob as yours

hope that helps

[zac_harris]

Thanks for the advice and tips, the amp has actually completely stopped working now, there is no sound what so ever coming out of it. I think my amp must just be a dodgy one of the batch, I rarely hear of problems with these amps.

@lucknow1856

The first fault was that the amp used to keep getting really quiet and disintegrated tone wise like twice every hour or something, the problem was intermittent so obviously hard to find out what it was, this is when it 'supposedly went back to Blackstar' so the shop said, it came back and I tested it, the amp was now hissing and squealing violently and making the odd loud pop, then after a few minutes of playing plus listening without anything plugged in the amp cut out. It then went to the shops usual repair man after they had checked that was ok with Blackstar, when we recieved it I plugged in and played and again there are nasty noises coming from the amp, then it went back one last time and actually seemed to work for a while but then after a little while it started crackling and now today the amp completely stopped working.

Think I must just be unfortunate and have a bad amp.

[zac_harris]

just dealt with Blackstar Directly and they are replacing the amp for me very happy

[lucknow1856]

Glad to hear they're replacing it, though you did seem to have a cast-iron case after all those probs.

[Toon]

I have had 2 Artisan 30's in the last couple of years (a Combo at first and now the Head) and they both suffered from the same problem about 6 months in............ a blown GZ34 recifier valve. It had the same symptoms as yours. I was not impressed but Blackstar were brilliant and replaced them - most recently with a different manufacturer's valve.

Apparantly they used EH valves in the early days but, due to unreliability, they have changed suppliers to TAD (Tube Amp Doctor) - a German supplier. I now have these fitted and so far so good.

Good luck

[Keith Johns]

Hi Zac, I've got a Series One 100 head and I think I had the very similar problem, It turned out to be one bad solder joint. The shop was a pain in the ass, no help what so ever, Blackstar were great really, went back to them and they thought they had sorted it, unfortunately on the way back to me the courier dropped it and one of the transformers moved on its mountings and after it was sorted and came back to me it was doing the same thing, I gave up on the head after that and only played it about three times. After about six months the head would get really noisy and would not switch on from standby so it had to back. Richard Frost from Blackstar sorted it out and its never missed a beat since. It did take a year to sort out.

[BrianD]

Yes, I have had problems with my Artisan 30. I bought it brand new in September 2008 and sincen then it has been replaced twice and had the rectifier valve replaced 5 times. Each time the faulot has been exactly the same. I switch the power on for the prerequisite 30 seconds or more to warm up. Then when I turn the StandBy to ON it instantaneously blows a fuse and everyhing goes off! Replacing the fuse doesn't work until a new valve has been fitted.

I bought an Artisan 15 earlier this year, as a back-up. This too has just had to be re-valved regardless of the fact it has hardly been used.

[LibertyA]

No, but I have had my Artisan 100 in the shop twice in the last 4 mouths. This is the best amp the I have every had. I guess that is why I have been putting up with it for now. I must say that the US rep, and Blackstar have been stand-up about getting it fixed. To be honest, I have never had an amp in the shop more then once. I have been in the studio or on tour most of my life.