Update (is this the right thread to hijack, or should I be in the last thread I hijacked, or should I start a new thread...?):
I stumbled on an ancient thread last night where a guy talked about the current draw from the LEDs screwing up the switching, and how he disconnected the LEDs and all the switching problems cleared up. That seemed too weird to be true - how much current could LEDs be drawing, and how would a constant draw ever present a problem?
Well, I tried it, and the amp is no longer cutting out at random. I ran it for nearly an hour just now, and it seems fine (in this regard.)
So... I know I said I hated the blue lights in the first place
but should I be concerned that disconnecting them is a
requirement in order for the amp to actually function? Does this signify some broader issue that's going to bite me down the road. (Resale value is already a huge question mark.)
There's also a completely different category of issues relating to noise. Most if not all of these seem to center around the reverb, and perhaps the reverb potentiometer in particular. Sometimes, turning that knob will cause little squealing sounds, and increase/decrease hum unpredictably. There's also that weird, whistling noise I described, which it now seems only happens when reverb is engaged. All of this is maybe partly guitar-dependent, too, which implies a grounding issue(?) Everything (every mode, every wattage) but ch. 2 reverb is usable with my Jem Jr., noise gets a little more unpredictable across the board with my SG.
I'm also puzzled by the fact that the amp doesn't seem appreciably louder in higher wattage settings, but maybe my expectations are out of wack?
So I've clearly got more testing to do, and a little more research to determine what that dumb LED bug is all about.
Talk about unnecessary features.
