Tube Amp myths...

[beaubrummels]

If it's on standby and/or the gain is 0, you might get away without having a speaker load plugged in, but it's not an advisable practice.

[donaldr]

I have a Peavey Classic 60/60 tube power amp and technical support told me I don't need a speaker connected to the output if I have nothing connected to the input.

[LLL]

Tube Amp Myth #1:

"I own/I've played a tube amp, therefore I know everything about tube amps. Go ahead and ask me online."

[Metalman_666]

#1 is silly. But I would also not plug/unplug without the amp in standby, don't like the loud pops

On #2 it's surprising how stable some electrical things can be over time when they're not disturbed. I would imagine issues come from living things going in there that shouldn't, causing nightmares

THANK YOU SO MUCH, cryptkeeper

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[ehdwuld]

There is little real need to warm the vast majority of tube amps, and no reason at all to use the standby switch. :P

Is that a myth or are fixin to have us a disagreement

[Demanic]

This feels a little Ali G, doesn’t it?

Well for number 1, as others have said it’s a misunderstanding of needing to have a load connected when powered on.

For number two, as caps and tubes age, the chances of them “popping” is statistically more likely when it’s powered up than when it’s not, right? It’s not surprising that the inrush of current may cause failure, but what are you going to do? Unless the working theory is that amplifiers that are used daily are less likely to fail catastrophically? Eventually tubes and caps and other things will fail. On that note, it’s good to be aware when things are going downhill. You might be able to shut it down before damage to other components like the output transformer occurs.

Shut down anytime you smell something electrical burning.
Immediately.
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[NegativeEase]

You can plug a tube amp with no input on it with no problem.... ever.

Without an output though? (speaker) eventually if not quickly big big problems....

[St_Genesius]

The tech barfed. It was that bad.

That is literally my nightmare.

[Mincer]

How about hundreds of German cockroaches?

I've seen it.

I'VE SMELT IT.


An amp came into the shop I worked at, with complaints of intermittent dropouts. The tech unscrewed the back panel AND THEY JUST CAME POURING OUT.

That is literally my nightmare.

[PFDarkside]

This feels a little Ali G, doesn’t it?

Well for number 1, as others have said it’s a misunderstanding of needing to have a load connected when powered on.

For number two, as caps and tubes age, the chances of them “popping” is statistically more likely when it’s powered up than when it’s not, right? It’s not surprising that the inrush of current may cause failure, but what are you going to do? Unless the working theory is that amplifiers that are used daily are less likely to fail catastrophically? Eventually tubes and caps and other things will fail. On that note, it’s good to be aware when things are going downhill. You might be able to shut it down before damage to other components like the output transformer occurs.

[ArtieToo]

What they all said.

Almost ALL guitar amps short the input when nothing is plugged in. It's electrically identical to a guitar plugged in with the volume pot on zero.

Myth two reminds me of the car battery myth, that if you store a car battery on a cement floor, it will drain it. Not true. Your cement floor is probably your garage or basement. Both, where moisture might be. It's the moisture across the terminals, not the cement floor, that drains it.

[Demanic]

How about hundreds of German cockroaches?

I've seen it.

I'VE SMELT IT.


An amp came into the shop I worked at, with complaints of intermittent dropouts. The tech unscrewed the back panel AND THEY JUST CAME POURING OUT.

That sucks.

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[GuitarStv]

There is little real need to warm the vast majority of tube amps, and no reason at all to use the standby switch. :P

[St_Genesius]

How about hundreds of German cockroaches?

I've seen it.

I'VE SMELT IT.


An amp came into the shop I worked at, with complaints of intermittent dropouts. The tech unscrewed the back panel AND THEY JUST CAME POURING OUT.

[jeremy]

if you have rats in your amp, that will be an issue