Is it a Valve or a Tube? Different people call it by different names, but the rich history of the Thermionic Valve (or Vacuum Tube) can help us reach some conclusions. Let's settle this argument once and for all... Gain access to exclusive content at: www.patreon.com/csguitars Buy CSGuitars Merchandise: csguitars.bigcartel.com/
Well, Colin, I have always wondered why the Imperialists across the Atlantic, always referred to the Vacuum Tube as a Valve, and you have done a Bang Up Job of explaining it ! I do appreciate it when someone takes the time to do some research in order to explain differences between peoples takes on particular subjects ! So, Thanks, Colin, For All That You Do !
History doesn't consider Edison as the inventor of the light bulb. Only people who aren't up on their history think that. They likely also believe that Abe Lincoln "could not tell a lie" & George Washington had wooden teeth and chopped down the cherry tree, too 😆 Patenting the first commercially successful bulb ≠ invented. Not by a long shot. The fact that you don't get this is a shame. The light bulb was invented 80 or 90 years before Edison patented his bulb. No one with any amount of sense reads that and still thinks Edison invented it. As I said, the ones who do likely haven't learned anything about history since grade school, which is where you hear those sorts of things.
You should do a video where it starts normal but as the video progresses, your accent gets stronger and stronger until eventually it's just incoherent yelling
Not going to lie, it took me a minute to realize when you say valve you meant tube. Since we have valvestate, tubestate, valve, and tube amps EVERYWHERE its great to know what the actual difference is between them. So thank you very much Colin.
You’ve been on UA-cam for years now and I’m almost disappointed that you don’t have more subscribers ! But keep making videos like this and your channel will flourish !
The other day, a video popped up in my feed of you restoring a guitar. Then it just so happens the next day, that I am starting to explore different amps and looking for some videos. I saw one video and clicked, and I skipped ahead because I just wanted to hear the sound of the amps, but then I said, ‘oh, it’s this dude. I’ll watch.’ Awesome informative super helpful stuff man. Thank you!
> CSGuitars posts New Video entailing differences in National Nomenclature for guitar-related things. > I click to watch said video. > Read provided description of Thomas Edison > Pause video and say "ouch" aloud. You're a brilliant man, Colin. Don't ever change. Cheers from the Colonies!
You know? I never seriously thought about the question but I'm damn sure glad you answered it. That was a great little history lesson. Keep up the great content!
Capacity is what it has, condense is what it does (can do). Its capacity is its value, hence 'Capacitor'. As a young (starter) TV engineer in the 1950's, this really confused me. So what is it when it isn't condensing (reservoir)? Like when it's coupling (DC block or -ve grid biassing), or filtering (by-passing). Then like the fool I was, I read an American electronics book, and got really confused.
It's called "electron tube" in Hungary but older people call the amps "lamp amp". :) It's funny that the term "tube" (csöves) was used here for both the amplifiers and for the old-school rockers of the 80'ies who were wearing tight jeans (the term is referring to the the leg part of the trousers which is straight like a tube unlike those wide bootcut trousers that were in fashion in the 60-70'ies).
Most guitar channels are like "WATCH ME SHRED" And "LOL THESE GUITAR FAILS" this is fucking super interesting science history. And I loved the balanced/unbalanced cable video. Keep this up, it's fantastic and made me subscribe
Great video Colin! For what it's worth, we use the term "tube" because it seems to be the international standard that everyone understands. And, as mentioned elsewhere down here, "Röhre" is the German term, and that translates as "tube" :) Mind you, we're looking at other options these days anyway!
Further evidence that the words 'German engineering' alone mean absolutely nothing. I recently saw razor blades advertised with 'German engineering'. THat said, Ventil-verstärker or Klappen-verstärker does sound funky.
Main problem is a transistor is just as much of a valve as a tube. We call them Tubes because they are more tubular than the Bulbs(light Bulbs) that they evolved from. Of course the glass blowing style used for these came from Test Tube manufacture. The rectifier is interesting in that it appears to have started out as an attempt to solve the self destructive character of early light bulbs then they realized its other properties and finally its use in radio. Rectifiers would be like flapper valves/heart valves. Transistors and Tubes work more like water taps in that they vary the flow of a current.
There are these nu-tube things finding their way into pedal-board amps now, with lower voltage requirements for the filament and lower plate voltages too, I think, with their really small size they can be used with SMD designs and apparently reproduce the characteristics of the larger ones very well. I haven't actually seen one in the flesh, but they will hopefully catch on.... they make DIY valve projects much more of an attractive proposition.
I didn't know that Valves and Tubes were the same thing. I was looking to buy a new amp and I wanted a "tube" amp, but I kept seeing these "valve" amps all over the place. A few months later, when I had someone explain to me the difference, (or lack there of) I ended up buying myself a Marshall Origin 20 head, its the best Valve amp I've ever played.
As much as I feel sad for the future of valves/tubes, I still cling to my Peavey Bandit 112. Most people say it sounds and behaves very similarly to valve amps, when in fact it’s a solid state.
Not sure I followed your presentation as I'm a bit thick, however I do know you will have to prise my Marshall 1959HW amp from my cold dead hands before I give up using VALVE'S I thank you ! :)
Colin, we Yanks pronounce it "toob", as Zeus intended. The electronic amplifier was invented in America by Americans, like most modern, useful, important things (and a few really dangerous ones). Those inventors called those wee glass thingies, "toobs". BTW, we are not an "ex-Imperial British conquest". In fact, you-all stole it from the Dutch as well as, as always, the indigenous Native Americans who lived here. We like to think about all that as, "Opening a can of whoop-ass on the Brits." Makes us smile. A lot. :D P.S. Yer "Black Watch" troops ("Ladies from Hell") are amazing and I'm glad we're now on the same side. Cheers, mate.
Eighteen years ago, I had coronary bypass surgery. More recently, a friend had his aorta unravel and they had to surgically fix where it connects with his heart. *I* had tubes replaced, but *he* had a valve replaced (and a bit of tubing). Therein lies the difference. Too many people know these glass puppies by their more common repair-bench name: "must-be-a-tube".
About 25 years ago I got thousands of tubes/valves that a repair shop was going to trash because they were closing the shop for good. He said he hadn't used one for repair in years, I used them as bb gun targets but I still have a bunch, I mainly shot the ones that looked like coke bottles.
It's not just that they "look like" tubes, it's a description of what they are rather than what it does. They're glass tubes (closed at one end like a test tube), and they have a vacuum inside them. Thus a vacuum tube.
i like 'tube' for general purpose use because there are a handful of things which have the same form factor, but don't employ thermionic emission. nixie tubes, for example, are often basically nine light bulb filaments inside one vacuum tube.
Good video man and interesting history. Edison 'stole' his lightbulb design from Joseph Swan. Instead of fighting about it they partnered up and formed the Ediswan Company. I believe Ediswan were the first UK manufacturer of valves for radio / amplification.
What about the audio characteristics of each valve? What is the difference between EL34, KT88, 6L6, that sort of thing? For example, KT100 is supposed to be the ideal valve for Drop A tuning or lower. But why? What can it do that other valves cannot? Which valve is best for which use, or are they all the same audio quality? Can you make a video about this?
Maybe a video on Tube/Valve interchanging? Like EL34 vs 6CA7 vs KT66... they have similar pinouts so they can be interchanged but is there a difference in sound? What if anything is involved in tube interchanging? Also preamp tubes... .AX AT AY AU. Maybe a TATA video?
I live in Maryland, in the US. I use Valve and Tube more or less interchangably. But I tent to gravitate towards calling the British amps Valve Amps, and American amps Tube Amps. Occasionally, I will refer to the Amps themselves as Valve Amps, but the actual valves/tubes as Tube.
Colin, serious question. I'm planning on using my TubeMeister 40 for the next 45years or so, after which time I'll probably be looking forward to dying. You think it's worth me stocking up on spares now? In case I need a replacement when I'm 60 and the parts just aren't available.
You gotta be careful with saying you can count the number of something on one hand - there are weirdos (like me, and I suspect probably yourself too) who can count to 31 on one hand.
The Russian military still uses valves in things like radar sets apparently. Since a valve isn't susceptible to EMP blasts like a transistor is. In any event, whether we call it a valve or a tube really doesn't matter, we all know darn well (or should) what is being discussed. Thanks for the good history lesson, you got a ton of info in there that can get pretty darn technical at times.
Is it a Valve or a Tube? Different people call it by different names, but the rich history of the Thermionic Valve (or Vacuum Tube) can help us reach some conclusions. Let's settle this argument once and for all...
Gain access to exclusive content at:
www.patreon.com/csguitars
Buy CSGuitars Merchandise:
csguitars.bigcartel.com/
It's always been a valve.
Great video
right there in the name; vacuum tube*
* ;) cheers with tongue-in-cheek U.S. sarcasm
Valve
Well, Colin, I have always wondered why the Imperialists across the Atlantic, always referred to the Vacuum Tube as a Valve, and you have done a Bang Up Job of explaining it !
I do appreciate it when someone takes the time to do some research in order to explain differences between peoples takes on particular subjects !
So, Thanks, Colin, For All That You Do !
This is the best channel on YouValve no doubt
Of course, YouValve for british realm.
@@dildojizzbaggins6969 when did i ask you?
That felt like 30 minutes of info in five minutes. Never change! It was brilliant!
Yeah I had to pause a few times to let things sink in.
Agree with @flekkzo ... information density is a _GOOD_ thing.
0:29
I'm gonna eat your guitar pickups, rn
@@Duskusbunny I agree
"intellectual thief, animal executioner, "inventor" of the lightbulb"
😂😂😂😂
Nailed it!
History doesn't consider Edison as the inventor of the light bulb. Only people who aren't up on their history think that. They likely also believe that Abe Lincoln "could not tell a lie" & George Washington had wooden teeth and chopped down the cherry tree, too 😆
Patenting the first commercially successful bulb ≠ invented. Not by a long shot. The fact that you don't get this is a shame. The light bulb was invented 80 or 90 years before Edison patented his bulb. No one with any amount of sense reads that and still thinks Edison invented it. As I said, the ones who do likely haven't learned anything about history since grade school, which is where you hear those sorts of things.
You should do a video where it starts normal but as the video progresses, your accent gets stronger and stronger until eventually it's just incoherent yelling
Don't tempt me, I'm pretty close to doing just that.
@@ScienceofLoud or in the middle of a sentence just shout WHAT ARE YOU DOIN IN MY SWAMP
We want it! We needet! Freedom!
Gee us a break, will ye?
@@ScienceofLoud no balls
Edison failed to realise it's potential because he hadn't found anyone he could steal that idea from yet :p
Tru dat
Well said
HA!! Awesome!!!!!
Accurate
nice one
The valve is encased within a glass vacuum tube. That is why we call them tubes. We don't call light bulbs filaments, we call them light bulbs.
But in the entertainment business, lamps are called instruments and bulbs are called lamps.
pringles come in a tube.
you call them Pringles
@@George.Andrews. pringles are a brand name of a potato chip that comes in a can. We call them a can of pringles or tube of pringles.
@@DanRaymondYoung and entertainers apparently don't know anything except what they're talented at.
Brian May´s guitar tech said it best “We call them valves the tubes we ride in London you see”
except you can't "ride" a tube. You can ride a train going through a tube. The people who invented the language really should know that.
He doesn't ride the trains anymore
This channel needs to be hosted on the science channel as well. Great knowledge lives here.
Marshall, Vox, Hiwatt, Orange, Laney = Valve amps
Fender, Mesa, Jet City, Peavey = Tube amps
Very clever
I see nine thermionic valve amp manufacturers listed :o)
Sovtek = электронная лампа amps
Wangs = 电子管 amps
It's "lamp" in Russia and most likely everywhere in Eastern Europe.
moth meme time
n w, cdn.pbrd.co/images/HGDs0d8.png
In Greece they are called butt plugs.
Lampamagnari in iceland, translated Lamp-amplifier. Maybe we should just be calling it lampamps, Rolls off the tongue
Hans Grueber, no, they are colloquially called "lamps".
Sorry for ruining your unfunny, tasteless "joke".
Is this crap, or a metal zone? It all depends on which side of the preamp you are on...
I still don’t understand how this channel hasn’t gotten more subs he deserves more subs
Another great education video and the colony humor is well received. Great channel ⚔
Not going to lie, it took me a minute to realize when you say valve you meant tube. Since we have valvestate, tubestate, valve, and tube amps EVERYWHERE its great to know what the actual difference is between them. So thank you very much Colin.
Think you missed the point of the video lol
This video is talking about water valve under the sink.😄😉
Never , something about a red glow will never lose my love for tube/valve amp .
You’ve been on UA-cam for years now and I’m almost disappointed that you don’t have more subscribers ! But keep making videos like this and your channel will flourish !
The other day, a video popped up in my feed of you restoring a guitar. Then it just so happens the next day, that I am starting to explore different amps and looking for some videos. I saw one video and clicked, and I skipped ahead because I just wanted to hear the sound of the amps, but then I said, ‘oh, it’s this dude. I’ll watch.’ Awesome informative super helpful stuff man. Thank you!
> CSGuitars posts New Video entailing differences in National Nomenclature for guitar-related things.
> I click to watch said video.
> Read provided description of Thomas Edison
> Pause video and say "ouch" aloud.
You're a brilliant man, Colin. Don't ever change.
Cheers from the Colonies!
I'm 57 and learn new shit from you every time I watch one of your videos. Love the Scott in your voice. Thank you.
Hands down one of the best videos I've ever watched. Absolutely perfect. You NEED a show on TV.
Really good vid. Far more accessible than others I've seen.
Now you are going to have to explain how solid state amps works ! ^^
Great job, keep it up !
Great lesson. 😁
I, personally, encourage you to do more of those 👍
yeah, they are really good videos
Thanks for being as technical as you were on this one, also concise. Interesting stuff!
You know? I never seriously thought about the question but I'm damn sure glad you answered it. That was a great little history lesson. Keep up the great content!
Awesome! as a beginner its cool to understand not only the history but the functioning of the equipment that we use every day. Good material!
There's also the terminology difference of "Condenser" and "Capacitor" :)
Capacity is what it has, condense is what it does (can do). Its capacity is its value, hence 'Capacitor'. As a young (starter) TV engineer in the 1950's, this really confused me. So what is it when it isn't condensing (reservoir)? Like when it's coupling (DC block or -ve grid biassing), or filtering (by-passing). Then like the fool I was, I read an American electronics book, and got really confused.
It's called "electron tube" in Hungary but older people call the amps "lamp amp". :)
It's funny that the term "tube" (csöves) was used here for both the amplifiers and for the old-school rockers of the 80'ies who were wearing tight jeans (the term is referring to the the leg part of the trousers which is straight like a tube unlike those wide bootcut trousers that were in fashion in the 60-70'ies).
Most guitar channels are like
"WATCH ME SHRED"
And
"LOL THESE GUITAR FAILS"
this is fucking super interesting science history. And I loved the balanced/unbalanced cable video. Keep this up, it's fantastic and made me subscribe
Great video Colin! For what it's worth, we use the term "tube" because it seems to be the international standard that everyone understands. And, as mentioned elsewhere down here, "Röhre" is the German term, and that translates as "tube" :) Mind you, we're looking at other options these days anyway!
Second video I've watched......I'm sold. Awesome content. I will now only refer to them as valve amps.
Great vid Colin. Every kid that picks up a guitar should see this....
This was a great video! Your enthusiasm for the subject is refreshing, keep it up!
As someone interested in electronics, I always wanted an explanation of valves/tubes. Cheers mate! From a Scottish Canuck in Canada.
Great upload! About time somebody produced a vid providing a basic explanation with accompanying graphics of Valve designs
Fantastic video! This channel keeps getting better and better :)
In German it's called "Röhre" which is the German word for "Tube".
In France we commonly call them "lampes" witch mean, you guessed it, lamps...
Lamp (or the Lamp) keeps cropping up a lot when I put various Guitar amp reviews though Google translator.
Further evidence that the words 'German engineering' alone mean absolutely nothing. I recently saw razor blades advertised with 'German engineering'. THat said, Ventil-verstärker or Klappen-verstärker does sound funky.
In Spanish we call them Bulbos
Margil io5150 Where are you from? Where I live they are 'válvulas', or sometimes 'lámparas', but that sounds kind of old-fashioned to me.
These videos are SO good. Well done on smartin' up tha masses Colin!
Very simple and informative for understanding how valves/tubes are developed!
Great lesson Collin! Keep up the great work my friend!😎👍
Great video! Very informative and clearly explained. Cheers Colin!
This video was awesome, very interesting. And this explains why The Randall Satan uses two KT88 VALVES in the power amp stage.
Way to go, Colin! Very well done!
This is in trend topic on YouValve!
This channel is seriously underappreciated, there should be 5x the amount of subs
Keep spreading the word and I'm sure we'll get there :)
You clever bastard! This was fabulous! As a Canadian we are caught between the Brits and the Yanks. And it takes a Scot to interpret for us!!!
Excellent explanation of something I have been wondering for a long time!
Great Colin, as usual. Love that Scottish accent, since I learned English in Edinburgh.
Main problem is a transistor is just as much of a valve as a tube. We call them Tubes because they are more tubular than the Bulbs(light Bulbs) that they evolved from. Of course the glass blowing style used for these came from Test Tube manufacture. The rectifier is interesting in that it appears to have started out as an attempt to solve the self destructive character of early light bulbs then they realized its other properties and finally its use in radio. Rectifiers would be like flapper valves/heart valves. Transistors and Tubes work more like water taps in that they vary the flow of a current.
There are these nu-tube things finding their way into pedal-board amps now, with lower voltage requirements for the filament and lower plate voltages too, I think, with their really small size they can be used with SMD designs and apparently reproduce the characteristics of the larger ones very well. I haven't actually seen one in the flesh, but they will hopefully catch on.... they make DIY valve projects much more of an attractive proposition.
Brilliant Video! I learnt so much in the short time due to your excellent explanation. Keep these lil vids coming :)
You even made valve history interesting. Legend.
1:20 I felt from my chair out of laughter! Good one
I thought I knew everything you'd be teaching but I learned a few good solid facts. Great video.
Love the info and the editing, cheers Colin!
I didn't know that Valves and Tubes were the same thing. I was looking to buy a new amp and I wanted a "tube" amp, but I kept seeing these "valve" amps all over the place. A few months later, when I had someone explain to me the difference, (or lack there of) I ended up buying myself a Marshall Origin 20 head, its the best Valve amp I've ever played.
As much as I feel sad for the future of valves/tubes, I still cling to my Peavey Bandit 112. Most people say it sounds and behaves very similarly to valve amps, when in fact it’s a solid state.
Excellent video! Very well explained!
Not sure I followed your presentation as I'm a bit thick, however I do know you will have to prise my Marshall 1959HW amp from my cold dead hands before I give up using VALVE'S
I thank you !
:)
Colin, we Yanks pronounce it "toob", as Zeus intended.
The electronic amplifier was invented in America by Americans, like most modern, useful, important things (and a few really dangerous ones). Those inventors called those wee glass thingies, "toobs".
BTW, we are not an "ex-Imperial British conquest". In fact, you-all stole it from the Dutch as well as, as always, the indigenous Native Americans who lived here.
We like to think about all that as, "Opening a can of whoop-ass on the Brits." Makes us smile. A lot. :D
P.S. Yer "Black Watch" troops ("Ladies from Hell") are amazing and I'm glad we're now on the same side.
Cheers, mate.
“By the mid sexties...” Sounds like a hot time to be alive.
You can tell he's geeking out like crazy by the way he talks about them valves haha :D Really interesting stuff, thanks!
I love the way you explain. At last, a science oriented music channel !
PS: thanks to you, I modded my crybaby wah to a true bypass + led ;) thanks mate
Eighteen years ago, I had coronary bypass surgery. More recently, a friend had his aorta unravel and they had to surgically fix where it connects with his heart. *I* had tubes replaced, but *he* had a valve replaced (and a bit of tubing). Therein lies the difference.
Too many people know these glass puppies by their more common repair-bench name: "must-be-a-tube".
Very interesting and educational. Great video!
The UK and the USA are two countries divided by a common language.
Scott Stevenson
Nah... those Brits speak the worst American I’ve ever heard.😉🤪
As long as they're not divided by common sense, I think it's still fine... Are they?
Dude I love your videos they are so good and informative. You show a lot of enthusiasm and character when explaining these things. Thanks man 👍
Awesome video mate !! Love the education !!!
Finally a non-divisive video about valves in the guitar community!
Best explainer I've ever seen. Good shit man. ❤️
About 25 years ago I got thousands of tubes/valves that a repair shop was going to trash because they were closing the shop for good. He said he hadn't used one for repair in years, I used them as bb gun targets but I still have a bunch, I mainly shot the ones that looked like coke bottles.
Such a great explanation, thank you very much.
I love when physics don't feel like magic and I can actually have fun learning about stuff
It's not just that they "look like" tubes, it's a description of what they are rather than what it does. They're glass tubes (closed at one end like a test tube), and they have a vacuum inside them. Thus a vacuum tube.
i like 'tube' for general purpose use because there are a handful of things which have the same form factor, but don't employ thermionic emission. nixie tubes, for example, are often basically nine light bulb filaments inside one vacuum tube.
I love this breakdown about valves.
Good video man and interesting history. Edison 'stole' his lightbulb design from Joseph Swan. Instead of fighting about it they partnered up and formed the Ediswan Company. I believe Ediswan were the first UK manufacturer of valves for radio / amplification.
As a chemist, I'd like to say good job on the terminology.
Thanks for the video! This was really helpful.
What about the audio characteristics of each valve? What is the difference between EL34, KT88, 6L6, that sort of thing? For example, KT100 is supposed to be the ideal valve for Drop A tuning or lower. But why? What can it do that other valves cannot? Which valve is best for which use, or are they all the same audio quality?
Can you make a video about this?
Very informative. Thank you for making this
Maybe a video on Tube/Valve interchanging? Like EL34 vs 6CA7 vs KT66... they have similar pinouts so they can be interchanged but is there a difference in sound? What if anything is involved in tube interchanging? Also preamp tubes... .AX AT AY AU.
Maybe a TATA video?
Very interesting physics and music lecture!
I live in Maryland, in the US. I use Valve and Tube more or less interchangably. But I tent to gravitate towards calling the British amps Valve Amps, and American amps Tube Amps. Occasionally, I will refer to the Amps themselves as Valve Amps, but the actual valves/tubes as Tube.
Quality job of communicating and educating. Brilliant! All that, and you play guitar too?! Dude! You F-ing Rock!
Nice history lesson on vacuum tubes or valves.
Live your show. You teach more than others. Keep up
Guys, i have a feeling Colin likes KTs. Look at his face when he says "Bim teh-trod".
Excellent information.
Colin, serious question. I'm planning on using my TubeMeister 40 for the next 45years or so, after which time I'll probably be looking forward to dying. You think it's worth me stocking up on spares now? In case I need a replacement when I'm 60 and the parts just aren't available.
“Give us a break with that tube patter” hahah cheers from California.
He is a brilliant narrator
Great Video, very informative !!
Great video. Good physics and good guitar
You gotta be careful with saying you can count the number of something on one hand - there are weirdos (like me, and I suspect probably yourself too) who can count to 31 on one hand.
There are 10 types of people in the world.
Those who understand what you are talking about, and those who don't.
Lol
@@ScienceofLoud oh it's a binary joke
Classic!
9 is the most metal number if you're going little endian
Best explanation ever, thank you sir!
Great history lesson!
The Russian military still uses valves in things like radar sets apparently. Since a valve isn't susceptible to EMP blasts like a transistor is.
In any event, whether we call it a valve or a tube really doesn't matter, we all know darn well (or should) what is being discussed.
Thanks for the good history lesson, you got a ton of info in there that can get pretty darn technical at times.
They still use valves for TV transmitters at incredibly high voltages!