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Location: Michigan | how long does it normally take for a tube amp to warm up and start sounding its best , 10 minutes , 30 minutes , 60 minutes :confused: :confused:
i am told that once a tube amp warms up it comes to life but does that happen just by having it turned on a long time or does it get warmer by playing it.while you are playing
does the volume being turned up louder or lower have any bearing on the tubes heating faster or doesn't that matter as long as the amp is turned on . do the tubes finally reach their peak after a certain amount of time :confused:
i am told that when the tubes are broken in that the amp gets its own personality just like the aging of a guitar .do older tube amps sound better than brand new ones :confused:
im sure there are some very different opinions on this and i would like to hear them all:confused:. GWB |
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Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | My 5 watt eBay wonder amp takes less than 30 seconds. That's my only experience with my only tube amp. |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | They do work and sound fine after 30 seconds or so but most don't sound their very best until they are thoroughly warmed up for a half hour or so. When I do a gig, I set up and turn the amp on and leave it for the duration. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | This may be the reason why so many vintage amps have a standby switch. It allows the amp to preheat and remain on during breaks, but the output can be shut off. |
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Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Yes, my 5 watt wonder amp has a standby switch. Mine"s never on for more than a quarter hour or so as I only do a couple of blues harp numbers through it then go back to playing bass. Maybe I should turn it on at the start of the jam and surprise myself. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | at least 30 minutes
use the standby switch when not actually playing
heavenly tones |
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Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | how long does it normally take for a tube amp to warm up and start sounding its best , 10 minutes , 30 minutes , 60 minutes [Confused] [Confused]
i am told that once a tube amp warms up it comes to life but does that happen just by having it turned on a long time or does it get warmer by playing it.while you are playing
:) Fer the USER :
Getting warmer is NEGLIGIBLE !! .. do n`t worry `bout it ..
Thermionic Valves ( TUBES ) reach Full Potential after , say five minutes , when NEW !!
After that ,.. anything goes , .. fer a Valve Changes its Properties .. yeah , that`s right , first it will sound like something , then.. looses some bass .. and even more treble ..
Without going into , the why , how and the this and the that , .. Valves are changing in Audible Quality , .. and therefor .. play with knobs and buttons until YOU think it sounds Pleasing.
:confused: does the volume being turned up louder or lower have any bearing on the tubes heating faster or doesn't that matter as long as the amp is turned on . do the tubes finally reach their peak after a certain amount of time [Confused]
i am told that when the tubes are broken in that the amp gets its own personality just like the aging of a guitar .do older tube amps sound better than brand new ones [Confused]
:cool: TUBES ( Thermionic Valves ) are " broken-in " by the Valve Mfg., ( Burn-in time is `bout fifty hrs.).. they change " character " with-in say , six mnths.,..after which they change " colour " ( diminished bass and treble, boosting the lower mid-range , ..
:cool: A COMPETENT AMP.DESIGNER WILL BUILD THE AMP. TO PERFORM OPTIMALLY DURING OPTIMUM LIFE SPAN !!
That`s to say : ..
Where Valves are STABILIZED !!.. Typically after Valves are Over a year OLD ( when in use ).
The Above counts fer POWER VALVES ONLY !!..them li`ll ones in the pre-amp. do NOT fall in the same category..( they hold their audio quality from day one ) ..
Summa Summarum .. :)
Play with the controls and , USE YER EARS !!
IF , Ye wannadoitright .. buy a NEW Amp. !!.. ( put it to use as according to described in guide-lines above )..
Vic
.. no stethoscopes were harmed in this post .. |
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Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | What? |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Generally speaking, OUALITY, properly serviced vintage amps built with point-to-point wiring and NOS tubes will work and sound better than current production models. You can get these features in modern amps but you are looking at a boutique amp with a much higher price tag than production models.
It has been my experience that the reliability factor is also generally better with vintage units.
Another wonderful thing is that unlike vintage guitars, you can find old amps at prices comparable to current models, although you have to factor in the cost of the service (if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself) which should include all new electrolytic capacitors, cleaning tube sockets, etc.
Also, yes, if you are playing through the amp it puts stresses on the components that cause it to warm up faster. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | According to most sources, the consistency of today's production tube amps with printed wiring boards exceed those made 40 to 60 years ago with hand-wiring. When you look at Leo's original specs, many were + or - 25%. That represents a huge swing in consistency. Some suggest that the hand-wiring is more rugged and can withstand a lot of abuse, so there may be some validity to the argument that vintage (or any) hand-wired amp has greater reliability. Without sufficient testing, it is argumentative at best. Nonetheless, the sound of a vintage amp represents the sum of all the parts, not just the hand wiring, and the tone can be sensational. I've also heard that some old vintage amps really stink. Maybe those are the ones that were at the fringe of the + or - 25%. The new tube reissues are excellent amps and I have a few, but nothing beats an old vintage amp that has been maintained and played over the years. There's a reason these units cost a fortune. |
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tube amp question
