Tube Rattle In My Combo Amp

[guymandude]

Just wondering if anybody has any suggestions for stopping tube rattle in my BadCat Mini II. I found these tuberings.com but they seem a little expensive for some tube rings. I've heard of people using teflon rings but searches bring up nothing for me. Thanks in advance.

[azatplayer]

That tube is right in front of the speaker on that amp, not the best spot for it.

I think its gonna be a tube killer. I have a buddy that had this amp for a while, seemed ok for rattle, perhaps try some different brands. Ive used dampers, little effect on a tube in that environment, really those things are designed for audiofools.

Good luck tho!

[Steve Haynie]

Since there have not been a lot of replies I would like offer what I learned from going through two years worth of posts at the Fender Discussion Page when looking for the solution to a similar problem with my Fender Pro Jr. combo.

Your Bad Cat Mini II ought to be built better than the Fender, but it was suggested that the chassis on the Pro Jr. was a potential culprit. Thinner steel was blamed. Some posters said to tighten every screw and even put silicon caulk in places to dampen vibration.

Several members of that forum reported that changing the brand of tubes helped make mystery tube rattles go away. Some like JJ's and others swore by Ruby Tubes. It seems like one person raved about ehx tubes. It does make sense that some tubes are going to be built to handle vibration better than others.

O rings meant for the heat of an engine can be bought cheaper than the tube rings. Find the diameter you need and find out what thicknesses are available at a local auto parts store. Most O rings are thin, so you will have to make a point that you need thick ones. You could even try gobbing on some high heat silicon as a test to see if there is going to be any effect on the tube rattle.

azatplayer is on the right track about tube placement in such a small amp.