just bought a palomino V8

gnoj_LL

gnoj_LL

New member
ive been using my hybrid amp (vox ad30vt) for a long time. now, ive step up to my first tube amp. its the palomino v8 i bought at gutar center last week and it was the last stock (us made)

i love it!!!!

anyway, im a tube amp newbie.. so i'm in dear need of advices of all sorts on how to maintain and preserving my v8.

1) like how to preserve the tube? pre amp? power tube?

2) my v8 doesn't have a standby, what's the deal about that. is the standby switch neceasary fo a class A 5W amp? what's the standby switch any way.

3) anyway should i wait a couple of minutes, before playing, after turning it on?

4) should i not turn the thing on then off. meaning once ive turned it on, its better to leave it on for a longer time even if im not using it

5) my v8 has an effects loop (stereo) that also serves as a line out (mono link). i connect an boss RV-2 to the effects loop with a Y-cable. anyway, what are the things i should remember when using the line out or the effects loop.

i usally put the gain and volume to zero, when turning off/on all my amp. i also plug my guitar/efx 1st before turning it on. vice versa, i turn of the amp 1st before unplugging it..... anyway all advices on optimizing a 5W class A tube amp is much appreciated. thanks in advance

(attached is the pdf manual for the v8)
 
Re: just bought a palomino V8

I wouldn't really worry about any of these things. Some people are really anal about it but.. You don't *need* a standby. If you did, your amp would have one. if I'm in a real big hurry I flip the standby on my amp on the same time as the power switch, but usually, I wait a couple minutes. I also use it when the band's on break, but if I didn't have one I'd just leave the amp on and roll the guitar volume back, or unplug it.

I'm not sure if not playing for a couple minutes will benefit your tubes, but it can't hurt 'em, so you might as well, if you're not in a rush.

My advice is try not to leave your amp in the cold damp place all night. Also try not to drop it. Let it cool down before moving it. That kinda stuff :)
 
Re: just bought a palomino V8

cool thanks!

ModestCargo said:
My advice is try not to leave your amp in the cold damp place all night. Also try not to drop it. Let it cool down before moving it. That kinda stuff :)
Click to expand...

anyway, i heard that "not moving the amp while hot" somewhere before. why is this so?

anyway my 5 watter get very hot. let's say, using it for 30 mins would make it really hot, its metal interface get really hot. is this normal, even if its just 5 watts?

oh yah, would it hurt if i play like 5 hrs a day non stop on the v8? btw this is just an exagerated question because i only play around 1-3 hours daily in 2 sessions. so that's like 1 & 1/2 hrs per playing session (bedroom).


hehe sorry for my ignorance.. =p
 
Re: just bought a palomino V8

I would imagine you're not supposed to move them while they're still hot because the metal in the tubes has expanded and softened and they are in a more fragile state.

And no, it's not going to hurt your amp to play that much. But I'm glad to hear you're planning to play that much :D

Remember, at one time everything was tube - home stereo amplifiers, televisions, etc. People weren't scared to leave those running five hours a day!
 
Re: just bought a palomino V8

Don't worry about anything really. Eventually, you might want spares of all the tubes in it, just so you can troubleshoot it quickly by swapping tubes at the first sign of an odd noise.

In general, it's not good to leave a tube amp idling with no signal for extended periods.
So, if you're going to be away from the amp for more than 10-15 minutes, turn it off.
Same thing applies to amps with a standby, only it can be in standby for any amount of time. You just don't want it running unplayed for a long time because heat can build up.
 
Re: just bought a palomino V8

The folks at Crate ought to be strung up for the total lack of information available on that amp. I spent way too much time searching for specs or a schematic and found nothing. That manual you posted sux big time, too.

Are there any tubes in this amp besides the EL84? Because the only way any tube amp should NOT have a standby switch is if it has a tube rectifier. I posted the why's a couple weeks ago.

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=120360
 
Last edited:
Re: just bought a palomino V8

Rich_S said:
Are there any tubes in this amp besides the EL84? Because the only way any tube amp should NOT have a standby switch is if it has a tube rectifier. I posted the why's a couple weeks ago.

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=120360
Click to expand...

i dont know the scematics of a tube rectifier but i think the v8 is simple enough not to need the standby switch. you guys are right. thanks so much!

anyway i think the power tube and the preamps are both made by groove tubes (It has the GT #7 12ax7 and a GT el84).

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/product/Crate/Palomino+8+Combo/100/1

anyway, does the #7 stand for the biasing?
 
Re: just bought a palomino V8

gnoj_LL said:
i dont know the scematics of a tube rectifier but i think the v8 is simple enough not to need the standby switch. you guys are right. thanks so much!

anyway i think the power tube and the preamps are both made by groove tubes (It has the GT #7 12ax7 and a GT el84).

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/product/Crate/Palomino+8+Combo/100/1

anyway, does the #7 stand for the biasing?
Click to expand...

Well, according to the Harmony Central crowd (I can't believe I just said that) it has a 12AX7 and an EL84 - standard tubes for a small single-ended amp. But are those the only 2 tubes in there? If not, what else is in there? Maybe a EZ81? (That's a common, 9-pin rectifier tube.)

Needing a standby switch is not determined by how simple the amp is. It is determined solely by the type rectifier. With solid-state rectifiers, standby is a must-have, if you're going to take care of the tubes. If the rectifer is a tube, then standby is a nice-to-have convenience. It seems that the mass-producer amp companies are disregarding this as they jump on the "small tube amps rock" bandwagon.

Don't get me wrong - I'm pretty much driving the "small tube amps rock" bandwagon these days, and I'm thrilled that there are so many amps available, from boutique down to mass-market amps that sound darn good for the money. I just hope the mass-producers aren't cutting corners, and that's what a SS recto with no standby switch represents. It ends up shortening the life of your tubes, so they can save the cost of one switch.

Assuming this amp has a SS recifier, I wouldn't return it over the lack of a standby switch - just be warned you're not going to get optimal tube life out of it. If, like a lot of other people you decide that these little bargain-priced amps are good candidates for tweaking/modding, then by all measn add a standby switch while you're in there.

Sorry I got started on a rant - I just wish these big manufactreres were a little more responsible.

Welcome to the great fraternity of tube-amp lovers. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. 'cuz like I said...

small tube amps rock.
 
Re: just bought a palomino V8

Because the only way any tube amp should NOT have a standby switch is if it has a tube rectifier.
Click to expand...
Most small amps don't have standby switchs look at the fender pro junior.
 
Re: just bought a palomino V8

no 5 watt tube amp needs a standby switch , thats why the EPI VJ,Crate V8,Peavey JSX mini to name a few dont have them,its a issue of voltage hitting the tubes, if you think that these companies are trimming production costs by leaving out a simple circuit and a $2 switch at the cost of having a self destructive amp(which none of these seem to be) then you have some real conspiracy theroy issues.
 
Last edited:
Re: just bought a palomino V8

Rich_S said:
....
it has a 12AX7 and an EL84 - standard tubes for a small single-ended amp. But are those the only 2 tubes in there? If not, what else is in there? Maybe a EZ81? (That's a common, 9-pin rectifier tube.)

Needing a standby switch is not determined by how simple the amp is. It is determined solely by the type rectifier. With solid-state rectifiers, standby is a must-have, if you're going to take care of the tubes. If the rectifer is a tube, then standby is a nice-to-have convenience. It seems that the mass-producer amp companies are disregarding this as they jump on the "small tube amps rock" bandwagon.

.....

Assuming this amp has a SS recifier, I wouldn't return it over the lack of a standby switch - just be warned you're not going to get optimal tube life out of it. If, like a lot of other people you decide that these little bargain-priced amps are good candidates for tweaking/modding, then by all measn add a standby switch while you're in there.

....
Click to expand...

would this review help.

Awesome Little Amp
First off--and this is important--this is NOT an ALL-TUBE amp! The first two stages of the preamp are Op-Amp (Transistors). After that, it is all-tube, straight to the 12AX7 stages, then the EL84. The "ALL-TUBE" description is misleading... Still, this amp sounds great. Owned it now for 4 months and play on it every day. Great cleans, turn the Gain knob almost all the way down and the level knob all the way up, you can easily get that power-tube crunch. It sounds great, and the 10" speaker is a celestion, which means great quality! I gave the features a low rating simply because this amp does not really have features, and doesn't need to! I'm not really a fan of the line out, wish it had two separate jacks for send/recieve instead of the stereo input/output configuration... For the money, this amp sounds great and is totally worth it!

Reviewed by JN on 5/3/2007 who plays All.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Palomino-V8-5W-Class-A-Tube-Combo-Amp-103046553-i1146109.gc



i used to have electronics class before and only learned about rectifier tubes. never heard of SS rectifiers. but the guy at the review were talking about OP-amp transistors. were you refering about these?
 
Last edited:
Re: just bought a palomino V8

Karmadog777 said:
no 5 watt tube amp needs a standby switch , thats why the EPI VJ,Crate V8,Peavey JSX mini to name a few dont have them,its a issue of voltage hitting the tubes, if you think that these companies are trimming production costs by leaving out a simple circuit and a $2 switch at the cost of having a self destructive amp(which none of these seem to be) then you have some real conspiracy theroy issues.
Click to expand...

I never said they were producing self-destructive amps, I said "it ends up shortening the life of your tubes". I looked at the Pro Jr. schematic - they are indeed wailing on those poor tubes with 319 volts as soon as the power switch is turned on. Hitting cold tubes with high voltage causes cathode stripping, and that shortens tube life. Period.

Historically it was OK for small amps not to have standby switches, because they all had tube rectifiers. Look at the Champ, Princeton, the Marshall 18 Watter - they all had tube rectos, so no problem. Big amps tended to have solid state rectifiers, because big tube rectos were expensive and saggy. So, it was appropriate that big amps (Marshalls, 100-watt Fenders) had standby switches. But do not conclude from this that the size of the amp determines the need for a standby. It is purely a function of the rectifier type. Just because a lot of people cut the same corner doesn't make it right. Heck, my personal amp started out as a Bogen PA - SS rectifier and no standby, but I added a switch when I DIY'ed it into an 18 Watter clone. The output tubes for it are out of production, so I'm going to baby the NOS tubes I have as much as possible.
 
Last edited:
Re: just bought a palomino V8

Karmadog777 said:
no 5 watt tube amp needs a standby switch , thats why the EPI VJ,Crate V8,Peavey JSX mini to name a few dont have them,its a issue of voltage hitting the tubes, if you think that these companies are trimming production costs by leaving out a simple circuit and a $2 switch at the cost of having a self destructive amp(which none of these seem to be) then you have some real conspiracy theroy issues.
Click to expand...

I never said they were producing self-destructive amps, I said "it ends up shortening the life of your tubes". I looked at the Pro Jr. schematic - they are indeed wailing on those poor tubes with 319 volts as soon as the power switch is turned on.

Historically it was OK for small amps not to have standby switches, because they all had tube rectifiers. Look at the Champ, Princeton, the Marshall 18 Watter - they all had tube rectos, so no problem. Big amps tended to have solid state rectifiers, because big tube rectos were expensive and saggy. So, it was appropriate that big amps (Marshalls, 100-watt Fenders) had standby switches. But do not conclude from this that the size of the amp determines the need for a standby. It is purely a function of the rectifier type. Just because a lot of people cut the same corner doesn't make it right. Heck, my personal amp started out as a Bogen PA - SS rectifier and no standby, but I added a switch when I DIY'ed it into an 18 Watter clone. The output tubes for it are out of production, so I'm going to baby the NOS tubes I have as much as possible.
 
Re: just bought a palomino V8

Pro Jr. schematic - they are indeed wailing on those poor tubes with 319 volts as soon as the power switch is turned on.
Click to expand...
Really didn't know that. I can see its not that safe on late 60's VOX's (pre standby but with solid state recifier) as I my dad's AC30 from this period pops when turned off if at high volumes and it doesn't sound that healthy either with a slow warmup when switched on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Artie
Presence control?
Replies
6
Views
307
Artie
Artie
E
NAD - Peavey Classic 50 2x12
2
Replies
20
Views
446
STLMTLHD79
S
misterwhizzy
Cool amp story, bro
Replies
13
Views
593
Binnerscot
Binnerscot
NoOnesFang13
Bad power tube possibly causing strange behavior
Replies
1
Views
219
hamerfan
hamerfan
Ascension
Praise for my first gen PRS Archon after blowing a power tube
Replies
5
Views
320
Ascension
Ascension
Back
Top