How do I fix TUBE RATTLE???

[Canadian Steve]

One of my tubes rattles (6V6).  I've bought dampers but it's still there.  It goes away if I play while holding the tube with a cloth, so I think it's the socket.  I'm not very electrically knowledgable, is it easy/dangerous to replace the socket or tighten the metal bits inside the socket?

[hamfist]

Despite the fact that the rattle goes away when you play whilst the tube is being held, it is still waaaay more likely that the rattle emanates from the tube rather than the socket.

Easy to test though - swap the power tubes over .......if the sympton follows the socket , then it's probably the socket. If the symptom follows the tube then its the tube.

if you have a rattling tube in a combo, then (if a damper doesn't sort it) the only potential use for that tube is in a head (which will suffer from a LOT less vibration).

[Canadian Steve]

Yeah, I've changed the power tube 4 times.  It's only a 5 watt combo with a 1 pre amp, 1 power and 1 rectifier tube.