A word of caution about tube amps

[DonP]

When I go into a GC (Nashville for example), it surprises the hell out of me of how many tube amplifiers are sitting there without a speaker cable attached to the cab.

How much would it cost to save these amps by making sure each and every tube amp has a proper load connected to it?

How many first time guitar shoppers might go into a GC, turn on a tube amp (maybe without using the standby, but tubes are replacable), crank it up to full volume and wondering why no sound is coming out.

Meanwhile, the output tranny might have blown or been damaged.


Be careful buying tube amps. I guess this could advise could go for any used amp, not just at GC. Just like a used car without proof of oil changes, there might be unforseen damage.

[charvel750]

Yeah, well the only time I bought an amp new was years ago and I assumed it was brand new never used in the store. It was factory boxed and sealed. But the "demo" amps could be problematic. In my day, when I went to the local music store, if you weren't EVH you didn't get any attention, let alone a chance to test out an amp. Today, most stores don't care who you are and let you muck around with anything putting your KFC grease all over a Gibson Black Beauty while you fumble your way through Stairway to Heaven at unbelievably high volume. It's like cats mating. Yuck.

[nor]

Never buy a 'floor model'. Unless you wanna buy it again.

[Vlover]

I always make it a point to see it plugged in before I turn it on.

And I like the fact that you can go into a GC and mess with anything. Its just lazy employees not checking their floor models every ow and then.

[Robert Burns]

Everything in EVERY GC is used... i make them order it... then i pick
it up in the factory box... If not..its been handled by 100 knuckleheads!

[DonP]

Yeah, the thing I can't understand is why don't they spend a few bucks to make sure every tube amp has a speaker cable. Better safe than sorry.

[horns666]

ummm..I've bought shitloads of used tube amps for years. As long as their functioning properly..what's the prob?

I never had this prob at our GC. I'm just looking for a guitar cord to grab. Maybe the guys up there have their shit halfway together. Never came across this prob to be honest.

Ironically, when I bought a NEW Recto..I turned it on with no poweramp tubes in it. Now that's fuggin' dumb IMO. They had to put tubes in another new one at the store...that's how that recieve those amps. I don't know if Mesa stills does that. But I never seen that at GC either.

[DonP]

Ironically, when I bought a NEW Recto..I turned it on with no poweramp tubes in it. Now that's fuggin' dumb IMO. They had to put tubes in another new one at the store...that's how that recieve those amps. I don't know if Mesa stills does that. But I never seen that at GC either.

I think Laney's back in the AOR days (1985-89?) came shipped with the power tubes in a separate package to prevent damage in shipping. I don't know iif they still do.

[shredmonster]

I think you are always suppose to have a speaker load on a tube amp even with the standby on.

What about the guitar input - someone told me always have a guitar plugged into a tube amp if the amp is powered up also.

[broken_fusion]

I had a store owner tell me that GC is owned by Musicians Friend. I wonder if all those returns to MF end up at GC ? MF used to have a very liberal return policy,they still might have it,but i used to order gear play with it for a few days and return it for something else and just continue until i found something i wanted to keep. All that used gear has to go somewhere?:think:
About tube amps. I bought a Marshall head in about 87 ( i was 15 and didnt know anything) and had no speaker cab yet. I ran it through a boom box. It sounded killer... For a few hours. I found my first tube amp tech real quick.

[axeman81]

I think you are always suppose to have a speaker load on a tube amp even with the standby on.

What about the guitar input - someone told me always have a guitar plugged into a tube amp if the amp is powered up also.

This was recently discussed on the Diezel forum, turns out that if your amp is in standby you will not damage the output transformator. It has even been stated (but I don't wanna try it for myself) that you could switch it on, as long as you don't hit any notes or "make it amplify" anything then it would be fine.
But I guess it is good practice to ALWAYS check for attached load before powering up, or else you probably will forget it sooner or later...I treat my amp like a king's newborn baby don't wanna change 6 expensive feckin' EL34 power tubes or anything else

[emperor_black]

I think you are always suppose to have a speaker load on a tube amp even with the standby on.

What about the guitar input - someone told me always have a guitar plugged into a tube amp if the amp is powered up also.

axeman1 is right. In fact, there was a thread on this forum where someone was playing a tube amp in standby, connecting a ADA microcab (or some other device) to the "send" and enjoying all the preamp's glory. with no cab attached. Many even said it was perfectly fine to do so. The cab/load is needed only for the power section is my take on it. But why risk it?

The guitar input is totally fine. Nothing need be connected to the amp. But I dont see the point of doing so unless you have a external pre-amp unit connected to the return?

Usually, tube amps take some time to "blow". If and when it does blow, you can smell and see the smoke very well. I saw my band-mate's carvin "blow-up" right in front of my eyes. And in his case too, the transformer was fine. Just a few resistors in the input section went ka-put. That's the thing with used gear right? You never know where its been. Tube amps are ready to withstand a LOT of abuse. And if a used tube amp is playing fine without any problems, its usually ok. My carvin power amp, when I got it used the first time, used to give out a LOUD bassy "burhhhh" sound through the speakers. It used to happen only at bedroom volumes. The seller said everything was fine. But I've been using it for more than a year now playing at ear-shattering levels and the problem has gone away on its own. Its my 4th "used" tube amp that i've owned.

[Rich#6]

I had a store owner tell me that GC is owned by Musicians Friend.

actually it's the other way around, GC owns MF and music123.

[Newc]

What about the guitar input - someone told me always have a guitar plugged into a tube amp if the amp is powered up also.

That's more for reducing the popping and such when you plug in, if the amp doesn't have a standby/mute switch.

I've often heard that if you plug into or unplug from an amp (tube or SS) without flipping the Standby/Mute that the speakers could blow from the pop, which is usually bass-heavy (more than a guitar cab would normally take), as well as it being a "sudden shock" to the amp itself.

Personally, I think it's because the sound of someone fumbling with the jack is annoying as hell

Nothing should come out of your amp except musical notes, unless you're doing something for effect as part of a song.

[emperor_black]

I've often heard that if you plug into or unplug from an amp (tube or SS) without flipping the Standby/Mute that the speakers could blow from the pop, which is usually bass-heavy (more than a guitar cab would normally take), as well as it being a "sudden shock" to the amp itself.

Naw! My band-mate who also has a carvin ts100 connected to two cabs always unplugs his guitar first, we all hear the loud pop and he then shuts off the amp without going to standby first. When beginning to play, he also turns on the amp and it sound slowly starts to appear. Meaning, he does not allow the power tubes to warm-up first. His amp has been fine all these years.