Which of these is better for amp/tube health?

[metropolis_4]

I’ve got shows coming up where I’ll be sound checking, then I won’t play for a couple hours, then I’ll play a set, then I’ll be off for another hour and then play one more set. I’ll be doing this about 6 times a week for a couple months.

Which is best for the health/longevity of my amp and tubes:

1. Turn the amp off during the long breaks

2. Leave the amp on and put it in standby during the long breaks

 

[Dave Lewis]

I would turn off for long breaks if your using a VOX AC30

 

[Chocol8]

I would definitely turn off.

 

[Humbug]

Yeah, turn it off.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I would turn off too. If possible you could just flip on 5 min. before starting each set.

 

[keef]

Turn it off between sets.

 

[dignlivn]

Off.

 

[metropolis_4]

Good to know, thanks!

I thought that would be the case, but I started remembering something I once heard about lightbulbs and the thing that is hardest on them is turning them off and back on again and I wondered if it was similar with tubes

 

[dignlivn]

It is.
Stand by for short breaks.
Imo

 

[spawnofthesith]

Current band has only done multiple sets once or twice… that said, I do typically leave amp on standby between soundcheck and set even if that’s a 1-2hr gap. Definitely have heard some conflicting info on this practice over the years

 

[GuitarBilly74]

Do what makes you feel more comfortable but honestly, it doesn't make that much of a difference.
I was recording for 12 hours straight on Friday with my amp on the whole time, no issues. There was a time I left for the weekend and when I came back, I realized I have left my amp on for 2 days. No issues.
Back in the day, radio and TV stations had tube amps that were on 24/7. Tube amps are not as fragile as people seem to believe these days. So stand by, turn it off, leave it on... it doesn't matter much.
But if leaving it on or on standby makes you anxious, turn it off. :)

That said, always have some kind of backup in hand but that's a different discussion.

 

[metropolis_4]

Do what makes you feel more comfortable but honestly, it doesn't make that much of a difference.
I was recording for 12 hours straight on Friday with my amp on the whole time, no issues. There was a time I left for the weekend and when I came back, I realized I have left my amp on for 2 days. No issues.
Back in the day, radio and TV stations had tube amps that were on 24/7. Tube amps are not as fragile as people seem to believe these days. So stand by, turn it off, leave it on... it doesn't matter much.
But if leaving it on or on standby makes you anxious, turn it off. :)

That said, always have some kind of backup in hand but that's a different discussion.

I keep needing to remind myself of this. But I have major fears of gear failing at shows anyway, so it’s hard to trust. It’s not just tube amps, I always assume everything is going to break right in the middle of a song.

I think I need a gear therapist to talk through that issue with

 

[dignlivn]

Side effects of GAS

 

[metropolis_4]

Side effects of GAS

Side effects of having gear failing during shows as a kid, haha

 

[GuitarBilly74]

I keep needing to remind myself of this. But I have major fears of gear failing at shows anyway, so it’s hard to trust. It’s not just tube amps, I always assume everything is going to break right in the middle of a song.

I think I need a gear therapist to talk through that issue with

Yeah always have some kind of backup plan. But besides that, there's no point in stressing out about it.

 

[laxu]

Do what makes you feel more comfortable but honestly, it doesn't make that much of a difference.
I was recording for 12 hours straight on Friday with my amp on the whole time, no issues. There was a time I left for the weekend and when I came back, I realized I have left my amp on for 2 days. No issues.
Back in the day, radio and TV stations had tube amps that were on 24/7. Tube amps are not as fragile as people seem to believe these days. So stand by, turn it off, leave it on... it doesn't matter much.
But if leaving it on or on standby makes you anxious, turn it off. :)

That said, always have some kind of backup in hand but that's a different discussion.

I agree. The one thing you want to avoid according to Steven Fryette is to not move it while it's still hot.

Standby switches are pretty unnecessary on amps and there have been various theories why they are still a thing:

• Leo Fender did it and everyone else copied him.
• Leo Fender did it to make repairs more convenient.
• Companies don't want users to call them asking "Why doesn't this have a standby switch? How should I use this?"

Having a mute switch is convenient but it's not like it can't be done various other ways.

But we haven't talked about all the other components. Those will stay hot when the amp is on, so those might get some extra wear. To me it would be best to turn the amp off if we are talking about breaks that last hours. For a 20-30 minute break you could just leave it on.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Here's an article that seems rather informative:

https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/great-standby-switch-myth/

And maybe go find an old college professor of EE, and ask him/her, with that article in hand...?

 

[Chocol8]

Here's an article that seems rather informative:

https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/great-standby-switch-myth/

And maybe go find an old college professor of EE, and ask him/her, with that article in hand...?

Two points I will make:

Very few guitar amps were designed by experienced electrical engineers during the prime tube era. Leo Fender was a repair tech and many of the people who copied him and adapted his designs were of similar backgrounds.

Outside of guitar amps, there were a ton of consumer electronics that used tubes and that WERE designed by EE's. None of them had standby switches.

Hmmmmm.

 

[metropolis_4]

Here's an article that seems rather informative:

https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/great-standby-switch-myth/

And maybe go find an old college professor of EE, and ask him/her, with that article in hand...?

Thanks for sharing that article! That was very interesting and informative

It’s funny, way back before the internet I was taught by older players to always put the amp in standby to protect the tubes and make them last longer. I started doing that and I never questioned it because I assumed they knew better than me.

To this day I still thought that was true because I’ve never bothered to look into it.