Tube care

Stuff it with foam or similar and it should work fine.

 

Ya, it'll be fine.

 

Lick it clean before you store it. That way it will remain shiny and good sounding later on when you need it.

 

Just remember: More saliva = better tone, especially if given a couple years to permeate the tube

 

mojo!

 

Put chicken grease on the pins. When the heater plate sizzles, that's the secret.

 

What a bunch of comedians!

 

And be sure to eat a couple of habaneros beforehand. Gives the tone more sparkle.

 

When I don't have a tube box, I get a cardboard roll that kitchen aluminum foil or something similar comes with and cut it down to a bit bigger than tube size. I tape the ends closed. Write on the tube what's inside. You can do the same with a small plastic bottle.

 

Can I ask why you replaced it originally? A preamp valve, depending on conditions, can last a very long time.

 

Good to read this. With my new V4B, it's first all tube amp I've owned since the late 70's so I started thinking about tube issues after reading up on tube amps here. 'Course, I've been using tube preamp'ed SS amps and never carried spare tubes. I don't own any to carry anyway. But I always carry a spare amp, mostly a MB F1 that was so easy to carry as a spare.

But the F1 is sold off now, my next smallest amp is my GB 12.2 head. So should I buy extra pre/power tubes to carry about? Or is it not a quick fix, at the gig kinda fix that grabbing my spare amp is still a better idea? I never replaced any tubes in that Bassman 135 I owned for many years back then.

 

I can only go off my experience. I have always carried some sort of spare amp option with me (usually the PA - turn around a 12" EV wedge and run the bass through that) with whatever amp I ever had solid state or valve. I haven't ever had a preamp valve go in any guitar or bass amp. All faults have been traced to other components. I have only once had issues with a power amp valve and it still wouldn't cause me to carry spare valves rather than a spare amp option.

A preamp valve should last 10 plus years and I wouldn't replace them unless they had issues.

 

I've never had a preamp tube fail on me. That said, swapping them can yield some differences in the overall sound of an amp. With my Orange TB500, I found that putting a 5751 tube in V1 tamed the amp in a nice way; the gain knob has more room before reaching overdrive, and the actual OD character is a little smoother. A preamp tube swap won't make your amp sound totally different, but it can sometimes serve a tonal purpose

 

best way to determine tube performance - go to Youtube and search "Uncle Fester" and "light bulb"
Follow instructions
works with all preamp tubes and output tubes up to 6L6. Not recommended for the larger output tubes (6550, kt88, etc.) as you may go blind.

 

I wrap tubes in bubble wrap....the old tube boxes are crap really, you can easily break the tip off of a preamp tube.......for me, bubble wrap taped up, then into a box.

 

But seriously, they last longer if you lick them.

 

In all the years I played full tube amps I never carried spare tubes to a gig, or a spare amp either.