Follow up to tube replacement

gasket

gasket

Ambassador of the Guitarded
With TTR member advice and phoning around locally I'm now a little more educated re tube life and qualities.
This leads to a new question.
I often pick my guitar up for 15 or 20 minutes then get distracted for another 15 or 30 min, then I'm back with guitar in hand again. I don't know but assume the heat up cool down cycle has a negative impact on tube life.
The question is, when one is leaving the amp for a time and returning, what length of absence would be considered long enough to turn amp off and warrant a restart a little later?
 
This subject is a can of worms with some people.

Does your amp have a standby switch?

Some people are ok using their standby switch for short stretches.
While they might full shut down if they anticipate 45 minutes or more downtime between playing sessions.
While others may not think that sensible.

I do not have a standby on my most used amp. I shut down when I walk away, always.
If I’m staying in the room, I leave it running.
At rehearsal, I turn it on, and leave it on until we’re done for the night. We usually take one “break” that could be 15 to 45 minutes long...it stays on through that every time.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
This subject is a can of worms with some people.

Does your amp have a standby switch?

Some people are ok using their standby switch for short stretches.
While they might full shut down if they anticipate 45 minutes or more downtime between playing sessions.
While others may not think that sensible.

I do not have a standby on my most used amp. I shut down when I walk away, always.
If I’m staying in the room, I leave it running.
At rehearsal, I turn it on, an leave it on until we’re done for the night. We usually take one “break” that could be 15 to 45 minutes long...it stays on through that every time.
Click to expand...

Standby switch ... No.
Thanks, comments taken on board and will be digested with any others that may follow.
The turn off when walking out of the room sounds like good advice in case I then go to bed and leave it on all night ... yes I did that once :-(
 
gasket said:
Standby switch ... No.
Thanks, comments taken on board and will be digested with any others that may follow.
The turn off when walking out of the room sounds like good advice in case I then go to bed and leave it on all night ... yes I did that once :-(
Click to expand...

I just went down in to the studio(to do some laundry...sadly I have to have laundry facilities somewhere in this house) to find that the other guitarist in my band left his Peavey Classic 50 on all night, and day...again.
Not the first time either. I ask him every time if he’s all shut down too. I don’t know how he misses the vacuum cleaner, fan noise. He’s going to have to not be the last one out of the studio for a while, and I guess I should fix his power indicator light.
 
When a tube amp is designed without a standby switch, it is usually 15w or less. If yours is like this,
than don't worry about powering down for short breaks. More than 15w, kick in the standby.
 
Goldmember said:
When a tube amp is designed without a standby switch, it is usually 15w or less. If yours is like this,
than don't worry about powering down for short breaks. More than 15w, kick in the standby.
Click to expand...

Yes 15w.
No standby switch.
Approximately how long is YOUR short period?
 
Thatbastarddon said:
I just went down in to the studio(to do some laundry...sadly I have to have laundry facilities somewhere in this house) to find that the other guitarist in my band left his Peavey Classic 50 on all night, and day...again.
Not the first time either. I ask him every time if he’s all shut down too. I don’t know how he misses the vacuum cleaner, fan noise. He’s going to have to not be the last one out of the studio for a while, and I guess I should fix his power indicator light.
Click to expand...

YOu could just hide his amp all together till he learns his lesson--- or smack him witha rolled up newspaper...
 
So far in my learning journey, I view the utility of a standby switch in relation to how fast the rectifier (whether tube or diode) heats and puts out B+ voltage compared to the warm up of the other tubes, not as a convenience feature.

For breaks, I either back out the cable from the amp input jack, or now use my A/B/Y as a mute.
 
oh oh ---I know--- burn HIS HOUSE DOWN -----with HIS AMP! that will teach him---

See a bass player would never do that ---- he might steel your amp and your old lady --- but he wouldnt just TURN IT ON and walk away ---that goes for both the amp and the old lady ;)
 
jtcnj said:
So far in my learning journey, I view the utility of a standby switch in relation to how fast the rectifier (whether tube or diode) heats and puts out B+ voltage compared to the warm up of the other tubes, not as a convenience feature.

For breaks, I either back out the cable from the amp input jack, or now use my A/B/Y as a mute.
Click to expand...
Yep, and yep again.
I’m not a “standby for convenience” guy.
I’m a set amp to clean(quiet), and mute with my tuner pedal, kinda guy.
If I go up the stairs for anything other than to acquire, or release, another beverage...I shut it down.
 
eSGEe said:
oh oh ---I know--- burn HIS HOUSE DOWN -----with HIS AMP! that will teach him---

See a bass player would never do that ---- he might steel your amp and your old lady --- but he wouldnt just TURN IT ON and walk away ---that goes for both the amp and the old lady ;)
Click to expand...

He’s just as bad(they’re brothers). I can easily see his indicator light when I go to shut my rig down...so I can easily intervene.
 
IMG_6411.JPG IMG_7037.JPG I have been playing a long time and I have only blown up one amp. It was a piece of junk Vox AC 4 TV and it was either a gift or I was high when I bought it. Out side of that bad dream I have had no real problems. I turn my amp on at about 8:00 pm when I'm working. We do about 30 to 45 minutes of sound checks and moving stuff around. I get a bottle of Coke do a tuneup and start to play. We take a 20 minute break and back to work. I am done about Midnight when the our late shift comes in. I then turn my amp off for the night. The amp is one the whole time, sometimes I might hit the stand by switch and most of the time I don't. I amp is on and all the numbers are near 10 or what ever and a guitar is always plugged in. My point is that is what they are made for! They are made for blasting rock and roll music loud for as long as you need to or want to! I never blew up my 1969 Vox AC 30, my Fender Black Face, my Monoprice 15 watt amp or of late my Hot Rod Deluxe. All those amps are still alive and doing fine. Dude beat it like you own it.
 
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