Gain knob produced crackling sound

This is usually caused by oxidation in the potentiometer (fancy name for your volume control, also called a pot). The solution is to buy a small spray can of tuner cleaner, then unplug the amp and partially extract the electronics chassis from the case -- usually by removing screws in the top (but NOT usually the top handle screws), then gently sliding the chassis forward until you can easily see and reach behind your gain knob. You should see a squashed metal cylinder attached thru the faceplate to that knob -- that's the pot. It will probably have 3 wires attached -- don't worry: these never have voltages high enough to feel even when the amp is on. Either near where these wires are attached or elsewhere on that cylinder there should be one or more small holes. Using the small plastic tube that came with that spray can of tuner cleaner, spray a small amount of cleaner into the pot, then turn the gain knob from maximum to minimum and back several times. I usually do this by plugging the amp into a receptacle and moving the knob this way BEFORE using the spray, listening for the noises, then I spray it, manipulate the knob as described and hear the noise disappear. Unless you're confident about doing that, DON'T! Instead, slide the chassis back into the case and plug the amp in, then see if the noise is gone. If so, put in all the screws and you're done. If there's a noticeable improvement, but still some noise, move the knob bank and forth a few more times to see if that fixes it; if not, unplug the amp, slide the chassis out again and repeat the spraying procedure one time, then reassemble the amp and plug it in. If your problem is still not gone, you'll have to replace the pot. If you know how to solder WELL, you can order another volume pot thru a Marshall dealer or online, OR you can remove the pot and take it to a local electronics store where they can probably find an equivalent potentiometer at a lower price than the genuine Marshall part -- be sure to ask for one with "an audio taper" (a geometric chance in resistance that corresponds to how audio amplifiers control sound). Good luck, and please post your results on this website.

Hey madozz
There is an easy solution for this you can do yourself. You will need a philips screw driver to remove the chassis out of the amplifiers cabinet. Go to radio spares and buy some Caig's Deoxit contact cleaner spray, then use it to flood the inside of the gain control using the plastic extension nozzle that comes with it via the slot where the terminals exit the pot. rotatae the pot a few times to distribute, and the crackles will be gone. If you cannot get Deoxit, CRC2-26 is another favourite of mine to solve this problem and can be got at most electrical wholesalers/hardware stores.
I am happy to answer any questions that you may have. Good luck and thanks for using FixYa.
regards robotek

what happen to the output waveform when you turn the gain knob?
tittle from optical fiber losses.

Sounds like you have a dirty gain pot. Unplug you amp from power, remove the knob and get some tuner control / contact cleaner at Radio Shack or another electronics supply store.They usually come with a red tube you can stick on the spray nozzle so you can get into tight spots, your gonna need it.

Once the knob is removed, spray a couple of shots of cleaner into where the shaft meets the base if the gain pot and then turn the shaft from min to max numerous times to work in the cleaning solution. This cleaner will self dissolve so you dont have to worry about cleaning up the excess.

After about five minutes or so, replace the knob plug in and power up your amp and try it out if its still crackly and scratchy repeat the steps.