I wouldn't say either tubes or solid-state are inherently more reliable than one another... as long as you take care of what you've got, either one will outlast you.
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Tube Amp Do's and Don'ts
- Thread starter kissmybASS01
- Start date
Are tubes considered part of a tube amp? 3 year warranty on everything except 90 day warranty on tubes.
Umm...if money is no object (which it's not), and if my band's name was "Murphy's Law will never get us!!" Seriously, does anyone actually bring a back-up amp to a gig. Bring extra cables, strings, maybe an extra bass, but another head?Maybe it's a perk of my "modern" VB2, but as long as I have power, the DI output on my amp is outputting (not a word, but so what) a signal regardless if it's in standby or not. I might lose all stage volume, but FOH won't change <knocking on wood>
I recently bought a Peavey VB-2 and it is also my first all tube amp. (It seems like a very popular amp on TB)
My turn on sequence is as follows: (everything is plugged in and no pedals yet)
- All volumes (bass and amp) at 0
- Turn amp ON with standby enabled
- Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to warm up
- Turn standby off
- jam.
Is this a good procedure?
The guy I bought the amp from said that I should pluck all my stings and let them ring loudly and then switch the standby switch and the power switch off at the same time in the same motion to release all of the built up energy or something... is this a good power down porcedure or should I be doing something else. Thanks.
My turn on sequence is as follows: (everything is plugged in and no pedals yet)
- All volumes (bass and amp) at 0
- Turn amp ON with standby enabled
- Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to warm up
- Turn standby off
- jam.
Is this a good procedure?
The guy I bought the amp from said that I should pluck all my stings and let them ring loudly and then switch the standby switch and the power switch off at the same time in the same motion to release all of the built up energy or something... is this a good power down porcedure or should I be doing something else. Thanks.
It's very funny how people completely ignored you except for me to say "whatever." I think they're trying to tell you something. Yeah, I know it's the bass player thing to think that everyone should use what you like and nothing else, but apparently you're not getting much of a receptive audience. Oh well...Bye.Are tubes considered part of a tube amp? 3 year warranty on everything except 90 day warranty on tubes.
I recently lucked into a 64 Bassman, and I was wondering if it would be beneficial to have the power cord replaced with a three prong. I do plan on using this head for local gigs and Nashville has some bad power (for lack of a better term). Tootles
Are tubes considered part of a tube amp? 3 year warranty on everything except 90 day warranty on tubes.
Hey it's okay! I got a chukle out of it. Kind of an PAST tube snob thing for me
Everything but the last paragraph! Just turn the amp off, I tell people to switch to stanby first so they don't need to remember to put the amp in standby when powering on.
Put it in standby then turn it off , this makes sure it is in standby for next time.
I don't understand why there is all this mystery involved with valve amps.People seem to think they are so fragile that you can't touch them and we all get an overdrive sound from them.
My 400 watt amp is built like a tank and will play very clean if needed.
If more players used them they would understand why we like them so much. My Ashdown is a lot smaller and lighter but fact is the Marshall just sounds and feels so much better.
Don't fear the valve/tube amp !!
I don't understand why there is all this mystery involved with valve amps.People seem to think they are so fragile that you can't touch them and we all get an overdrive sound from them.
My 400 watt amp is built like a tank and will play very clean if needed.
If more players used them they would understand why we like them so much. My Ashdown is a lot smaller and lighter but fact is the Marshall just sounds and feels so much better.
Don't fear the valve/tube amp !!
Tube Amps are absolutely great.
My very first giging Bass rig, I was using a Rickenbacker 4003 Stereo Bass Plugged stereo into a Fender Super Showman with Fender/JBL 2x15 on the left side of the stage and into an SVT with SVT 8x10 Cab on the right side of the stage. I sent the Bridge Pickup of my Bass to the Fender Head and the Neck Pickup to the SVT.
Talking about some Tubeyness. I have fond memorys of that time.
I really do dig that Tube imediateness and warmth.
That being said SS Rigs are great as well man does it take a lot of SS watts to compete with the Sound Presence of an SVT or the like.
My very first giging Bass rig, I was using a Rickenbacker 4003 Stereo Bass Plugged stereo into a Fender Super Showman with Fender/JBL 2x15 on the left side of the stage and into an SVT with SVT 8x10 Cab on the right side of the stage. I sent the Bridge Pickup of my Bass to the Fender Head and the Neck Pickup to the SVT.
Talking about some Tubeyness. I have fond memorys of that time.
I really do dig that Tube imediateness and warmth.
That being said SS Rigs are great as well man does it take a lot of SS watts to compete with the Sound Presence of an SVT or the like.
at the end of the gig tonight my guitar player mentioned something he heard about flipping the standby switch off after power down...somehow it "releases something"...?? he was pretty vague, just wondering if this sounds familiar to anyone. so, to clarify, he suggests powering off in this manner: standby on -> power off -> standby off, then standby back on for next use. also, i couldn't find anything in this thread about this - i've heard it's better to put it on standby when taking a break instead of powering off then on again later. what if you have a really long break, like an hour, maybe? how much time before powering off is a better option?
He might have been talking about how electrons get shot off the filament and fall onto the plate. Apparently when you turn it on standby the electrons have nowhere to go. However, I have never noticed any ill effects from leaving an amp on standby for an extended period, so I think this is just one of the many lame wives tales SS lovers use to try and scare people off of tubes.
Which I don't understand at all. What is with the mentality of bass players insisting that everyone like what they like? I can't tell you how many bass players tell me I'm wrong for wanting to mic my tube rig, or for even using a tube rig. You expect it to a degree on a site like Talkbass, but I get it at shows, too. I always ask them how they thought it sounded, and they always say it sounded fine but that's not the way I should do it. To which I reply, "If it sounded fine, how come that's not the way to do it?" Then I tell them to GFY
Which I don't understand at all. What is with the mentality of bass players insisting that everyone like what they like? I can't tell you how many bass players tell me I'm wrong for wanting to mic my tube rig, or for even using a tube rig. You expect it to a degree on a site like Talkbass, but I get it at shows, too. I always ask them how they thought it sounded, and they always say it sounded fine but that's not the way I should do it. To which I reply, "If it sounded fine, how come that's not the way to do it?" Then I tell them to GFY
I would tell you you're wrong if you ever didn't mic your tube rig. If I'm gigging and only using my pre, I'm not lugging a 90 pound amp.
