brentrocks Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 I was seeting up my rig today at the farm after cleaning this morning. Get everything hooked up and just take a look behind my amp and notice that only one of the power tubes is glowing!!!! I have never taken a tube out of an amp before!!! So i power it down, wiggle, power on....still only 1 tube on. I get bold and pull the tube out....put it back in, power it up and both tubes glowed! WHEEEEWWWWWWW!!!!! i figured i was making an emergency trip to kalalamazoo to buy new tubes!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandownunder Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 LOL, I remember the first time that happened to me with my old Fysonic. PANIC!!, I thought it was dead!!! Wiggled the tubes out, wiggled em back in again, all good!!! Gotta love thoses Valve amps!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectrum13 Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 I was seeting up my rig today at the farm after cleaning this morning. Get everything hooked up and just take a look behind my amp and notice that only one of the power tubes is glowing!!!! I have never taken a tube out of an amp before!!! So i power it down, wiggle, power on....still only 1 tube on. I get bold and pull the tube out....put it back in, power it up and both tubes glowed! WHEEEEWWWWWWW!!!!! i figured i was making an emergency trip to kalalamazoo to buy new tubes!!!! Brent, When you move an amp where the tubes hang upside down, gravity can do that especially if the socket is a little loose. Darn that gravity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentrocks Posted August 5, 2010 Author Share Posted August 5, 2010 Brent, When you move an amp where the tubes hang upside down, gravity can do that especially if the socket is a little loose. Darn that gravity! LOL, I remember the first time that happened to me with my old Fysonic. PANIC!!, I thought it was dead!!! Wiggled the tubes out, wiggled em back in again, all good!!! Gotta love thoses Valve amps!!! I was freakin out!!! i was looking for smoke, thought i broke it...didnt need that additional stress on PSP III eve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrymclark Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Brent, When you move an amp where the tubes hang upside down, gravity can do that especially if the socket is a little loose. Darn that gravity! That is one of the things Vox got right with my amp. They have this spring loaded clip to hold the heavier power tubes snug in their sockets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonesullivan Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 you might want to think about putting some contact cleaner on the tube pins, or even taking it in to get the sockets "retensioned", which is the fancy way of saying "bending the contacts inward so they are tight again". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
212Mavguy Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Right ON, Tbone...+1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentrocks Posted August 10, 2010 Author Share Posted August 10, 2010 you might want to think about putting some contact cleaner on the tube pins, or even taking it in to get the sockets "retensioned", which is the fancy way of saying "bending the contacts inward so they are tight again". that tube is still sometimes not comming on....its not the socket, because i switched them and its the same tube that inconsistantly comes on... so, new tubes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steiner Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 Yes. Just the pair of power tubes. The (probably) 12AX7 preamp tubes will last considerably longer. Save the old "good" tube in case the problem reoccurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonesullivan Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 could be the socket and not the tube. over time the contacts get carbonization/oxidation, so they need cleaning with contact cleaner, and also need to be bent back inward so they make better contact. If the amp hasn't been in for a few years, might be time to take it in to just have it checked over, have the pots cleaned out, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t0aj15 Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 Do what I did, buy an Axe-Fx Ultra and never worry about tubes again. EVER! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slider313 Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 that tube is still sometimes not comming on....its not the socket, because i switched them and its the same tube that inconsistantly comes on... so, new tubes? They wouldn't be JJ branded tubes, would they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smurph1 Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 That is one of the things Vox got right with my amp. They have this spring loaded clip to hold the heavier power tubes snug in their sockets. yeah that's a nice feature..Peavey does that on their "Classic" series amps.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentrocks Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 They wouldn't be JJ branded tubes, would they? i dont know....i think they are the originals, they are EL 34s...and they say Rivera on them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slider313 Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 i dont know....i think they are the originals, they are EL 34s...and they say Rivera on them Pick up a matched pair of the new Tung Sol EL34's. Great sounding tubes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentrocks Posted August 12, 2010 Author Share Posted August 12, 2010 Pick up a matched pair of the new Tung Sol EL34's. Great sounding tubes. what are these tube gonna run me? i have no clue, never bought tubes before???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulk1 Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Quick search at TubeDepot shows about $45 a matched pair for TungSol El34s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentrocks Posted August 12, 2010 Author Share Posted August 12, 2010 thanks Kenny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtpatty Posted August 16, 2010 Share Posted August 16, 2010 Do what I did, buy an Axe-Fx Ultra and never worry about tubes again. EVER! Or do what I did and buy an AXE-FX Standard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentrocks Posted August 20, 2010 Author Share Posted August 20, 2010 Pick up a matched pair of the new Tung Sol EL34's. Great sounding tubes. i just ordered a set...went down just now to turn on my amp...the 1 tube is gone!!! FRIED!!!!! thanks for the suggestion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentrocks Posted August 21, 2010 Author Share Posted August 21, 2010 are you susposted to touch the tubes with your bare hands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulk1 Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 are you susposted to touch the tubes with your bare hands? Not if you've just turned the amp off!! Jeez, Brent. You'll burn you're poor little stubbies!!! As far as the new ones, or when your current ones are cool, there is a school of thought that the oils in your hands can impede performance. But think about this ... all the action takes place inside the tube. And they aren't that fragile. Just be careful with the old ones, and the hot ones. They do generate some heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredZepp Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Yeah, I believe in touching them as little as possible... to not get the skin oils on them. I hold 'em in a clean rag putting them in... that was back in the day I seemed to be going through too many of them and looking for any way to extend the life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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