Guitar Amp Hissing Noise: What You Must Know

Let’s imagine a day you sing songs by playing the guitar and chilling out with your friends. But after a while, when you connect your guitar with the amp, a hissing noise comes out from it that makes you feel sad. 

Why does guitar amp hissing noise occur? Most of the time, the guitar amp makes a hissing noise because of a faulty connection. Besides, if you connect more devices to the guitar, then it can make loud sounds. Furthermore, if the jack is dirty, a link is inaccurate, and the use of neon lights causes hissing noise.

However, don’t worry! We will provide you with the best solutions for how you can get rid of the guitar amp hissing noise. 

Keep reading the blog to the end. 

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How to Get Rid of Hiss Noise on a Guitar Amp?

The Amplifier of the guitar is such a thing that helps to make the electric signal stronger. The primary purpose of the amp is to create compelling sounds. But, sometimes, you may hear the hissing sound out of it. 

If the noise is minor, there is no need to worry. But if the noise is much louder, you have to fix it.

So, to have a lovely or better sound from a guitar amp, you should follow some instructions.

1. Try to avoid using daisy cables that cause louder hissing noise.
2. Must use high-quality cables.
3. Always try to plug your gear in the same power strip. Avoid plugging equipment randomly.
4. Noiseless single coils are necessary.
5. Avoid lengthy cable. Try to use shorter lines.
6. A buffer pedal is needed to keep your signal interacting.
7. You have to find the optimal spot where the sound of your guitar is more suitable to hear. 

Why Does My Guitar Amp Hissing With Nothing Plugged In?

Noise in the signal chain is the most irritating thing for a guitarist. It causes dissimilarity in musical binding. Sometimes, the amp hissing noise can come without plugging anything, giving you more trouble.

When you understand that the sound is coming from your amp, you have to find the source of the sound. 

1. Speaker Checking

Ensure you use a properly shielded speaker cable, not a device cable when joining. A damaged cable can also cause improper current transmission. In addition, the loose connection of the speaker may cause amp hissing noise. Speakers should plug into the correct AC line.  

You should replace the cable and tighten the connection for a better result.

2. Bad Tubes Isolating

A tube amplifies the guitar signal. Furthermore, a tube helps to make the sound smooth, warm, and straightforward. If your guitar amp has a tube-related problem, you must identify the issue using the following technique.

You have to increase and decrease the volume. Suppose you get notified that there is unwanted noise. Then it may be your preamp tubes, or it can be in a  power tube.  If multiple channels exist in your amp, the problem will occur only with the prompt tube.

However, Using bad amps and tubes can damage other components.

3. Ground loops

Ground loops exhibit electrical and magnetic interference as a noise voltage source.  You can create a ground loop when you plug two or more devices into separate outlets.

But, you must connect or plug your devices into the same outlet to solve this problem. The random connection will not give any solution.

4. Bad Capacitors

A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy. It has two conductors that are insulated from each other. If the amp capacitors are wrong, that causes a hissing sound. 

The capacitors may reach the end of their life or show other signs of problems. So, to solve the amp hissing problem, you must change the capacitors.

5. Wrong Amp Position 

Amp should be placed on a flat surface. Make sure there are no metal objects around the amp. Usually, the paint on the guitar acts as an insulator, but after a while, the paint wears off, and it can cause an amp hissing sound.

So, place the guitar amp on a flat surface and repaint it after removing the paint.

Are Guitar Amps Supposed to Hiss?

Yes! Guitar amps are supposed to make a hissing noise.

If an amp makes a hissing sound, it is natural. However, sometimes, the amp makes a more audible and disturbing sound that is annoying.

If the sound is not annoying you, then it is OK. However, because of the elongation of the signal, it makes some hissing sound. No problem will occur if you become habituated to the amp hissing noise. Otherwise, the much louder sound is not acceptable.

What Causes Guitar Amplifier Hiss?

A hissing sound generates from the different frequencies of sound levels. These sounds may be annoying or preferable. 

The most relevant and ordinary things that cause hissing sounds are given below. 

1. Loose connection. 
2. Using Low-quality amplifiers.
3. If the voice coil is melting, the amp gives a hissing sound.
4. If there is damage to the speaker cone, that causes a hissing sound.
5. The ground loop has to be the wrong way. 
6. Using a transformer.
7. A faulty amplifier also causes hissing noise.

Should My Amp Hiss?

The hissing sound is quite a simple thing for the guitar amp.

It probably comes from your cabling or wiring damage. Besides, it is possible if your guitar is near other electrical devices. 

For example, suppose your guitar cable is 30 meters or longer, then shorten it as much as possible. The hissing sound will occur if you plug your connections randomly into different ports.

How Do I Reduce Hiss Amps?

Reducing the hissing amp is not so hard. It is effortless if you know the way. If you carefully deal with this problem, you can have the easiest and most proper solution.

If you are waiting to reduce the hissing sound, you can have a look below.

1. You can control your guitar’s sound frequency. 
2. The Electric signal level has to increase more than the noise level.
3. You cannot use faulty capacitors. 

How Do I Reduce Hiss Tube Amp?

Tube amps produce typical sounds, but there are several reasons why amps make a higher sound. The most crucial part is understanding how much is too much sound.

Most tube amplifiers are made of analog components, and each element contributes differently to the analog background noise or amplifier noise. If the amplifier usually works, the volume decreases as soon as you start playing.

However, it can happen when the power tubes are blocked or broken. When this happens, the dead tubes can’t prevent the hissing sound. A lousy tube can make noise, but it’s not just noise.

To reduce tube amp hiss noise, you must follow the techniques.

1. Using a power conditioner. This unavoidable tool will try to keep the tube amp noiseless.
2. You can also use a ground loop adapter in your ground loop.
3. Keep your phone and neon lights away from tube amps.
4. Try to understand where the noise is coming from. Then change or repair the cables.

Conclusion

Guitar amp hissing noise is a common fact. It happens for many issues. First, you have to find out the primary source of the noise. Then, it would be best to fix the hissing noise with patience. 

Try to keep your guitar amp dust free. Please turn off the amp properly rather than putting it on standby unnecessarily. 

However, we have tried to give you a guitar amp hissing noise guideline. So you can solve your guitar amp hissing problem. Most probably, this will help you get your desired solution.