Portal. Yes. You just referenced Portal. My nerd is coming out hardcore at the moment and the Portal tattoo on my leg is tingling. Seriously though. Portal. Yes.
Using a standby switch instead of the volume control can be more useful when recording in a studio though because it means you maintain the same volume before and after muting the amp.
Yep also a convienent mute when you unplugging or pluging another guitar. Turn down the volume pot is not a god solution for me; my fender amp is very sensitive, some times with just less than a milimeter of movement on the pot, it goes from not enough lowd to "Dude i can't hear the drums any more 😁" Géneraly when i finished a balance i put Duck Tape on it so it wont move any more.
I just pull out the jack plug out a little, dis-engaging the connection! Keeps the valves cookin and saves settings - I also stomp on the Boss tuner which mutes it too !
It's like toanwoodz is about toanz..... if you use the correct toanwoodz, you can achieve Sl00shtoanz (Sl00sh, the guy with the tophat)) (in fact it's a grade of wood, which has nothing to do with creating a certain tone, but everything with stability, easy of fabrication and looks)
I build my own amps, from my own schematics, that I created from scratch. The info in this video is 99.9% true. But it didn't go into how standby switches came into existence in the first place. The problem is that when you switch on an amp, the voltage will be applied to the circuit before it can start drawing current. Which means the voltage spikes sky high at turn on and then settles down over the course of 11-20 seconds. For most circuits in an amp, this is just fine, but when Leo Fender first made the Fender Bassman he used a cathode follower to drive the EQ controls. What's a cathode follower? Well, without getting too technical, Leo Fender decided to use a CF because it had a more ideal output impendence to drive EQ controls. However, the down side is that the output of the CF circuit means that the pre-amp tube's cathode is sitting at a high voltage. Pre-amp tube cathodes typically only sit at 2-6 volts, while on a CF circuit, the cathode can sit at HUNDREDS of volts! Unlike the plate of the preamp tube, the cathodes weren't really designed to handle this much abuse, and Leo Fender found that at start up those cathodes saw even higher voltages, which could cause them to ark, which could cause damage to the amp. The kind of damage you need a repairman to fix. So, Leo Fender's solution was to add a standby switch to the Fender Bassman. And of course, Marshall copied the Bassman when they made the JTM45, and Marshall didn't make too many more chances to their designs for many years, and now we're all stuck with standby switches. Which isn't really all that bad because like the Bassman, almost all Marshalls have cathode follower circuits. At this point, the CF is a big ingredient to what makes the Marshall sound. The good news is that even with a CF circuit, a standby switch isn't really necessary, because any decent amp engineer can create a CF circuit that built in ark protection. If all this sounds too confusing and has you worried, then there's a few simple rules you can use that shouldn't fail you. 1) If it's an old hand wired amp that dates before the 1980's, then that stand by switch is pretty important. 2) CF circuits are almost always the pre-amp tube closest to the phase inverter and the phase inverter is almost always closest to the power tubes. So the 2nd pre-amp tube closest to the power tubes is typically your cathode follower. NEVER use an old NOS tube for a CF and don't use new production Tung-Sols. Ideally, you should use beefy short plate pre-amp tubes here like a Chinese 12ax7 or perhaps a JJ. Note that even under ideal situations, some cathode stripping will happen to all CF circuits, and you should replace them regularly (say once a year if you play 12 hours a week). I sometimes use CFs in my own circuits, but by and large I don't use them. I prefer to drive tone controls from the output of the pre-amp tube's plate, which is how Fender Blackface amps do it. I find I prefer EQ response more. Ironically, the one Marshall amp that did drive it's EQ from a pre-amp tube's plate was the venerable Silver Jubilee.
The easiest way to prevent DC coupled cathode followers from creating internal arcs is to connect a diode from the what would be grid leak resistor of the cathode follower to the cathode of the cathode follower. This will ensure that on start up (diode engaged) the cathode will stay within a few 10s of volts of the grid and then when the cathode is heated and biased, the diode switches off and doesn't affect anything. I would also highly recommend using a DC coupled cathode follower somewhere in their circuit as they add in their own distortion that can't be obtained by regular overdrive and turns a real fuzzy/harsh preamp overdrive into a more creamy sounding overdrive. Reference: www.valvewizard.co.uk/dccf.html
+1 on driving the EQ from the plate. When I do want a buffer before the EQ I go for a IRF820 MOSFET. Horror, horror! I'm not a purist or a silicon-o-phobe ;)
That's one of the reasons. The other is that Fender cheaped out on the HV filter caps and used a voltage rating that was sufficient for the steady-state voltage when all the valves were warm and drawing current, but were a bit underrated for the higher voltage at startup when the valves were still cold. Thus, the standby switch was a cheap insurance policy to keep the stress off the filter caps.
@@DefconMaster The standby switch is wired after the HV filter caps in usual Fender and Marshall builds. It has to be wired after the first one at least in a tube rectifier build because if not, the tube rectifier can blow up... which was a problem for some old Vox amps.
It's great for taking a break in the studio. You cant mess with the volume once you're tracking. It's also good to use if your amp has a speaker pop when you turn it on. If you are using an amp in the studio it's preferred to have a standby. That's why most high end amps include them.
Well, every Mesa Boogie manual: "The STANDBY switch turns off the high voltages inside the amplifier while allowing the tube filaments to stay warm and ready for immediate use. It’s a good practice to turn on the A.C. power with this switch in the STANDBY position, allowing the tubes 30 seconds or so to warm up. This procedure prevents tube problems and increases their toneful life substantially." Marshall Plexi manual: "The Standby Switch is used in conjunction with the Power Switch (item 1) to ‘warm up’ the amplifier before use and to prolong the life of the output valves. When powering up the amplifier always engage the Power Switch (item 1) first. This allows the application of the voltage required to heat the valves to their correct operating temperature. After about 2 minutes, when the valves are up to the correct temperature, the Standby Switch can be engaged. Upon doing this the H.T. (High Tension) which is the high voltage required by the output valves to pass signal (and hence produce sound) is applied. Your amp should be completely powered down before the selector is turned. To prolong valve life, the Standby Switch alone should be used to turn the amplifier on and off during breaks in a performance. Also, upon full power down, always disengage the Standby Switch prior to the main Power Switch (item 1)" EVH 5150 amps manual: ". STANDBY-Place this switch in the OFF position to put the amp in STANDBY mode. This should be done when taking a break from playing or before turning the amp POWER to OFF as outlined above in the POWER section. Using the STANDBY mode prolongs the life of the tubes in the amp." Ampeg V4B: ". STANDBY-Place this switch in the OFF position to put the amp in STANDBY mode. This should be done when taking a break from playing or before turning the amp POWER to OFF as outlined above in the POWER section. Using the STANDBY mode prolongs the life of the tubes in the amp." So, I assume all these tube amp manufacturers have no idea about the sacred truth of no need for a Standby switch, right?
When taking a break I like to use the standby switch to make it quiet. It's just easier than the volume knob. I would propably forget the exact position of the knob and it would mess up my in-ear mix. Even though the switch doesn't protect the valves in any way it's a nifty little thing to have.
Jukka Pesonen I think you hit the nail on the head. I mean this is the only valid reason I can think of using a standby switch so as to not affect the whole mix while playing a show not just the inner ear volume or monitor volume.
VintageSG I've actually noticed with my Marshall that even if I switch on the tuner the od channel still makes that hiss. And the amp already has it so I'll just use it.
And in just a single video, everything I thought I knew is in the bin. Knowledge is power as they say, and you don't need a standby switch on that either ha ha! Great video Colin! :)
No.... It can't..... Not unless you purchased it from AliExpress......smh.....Stop with the misinformation. Somehow, tube amplifiers got along just fine for decades without a standby switch. Go educate yourself on the subject please.
I think this only happens in fender, and only in the models that have messed up volume knob (hot rod deluxe is the only one I'm sure has this problem). Many owners replace the volume pot with non-linear one: "The volume pot is a linear taper (B) pot, i dont remember the value, but it does say what it is on the pot inside your amp. Get the same value pot from your local electronics store, except make sure it is an Audio taper (A) pot. Replace. Easy." Basically, I think Fender messed up - I have played a lot of gigs with that amp and have never found any benefits of linear volume pot when playing loud.
Try an old traynor. The master volumes on these amps are so sensitive. My YGL3-3A is at least. At 1 the amp is too quiet to play with a band, and at 2 your eardrums starts to bleed... (With the preamp on 10 to have a nice crunch) So yeah i use the standby to mute the amp :P
human lobster project, I had the same issue with my 1998 Fender Hot Rod Deville 410, when it was on "2" it was so absurdly LOUD, it was completely unusable! I solved the issue the same way you did, had an audio taper pot installed...it's much more controllable and had absolutely NO negative effect on the amp's tone. Fender finally figured this out (or actually listened to their customers), the Hot Rod III series now has a usable master volume taper!
Standby switches were designed long before guitar stands. Whenever I finished playing, my bass would either be left leaning against the cab or laying on top of the amp. The standby switch disables any mad feedback howl that would inevitably happen 5 seconds after walking away from it. Very useful in live pub jam sessions.
After doing some research it seems like amps with older solid state rectifiers need to be turned on before the standby switch is flipped on to prevent high voltage from surging into tubes that aren't ready for it, or amps that have indirectly heated tubes and a directly heated rectifier. However, most modern tube amps have inrush current limiters to prevent this from happening and thus eliminating the need for a Standby switch, for older amps though it's still necessary to flip the standby on after the tubes warm up. I found some pretty reliable articles from manufacturers like Peavey and Fender that explain that it is not as black and white as you mention.
I kinda like the standby. What if I want my amp to be quiet while taking a break from recording and I don't want to mess with any of the settings for the sake of continuity? Edit July 2022: I have a solid state now, it's no longer an issue. 😂
You're absolutely correct! Since I stopped using my standby switches (over a decade ago), I rarely have problems with amps or tubes. My tubes remain quiet and eventually wear down gracefully. I just turn the amps on with volume, gain and reverb turned down completely. I turn volume and gain down before turning amps off. On set breaks, I simply turn the volume down. The amp builder who made several of my amps quit installing standby's on his amps a number of years back.
I've been making amps for 30 years and... You're totally right! But if I make an amp without sdby they get mad at me. So I keep putting it. Sad bu true...
I'd switch that up. I spent about $1200 for a USED Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier and a Marshall 4x12 cab and spent only about $300 for my guitar and upgraded the pickups to EMG 81 in the bridge and 60 in the neck, which was about $220 or 230. So there is a huge difference there. But, I wouldnt have done it any other way. The amp sounds great, plus I have a Line 6 Pod HD500x with a whole bunch of effects and pedals. But I put a colordrive overdrive simulator on it and boom sounds great. Now, I'm not saying spend $1200 for an amp but put a little bit more money in the amp then worry about a guitar. Or go half and half, spend the money for an ok guitar and an ok tube amp.
I see it this way: You can get an okay guitar for $120 and an expensive amp and cab for $1000 to $2000, or get a great guitar for upwards of $300, and a great amp (Marshall CODE, Orange Micro, etc.) for around $200 - $500 (maybe even free if you use an amp sim.) Its difficult to get a good sound out of a cheap guitar, but there are great inexpensive amps out there, so in my opinion, you should spend more on the guitar. On a side note, cheaper guitars tend to be harder to play, because they can sometimes have small, yet important, tasks left undone, like some fretwork and specific nut trimming and fitting.
It's a good addition for if you're using the amp in the studio. If you're taking a break and already have the right volume set being able to mute the amp while the tubes are still hot is much more convenient than dialing in the volume again
Jude Diaz Thanks Jude, it's a good point but if you go through Colin's stuff you'll see he's not an idiot. There's an amp builder who looks after my stuff too. :-)
Honestly, a mute function (no matter if its called "standby" or else) is great, because you don't mess with the volume control, which might have been a chore to get right.Plus obviously you don't get any noises when actually shutting down the amp (though that could be solved otherwise as well).
I agree. I have the PRS MT15 which has an incredibly sensitive volume knob for the lead channel. A slight change of the knob will make the amp very loud or dead quiet. That's why I like the standby switch as mute switch
I built my homebrew amp with adequately rated filter caps, with heater elevation and arc protection components on the cathode follower. A standby switch is totally unnecessary, but I did include one. It's a switch which grounds the wiper of the volume control and is labelled 'mute'.
It's also really nice for switching guitars, unplugging or plugging in pedals I think I've used it to change my speaker configuration before? I'm not sure if that's actually safe though
@@redderm Yes, that is one of the real benefits of a standby switch. Being able to switch amps or cabs, without damaging the transformer. Although, I think you can do the same by rolling down the volume on the amp. But its just so much easier just to flick the standby switch lol.
It's like pressing B + Up when I'm catching a Pokémon. I've been doing it for over fifteen years, and know it does absolutely nothing, but it FEELS like it helps. I don't play guitar.
I modify, repair, and build amplifiers and I say you are 1/2 way correct on this issue. The standby switch is very useful when A- repairing an amp B - on a fresh build. On a fresh build if you have an issue many times during the initial "warm up" you can identify a problem before you blast it with hundreds of volts. Amplifiers with tube rectifiers, the standby is 100% not needed, It takes a minute or so for rectifier tube to generate the current needed for the amp to have enough power to amplify. However, with solid state the high voltages are developed much faster and can shorten the life of your tubes. By how much depends on the quality of the tubes and how often you turn the amp on & off. You NEVER need to flip off the standby and then wait a minute or so to turn off the power, switch turn them off together and no harm will come to your amp. Bottom line is, if your amp has a standby switch use it, if not don't worry about it. On another note, you mentioned standby switches wearing out faster than your volume pot, it would take years to wear out a quality switch in a good quality amp.
The only reason i can see why a standby switch would be beneficial for solid state rectified amps is if the filter caps are only rated for 450-475V. If you switch on HV before the tubes are fully heated and conducting then they aren't yet presenting a load to the power supply, and the B+ voltage in the amp can exceed the voltage rating of the caps.
Im surprised he hasnt told you that you are full of shit . Because thats what the dick said to me . I mean.. i have a triple rec. A 1999. Thats 21 YEARS old. Mesa said it "shouldn't " do that. However it did. Yet this fuckwit couldn't get it through his head rhat despite his opinion... it happened.
Agreed. Good bit of information. Standby makes a good mute switch. I have had many vintage tube amps and tube radios from the 40's and 50's. No standby switches. They are all original tubes except for some updated power chords, and they still work perfectly. I turn them on, and they start to put out sound when they are good and ready. Rock on C!
I personally use standby switch when I'm switching my guitars in live situations... also when I want to mess around with different pedals and put them in or out of the loop. In general, standby switch comes in handy when you want to mute your amp in a recording situation, cause you don't want to touch the volume knob on your amplifier or else you would be shoot dead by the recording engineer.
Mind blown! I have religiously used the standby on my Mesa Dual Rectifier since the day I bought it. Now I don't have to wait those few annoying minutes to start playing or to turn off my amp. Thanks Colin!
On the Marshall JVM series, the standby switch also engages Silent Recording mode via the emulated output socket. You can operate your amp without a cab in this condition. The emulated output sounds great, by the way.
I read the links you posted the following is from Mesa Boogie on how the switch works: The STANDBY shuts down part of the high voltage to the power tubes so that they can rest at idle without wear. It provides a start-up procedure (follow the Cold Start procedure… wait at least 30 seconds after powering up with the POWER switch before turning the STANDBY to ON). This reduces the shock on cold power tubes and increases their life. The STANDBY is also great for muting the sound during speaker changes and should also be used to cool the amp down during set breaks or when swapping tubes.
I had heard the myth on several videos and when I bought my first valve amp (a Fender Super Champ X2), I was a little worried that it didn't have a standby switch. Good to know that I've got nothing to worry about. Thanks a lot, Colin!
I agree with you about the standby switch. There was a guy who made tube guitar amps years back and did not want to put standby switches in them but only after players/customers kept requesting it he added the standby switch. His name was Leo Fender.
Great video, don't know if you know this but a standby switch can actually damage tubes by causing cathode poisoning ( oxidation of the cathode of a tube) which happens when the cathode is heated but no current flows through the anode causing a high-resistance chemical layer to be formed between the cathode tube and the barium layer of the cathode. It is called interface resistance growth and it can shorten the life of a tube.
I do know about it, but decided to not include it as the jury is still out on whether or not cathode poisoning is actually a threat or not. There is little evidence to be conclusive either way, but I did hear that old valve jukeboxes would sit on standby until a coin was put in. Those things would sit in the corner of pubs switched on for hours without music playing through them, and the valves would run for years without needing replaced. Whether that holds any water or not is a different story, and who can tell if poisoning was hindering the performance of the jukebox and people were just too drunk to notice?
Thank You! Finally someone made sense of this for me. I've been using Line 6 gear forever but was given a great deal on a Fender Twin '65 Re-Issue.When I put a tube driver and delay on it I was knocked out at the God like noise that came from it, it changed my life and approach to playing, but I was concerned about the standby and my lack of knowledge on it as I didn't want to damage my "lost arc".Every video I watched left me more confused than the last, I admit I'm not the most tech savvy guy and I know about guitars more than amps so thanks again for the no b.s. breakdown, new sub.
Actually there are various scenarios where a standby switch is beneficiary. For instance, amps that feature cathode follower gain stages, can short out a preamp tube if not warmed up enough. There are also designs where bias voltage comes in (and out) rather slowly. You don't want to put plate voltage on a tube without negative bias.
It is not unknown for DC coupled cathode followers to still flash over even when a standby switch is utilised "properly" Reference: www.valvewizard.co.uk/dccf.html
Just saw a video of another amp tech talking about it. He mentioned that actually those standby switches, creates an inrush current that may damage even more the amp. Thanks for that great and concise video!
Neither of my tube combos even have standby switches. My Vox AC30 head had it and I never used it because it would shorten the life of the tube rectifier.
You may be interested to know that the original AC30s didn't have a standby switch, it was only later models and reissues that got them after the standby craze fully caught on and people started to question why it wasn't there.
And when they did fit one, they put it between the tube rectifier and the reservoir (first filter) cap. This meant that when switching out of standby the poor rectifier saw the discharged filter caps, almost a dead short, resulting in quite a few dead rectifier tubes. So they fitted a resistor in parallel with the switch so that the filter caps could charge during standby, thus making the standby switch pointless.
Mr Colin: I’ve been doing everything correctly for decades but no clue about the standby story, so thanks for that. Question about leaving amp on (with volume down, of course). I’ve always turned my amp off if I’m not going to be playing longer than a half hour or so. But, some players claim you can literally leave an amp on indefinitely as #1, it doesn’t use much power and #2, it’s actually better for the valves, the less they are powered on and off. One gent said his wife gets angry because he prefers to leave his amp on, most of the time. Thank you, sir!
You know, I wondered about this. Since I'm not really a musician, I used to spot what kind of amp was valve or solid state by the presence of lack of Standby. However, I am trained electronic tech and could never wrap my head around the concept. When I bought a 15W Marshall valve amp and there was no Standby, I shrugged it off, because clearly Marshall wouldn't have eliminated the switch if it was going to mean the amps were busting tubes constantly. But every time I look at the panel, I wondered what happened with Standby. Now I know! Love your work Colin; you're a great help to us hobby players.
Standby switches are easier to get to if a cable shorts. Muting the amp for rig changes and warming the tubes. I always use the power switch to shut down the amp, drains the caps, and don't touch the standby until I want to power up again. Great video on an overlooked item.
Colin's best video ever! The manufacturers would rather install a redundant switch that hire someone to run a switchboard to field "where's my standby switch" questions.
I visited an old valve radio shop a few days ago. Those old radios look awesome! Anyway, he turned them on and played music and I instantly noticed there was no standby switch either. And those radios really work forever!
Musicians are so gullible when it comes to the technical specifications of their gear... I am an electronics engineer (more specifically I will be one within a year) and am often ashamed about these things. Also pricing of things like effect pedals. Only musicians and apple users accept such ridiculous prices.
I simply refuse to buy a Fuzz Face for that reason. There is no justification for a price tag of over £100 for what amounts to pennies worth of components. More complex effects I can see the merit of paying for, especially if they are from small manufacturers who aren't benefiting from bulk component pricing and assembly line construction. Products are only worth what people are willing to pay for them. That promise of 'better tone' is one juicy carrot to dangle.
A lot of it comes down to human involvement. After a certain point amps and guitars aren't made by machines, but by people. And the time of a skilled engineer is a costly thing. The price stops being about the physical item, and starts being about the human care and attention that went into producing it.
Tone City Pedals, boutique hardware in an epiphone, and a rebuilt peavey classic 100, run in at just under a grand total, and sounds fantastic. Sure I'd love a Gibson, a Marshall, and a Klon, but that's ten thousand compared to one thousand, and if you've heard the Tone City pedals you'll know this rig sounds phenomenal.
Merlin Blencowe and Kevin O'Conner are writing about the standby switch from the perspective of new amp designs. Techs and amp designers are their target audience. The Standby switch protects the power supply capacitors. Switching on both "Power" and "standby" puts the full, unsagged B+ voltage to all the power supply capcitors. WHen there is no current draw (cold heaters) , there is no voltage drop. The whole amp is hit with full B+. Preamp capacitors that would see less than 300V when an amp is warmed up, may see 500V or more when the amp is cold. The common peavey 5150 is an example of an amp that has a B+ when in standby that can be as high as 510V. '69 plexis have B+ in excess of 520V when in standby. Problem is, you won't find any power supply capacitors rated at over 500V in either of these amps. Once a tube amp warms up, the current draw will "sag" the power supply and bring voltages below the rating of power supply capacitors. Any 50 watt or 100 watt amplifier will be running close to 500V B+, don't be tempted to think yours is an exception. Using standby is not only convenient, it will save your power supply caps.
This is all true, and I think it's probably the real reason Fender added the original standby switches to their big amps -- to protect under-rated caps. But most capacitors have a surge rating that allows them to handle more voltage for a short period of time, usually about +10% for up to a minute. Tubes rarely take more than about 20 seconds to fully warm up. And all of this goes out the window on any amp with a GZ34 rectifier (like an AC30 or a 5F6A Bassman), which takes as long to warm up and pass high voltage DC as the power tubes take to start conducting, resulting in no surge at all.
Capacitor lifespan is a function of percentage of maximum rated voltage. Why abuse your investment? Plus, you are still ignoring the possibility of Grid to Cathode arc in cathode follower circuits. I don't see a compelling reason to promote this idea.
valves have a different tone when they're nice and hot. so when I'm getting ready to play I turn it on while it's on standby to get the tone while I'll getting my other gear. when I'm done playing I switch it to standby first so that the speaker doesn't pop when I cut the power. is all that reasonable?
The tubes don't get "hot" with the amp on standby- the tubes aren't conducting and there's no plate voltage. The only thing that's happening is the filaments are glowing.
Great video. It is such an example of a lie that just perpetuates amongst those that do not know anything about electronics. The switch is entirely unnecessary but yet everyone still thinks they are for when you take a beer break or have to take a piss. As you note in the video, just leave it on and don't touch it any more so you don't wear it out.
Bro.. probably the point of the standby is to stop the sound whilst you don't change the EQ that you programmed with the band! A lot of pedals make the volume knob so sensitive that is hard to set it! so there comes the standby!!
This would only make sense if the switch was on solid state amps too. It isn't. Plus most tube amp manuals specifically state you have the standby switch to protect your valves.
That makes sense especially when dealing with amps over 100 watts in a live setting. Messing with a volume pot that is exponentially sensitive is far more irritating than just switching a switch.
I don't see what is so hard about remembering to turn the volume pot to 11 when you are ready to engage. Really Colin needs to answer why the volume is a pot and not a switch.
Makes sense. I've got an early 60's Silvertone 1481 tube amp that hasn't got a standby switch. It simply has a power switch & takes roughly a minute to warm up & produce sound. That little booger is a beast of an amp, too. Beautiful cleans & nice breakup above mid level volume.
Bru741iX I'm afraid he's right, and no amount of personal insults you throw his way will stop him from being right. CSGuitars has actually provided a whole bunch of links to technical articles in the comments, so you don't have to rely on the advertising copy provided by the amp companies you mention, but can in fact educate yourself on why standby switches serve no function on guitar amps. Regarding your claims on valve life, I have a hot cathode biased EL84 amp (a configuration known to be hard on output valves) that is loaded with expensive Mullard, Dario and Tesla NOS valves, and I have never had premature valve failure (or indeed any valve failure) despite ignoring the standby switch for years. Indeed, as my amp has a hot-switched standby, it's actually far better for the rectifier valve to not have the stress of a standby switch placed on it. But hey, hurling insults is easier than trying to learn something, so I suppose you could just keep doing that...
Scottish accent... fancy.... LOL. Colin, my Blackstar HT20 doesn't even have a standby switch... although apparently you can put it in standby by pulling the lead out.
You have some very valid points there Colin, but I just personally prefer to use the standby switch as opposed to turning the volume off as I find it's the most hassle-free way to mute the amp. But that's just me really, I prefer to preset things like my rhythm sound, my lead sound, pedal settings etc and to able to activate them at the flick of a switch as opposed to faffing about with knobs all the time.
It does stop current (as it disconnects high voltage from the tubes) but then fully hits them with a spike once you turn it on while they are heated up. An unheated tube is essentially a few metal plates in vacuum and with the relatively low voltages (compared to thousands of volts in something like transmission tubes as collin mentioned) in amp tubes, nothing really will happen and the current gradually increases during heatup, wich is always better than a spike for all components in the HV path.
Not really. There will be no signal on the grid of the tube, but in a regular push pull class AB amp your tubes idle at arround 70% of their rated max dissipation (aka 70% of the max current that the tube can handle at the voltage its running at), sometimes more or less depending on how you bias. The input on the grid just causes the tubes to conduct more or less, driving AC through the output transformer wich then drives the speaker. If you are really interested, i suggest reading valvewizard's website, especially the section about power amps and standby switching.
Love the way you explain things so plainly. I never heard all the valve stuff, I just assumed that was a mute, because it always got flicked accidently....killing my sound!
My amp tech who does tons of work for touring Pros, of whom I've been using since 1980, said the ONLY amp he said the standby is not needed is the Vox AC30. He said all other amps, if you dont use it, you ram the tubes w electricity. Decrease your tubes' life drastically. I back about everything you have done, but on this one, I believe my Tech. Might be a bunch of fried tubes coming...
+B. Scott Farthingsworth yet every other non guitar amp doesn't feature one and they don't blow valves. Also, have you ever wondered what makes the AC30 different? I'll tell you, it was produced before standby switches on guitar amps became common place, it was designed by people who knew it didn't need one. The reissues have a standby switch because people started getting panicky about it not having one. The technology in an AC30 is no different than in any other amp, if it doesn't need one then none of them do. I'm afraid all the evidence is against your tech friend.
That is incorrect, your tubes get electricity as soon as the amp is switched on. Standby merely stops the signal from the output of the amp to the cabinet. Otherwise you couldnt warm your tubes up in standby mode because they wouldnt get electricity by your techs logic. For someone who works with touring pros he is remarkably ignorant of signal chain which i find suspect and questionable. I own tube amps and have years of sound engineering and musical experience and I trust Collin of CSGuitars enough to believe his video. That being said tubes should warm up a little but honestly 30 seconds to a minute is plenty.
Right because its impossible for youtubers to also be professionals in the field. Speaking as a sound engineer, and someone who understands how amplifiers work the ONLY thing a standby does is prevent your signal from being sent to the speaker cones it literally does NOTHING ELSE. Otherwise you cant "let your tubes warm up". How would a tube warm up unless it gets electricity? Once an amp is on the tubes get juice. How is this so hard to comprehend? All a standby switch does is prevent the output of the amplifier to the speakers this is the reason an amp can have its tubes warmed up in standby mode -___- Tube amps sound BETTER when pushed to their limits and after they have warmed up but there is nothing to say you need to keep it in standby for 5 or 10 minutes first. why dont YOU go ask a professional and stop criticizing real professionals unless you know what you are talking about.
Why didn't the guy who's considered a guru, that makes Victory Amps write a whole paragraph in the manual on why to use the Standby switch opposed to power? Not only that but specifically instructs the owner to turn the volume down before entering standby or powering off. Seems like a lot of trouble to explain how to use a switch that you've made a video about how useless it is. Not disputing your knowledge but you also didn't wire me $1500 CAD to pay for amp, nor did I to you and thus why I don't care what you do with your amplifiers.
I'd be very interested in reading the instructions outlined. Most boutique amp manufacturers refuse to include the switch, so I'd be interested to learn if Victory are doing something different with their design that adds merit to the switch, or whether they, as many other companies do, include the information people are used to hearing in order to keep people happy.
Stephen H. Leo Fender was a guitar crafting guru but he still called a screw on neck a bolt on neck and a vibrato bar a tremolo bar. Just cause someone important said it, doesn't mean it's right.
CSGuitars from the Victory V40 user guide at www.victoryamps.com/uploads/2/3/7/0/23703557/victory_v40_manual_issue_1.pdf HIGH - STANDBY - LOW Switch The V40 should always be switched on, (mains switch on rear of amplifier), with this front panel toggle switch in its centre position. The amplifier is now in ‘STANDBY’ mode with just the valve heaters and low voltages on. This allows the valves to heat up before they get 100s of volts up them, (it’s less of a shock). After around 60 seconds, the amp can be switch to either HIGH, (around 42watts rms) or LOW, (around 9 Watts rms)
And many other guru amps says otherwise www.wamplerpedals.com/news/blog/talking-about-gear/should-i-put-my-amp-on-standby Fortin, hamstead, trace davis etc etc
Stephen H. Well, I always like to check for myself, but I have my butchers I trust too, and your butcher doesn't really say anything different than what this video is responding to so...
Thanks for the informative video. The comments thread was interesting, too, which is not something I would normally say. From my perspective, you gave some intelligent, thoughtful answers. I'm a novice to tube amp function, so I never really knew if there was a proper way to go about turning the amp on and off, and I never knew if there was a way to do it that might harm the amp, or speaker. I've inferred a lot of vague, mythical advice on tube amp operation over the years lacking in any sort of explanation that made sense to me. I'm guessing that outside of outright abuse, that the occurrences to be expected in normal operation of an amp used by a musician are thresholds that would be over engineered to ensure proper function in any decently built tube amp. That is my perspective as a user, the technical aspect is quite a bit over my head.
Dude, you just dont understand the genereal purpose of that standby. Turning down a volume knob does not affect the current flowing inside the valves and standby feature does. It turns on and off the positive anode voltage gently from zero to hundreds of volts, depends of an amps model. You should go and read at least how valve amplifiers work in depths before posting such bullshit, seriously.
+Enlightened One I understand perfectly how a standby switch works. The point is it doesn't actually benefit your amp in any way, it's there to make servicing safer for the repairer. Shutting down voltage to the valve does nothing for the user. You seem to have mistaken this for me saying the standby switch is the same as a volume control. What I was saying is that for the user, the only effect the standby has is a mute button. You should take time to watch and understand the video before telling me what I don't know.
At first, when theres no positive voltage on the plate, valve will work just as lightbulb, all amplification function will remain off exactly like if you turn off your amp. So when you practice and going to make a short break, answer the phone or take a shit etc, the standby feature will be useful save of valves life cycle. And then, you failed with reading my thoughts. What i heard from the vid was "turning down the volume control is actually BETTER than standby switch". So, if you understand that there is two absolutely different purposes for that things, why u even try to complain it?
Seems reasonable... I have an old Gibson Falcon amp... 54 years without a standby switch... it persists... still sporting some of it's original tube compliment... it's awesome...
I have heard that Standby switch is there for servicing purpose also. It may provide an easier and safer way to drain the high voltage caps. It make total sense in a letal high voltage risk environment.
I've had a the same fender tube amp since 1980 and I've never used the standby switch. It hasn't ever affected the tubes period. I've replaced power tubes on it two or three times since I got it. Preamp tubes I switch every now and then when some new trend like jj or groove tubes or whatever is the new thing comes along. This video is correct.
I'm fairly new to the tube Amp world, got my Bugera Boutique amp a couple years ago. The manual says when you turn it off, you can ignore the standby switch. So at least they are embracing and spreading the truth!
Thanks for the knowledge bomb bro... I always wondered why my local amp tech would unabashedly jerk the power cord out my amp when he was done showing me how he fixed it without paying any attention to the standby function
Yes! I’ve been saying this since the 80’s but got shouted down for decades. I don’t use mine. Never have and never will! My standby switch is permanently on and I power up with the main switch. Amp stays on for the whole gig or rehearsals until I’m done! In 40 years of playing and 1000’s of gigs I’ve had two amp failures and nowt to do with a bloody standby switch! 👍👍
It's not really for the tubes for the amp it's for your ears or anyone else listening. Mainly so you don't have to hear the sounds of a guitar plugging and unplugging. Or weird sounds in the amp can make when it turns off
When I don't have a standby on an amp, or especially if I want to switch instruments, I use a Radial BigShot ABY or EFX, or something similar to switch off the live feed to the amp.. They are handy for that even when you have a standby switch!
the only use that i can now think of for a standby switch would be for recording purposes if you want to shut the amp up without adjusting the volume level on the amp, great video :D
I have always been told that as a rule of thumb, if your amp is tube rectified you benefit from a standby switch. These are usually older circuit designs {AC-30, Tweed era Fenders, early Marshalls until the 1959 and 1987}. Diode rectified circuits don't need them, which is what most tube amps are these days {modern designs}. There still are some boutique builders using tube rectified circuits so check with the builder or tube sheet which is usually applied to the cabinet. You can also remove the back panel and see for yourself if you know what your looking at. It was originally designed to prolong the life of this tube. The 1965 JMI era AC-30 I used to have had no Standby, neither did the 1958 Deluxe I had so many years ago {wish I had them back today!}
many will say the exact opposite. solid state rectified amps should use the standby for powerup and tube rectified amps don't benefit from this practice.
It's not just the valves you should consider when applying a high voltage to a circuit. Any switching of 300 or 400 volts to a board with capacitors and all sorts of other bits puts a small stress on those components. They will be designed to take it, but if you do it too often, there is a chance of component failure. Leaving the voltage on is less stressful than switching off and on. As someone else commented, I use the standby when switching guitars to avoid the buzz. It just easier than turning the volume down and up. If the standby was absent, I wouldn't bother switching the amp off, I'd put up with the buzz or turn the volume down. An amp not having a standby switch wouldn't stop me buying it though.
I really appreciated this video Collin but you just didn't mention an important thing which can make big difference and cause issues. It's all about right what you said on the futility of the standby switch concerning saving the life-time of the tubes but what about the filter capacitors on the rectification side of the circuit? If they are not properly dimentioned in terms of voltage peak, without using the standby switch you can easily blow off them. Since initially the tubes are cold there isn't voltage drop through them, so if the amp isn't well enginered, or the manufacturer has saved on components, you are just shortening your capacitor's life-time... and not saving your tubes as well! Nowdays big reservoir capacitors are pretty inexpensive and manufacturers tends to use properly dimentioned ones, but honestly (as amp technician...ish) on commercial amplifiers, expecially cheap ones, I suggest to keep using the standby switch. Hopefully not as a mute switch as a lot of people does, because leaving hot tubes without applying tension on plates can eventually cause some issues tho...
In live situations the standby switch has been extremely useful for me. Being able to mute the amp while still keeping everything hot when I'm not on stage is so useful, since turning the volume down would inevitably mean I turn it back up to the wrong level and mess up the balance on stage. Good video though!
It may keep the tubes "hot" but actually in a lot of cases will put the amp back into a low power state and when you switch it back on will send a rush of voltage into the power tubes which is not exactly good for them..it's not the gradual build up of voltage your tubes would normally get if you had the standby on and then powered up initially.
Hello Colin...I've been watching your videos for nye on two years and I can tell you that they are the best music/gear related vids on youtube...I've been a musician for far more years than I care to remember but I always learn something from the vids you put out. Good job mate. Cheers, Mike.
Honestly, I'm still glad it's on there, it's much easier to set everything up for a gig, then flick it on and off when I'm not there then leaving it on and getting a shit load of feedback from my guitar or pissing about with the volume every time.
Agree with the video and normally don't install a standby on a build. Worth noting, if you've just turned off the amp and the tubes are still hot then bringing it back on without SB can easily draw a large current. I just took out a mains fuse doing this.
Great to hear your comment on the SB switch. It was indeed copy'd from early Fender amps. Although the first amp from uncle Leo had no SB switch either. L Fender was in his early days a radio service man an he worked on receivers and transmitters. Transmitters work on a very high voltage to get the high power for transmitting. As you said there was the standby switch useful. In my naval radio time I always used the SB switch from transmitters. But on my own build guitar amps never. absolute rubbish
My Laney Ironheart doesn't have a standby switch and I have to admit I was nervous about the lack of it but after a while I realised turning down the volume to switch guitars was fine. This video has killed off the last of my reluctance so thank you 👍🍺
I can add another good reason for keeping standby at on all the time. I was playing a gig fairly recently, and we were the first band on, so we'd left our stuff on stage post-soundcheck. My amp was on standby, and we got on stage to play. I strum my guitar to check it's working and... it isn't. I had a miniature heart attack which only got stronger when I hear the drummer counting in. Luckily I realised about a beat before we started, but I'll happily 'risk' my amp breaking to avoid that feeling happening again!
I use it because I turn the amp on and then pick up the guitar cable and then grab my guitar and plug in. I don’t get any pops and unwanted noise. I use it to switch guitars too for the same reason, it’s silent. I don’t know jack about electronics, but I’d just rather not hear noise, unless I’m making it on purpose.
@@ScienceofLoud well there you go throwing logic at me. I totally understand your point. It evolved into a myth and people think it’s vital to their amp. My black heart amp doesn’t have a standby. But since my other one does, I figure I might as well use it since it there.
It's nice to have as a mute when recording so that the levels don't change at all if you need to take a break. If your volume knobs are changed at all, you could end up getting an inconsistent level, and gain structure, which could impact how and when your amp breaks up. Most people could live without it, but it does have its uses.
Thank you so much for that information. I’ve been messing with that damn fender standby switch since 1974. I’m going to try it your way for a change. That’s what I get for trusting instrument salesman as a kid. Again thank you. Postscript watching your UA-cam videos are better than taking a pull from the mason jar and watching Rob Roy. You are informative and entertaining.
FYI, the standby does more than turn down the volume. I tested my Peavey, Vox, and Marshall using a "kill-a-watt" device to measure power consumption. The power use literally doubles when you pop that standby on, and goes back down when off. If you are like me and have 3 amps on at one time, you can save yourself about 150 watts if you decide to take a break for a bit.
I heard Fender used the standby switch to keep from over voltage on the filter caps during startup. Fender used lower voltage filter caps because they were cheaper. The higher voltage caps were double the money, and wiring in a cheap switch was easy.
As taken from the valvewizard website: Pro (of a standby switch): 2.Reduces the chance of arcing in direct-coupled valves, e.g. cathode followers Since most valve amps use cathode followers to drive the tone stack, which is inherently badly designed to begin with (but also what makes it sound amazing), most amps should use a standby switch just for the warmup procedure. Also any amp with an elevated heater supply will benefit from a standby switch warmup.
Honestly I like having the standby as just an easy mute switch so I can keep my volume controls set to how I like them. Though I wouldn't mind dropping standby switches for mute functions. I have a mute function on my Dual Rectifier and honestly it's a great feature more amps should have.
Agreed. If you have a valve rectifier then plate voltage isn’t applied to the power/pre valves until the rectifier heats up anyway.. taking out the standby switch opens up options for adding a pot or switch for mods too..
"WAIRS MY STENDBY SWITSH?! WELL MY AMP BREEK?!"
+Ndlanding oh stick your own head up an arse. It made me laugh and it's obvious he was doing it for comedic effect.
Why don't the lot of you all stick your heads up ten dog's arses and see where that'll take you.
I thought this was very funny!
My wife agree's, the original comment is hilarious! And she is a clansman (a Cameron by birth)...
TheFissnoc your head seems to be stuck up an arse. Not a dog, maybe more like your own arse.
P.S. I just felt like being edgy.........
First the cake was a lie and then you drop this on!!!
you need to read between the lies ---
SLAYERRRRR!!!!! \m/
Portal. Yes. You just referenced Portal. My nerd is coming out hardcore at the moment and the Portal tattoo on my leg is tingling. Seriously though. Portal. Yes.
My Name is Fred Fredburger... Yes!
The cake wasn't even a lie
Check out our PM article on this?it's a lot more in-depth I don't know this dude
Using a standby switch instead of the volume control can be more useful when recording in a studio though because it means you maintain the same volume before and after muting the amp.
Also works for live and band practice and home studio rehearsal ;)
Yep also a convienent mute when you unplugging or pluging another guitar. Turn down the volume pot is not a god solution for me; my fender amp is very sensitive, some times with just less than a milimeter of movement on the pot, it goes from not enough lowd to "Dude i can't hear the drums any more 😁" Géneraly when i finished a balance i put Duck Tape on it so it wont move any more.
I just pull out the jack plug out a little, dis-engaging the connection! Keeps the valves cookin and saves settings - I also stomp on the Boss tuner which mutes it too !
Good point
I see this one replacing the tonewood argument
All the components in your guitar Will affect the tone of it :)
It's like toanwoodz is about toanz..... if you use the correct toanwoodz, you can achieve Sl00shtoanz (Sl00sh, the guy with the tophat))
(in fact it's a grade of wood, which has nothing to do with creating a certain tone, but everything with stability, easy of fabrication and looks)
Seriously. Tried explaining this to some one the other day. Got pretty heated.
BlurpGooDiJabba Thats true
omaigahh lol sht is crazy.
I build my own amps, from my own schematics, that I created from scratch. The info in this video is 99.9% true. But it didn't go into how standby switches came into existence in the first place. The problem is that when you switch on an amp, the voltage will be applied to the circuit before it can start drawing current. Which means the voltage spikes sky high at turn on and then settles down over the course of 11-20 seconds. For most circuits in an amp, this is just fine, but when Leo Fender first made the Fender Bassman he used a cathode follower to drive the EQ controls. What's a cathode follower? Well, without getting too technical, Leo Fender decided to use a CF because it had a more ideal output impendence to drive EQ controls. However, the down side is that the output of the CF circuit means that the pre-amp tube's cathode is sitting at a high voltage. Pre-amp tube cathodes typically only sit at 2-6 volts, while on a CF circuit, the cathode can sit at HUNDREDS of volts! Unlike the plate of the preamp tube, the cathodes weren't really designed to handle this much abuse, and Leo Fender found that at start up those cathodes saw even higher voltages, which could cause them to ark, which could cause damage to the amp. The kind of damage you need a repairman to fix. So, Leo Fender's solution was to add a standby switch to the Fender Bassman. And of course, Marshall copied the Bassman when they made the JTM45, and Marshall didn't make too many more chances to their designs for many years, and now we're all stuck with standby switches. Which isn't really all that bad because like the Bassman, almost all Marshalls have cathode follower circuits. At this point, the CF is a big ingredient to what makes the Marshall sound.
The good news is that even with a CF circuit, a standby switch isn't really necessary, because any decent amp engineer can create a CF circuit that built in ark protection. If all this sounds too confusing and has you worried, then there's a few simple rules you can use that shouldn't fail you. 1) If it's an old hand wired amp that dates before the 1980's, then that stand by switch is pretty important. 2) CF circuits are almost always the pre-amp tube closest to the phase inverter and the phase inverter is almost always closest to the power tubes. So the 2nd pre-amp tube closest to the power tubes is typically your cathode follower. NEVER use an old NOS tube for a CF and don't use new production Tung-Sols. Ideally, you should use beefy short plate pre-amp tubes here like a Chinese 12ax7 or perhaps a JJ. Note that even under ideal situations, some cathode stripping will happen to all CF circuits, and you should replace them regularly (say once a year if you play 12 hours a week).
I sometimes use CFs in my own circuits, but by and large I don't use them. I prefer to drive tone controls from the output of the pre-amp tube's plate, which is how Fender Blackface amps do it. I find I prefer EQ response more. Ironically, the one Marshall amp that did drive it's EQ from a pre-amp tube's plate was the venerable Silver Jubilee.
Alva Goldbook hey, why shouldnt you use old NOS and new Tung Sols? Also, thanks for knowledge!
The easiest way to prevent DC coupled cathode followers from creating internal arcs is to connect a diode from the what would be grid leak resistor of the cathode follower to the cathode of the cathode follower. This will ensure that on start up (diode engaged) the cathode will stay within a few 10s of volts of the grid and then when the cathode is heated and biased, the diode switches off and doesn't affect anything. I would also highly recommend using a DC coupled cathode follower somewhere in their circuit as they add in their own distortion that can't be obtained by regular overdrive and turns a real fuzzy/harsh preamp overdrive into a more creamy sounding overdrive.
Reference: www.valvewizard.co.uk/dccf.html
+1 on driving the EQ from the plate.
When I do want a buffer before the EQ I go for a IRF820 MOSFET. Horror, horror!
I'm not a purist or a silicon-o-phobe ;)
That's one of the reasons. The other is that Fender cheaped out on the HV filter caps and used a voltage rating that was sufficient for the steady-state voltage when all the valves were warm and drawing current, but were a bit underrated for the higher voltage at startup when the valves were still cold. Thus, the standby switch was a cheap insurance policy to keep the stress off the filter caps.
@@DefconMaster The standby switch is wired after the HV filter caps in usual Fender and Marshall builds. It has to be wired after the first one at least in a tube rectifier build because if not, the tube rectifier can blow up... which was a problem for some old Vox amps.
I'm extra safe. I have 2 standby switches.
One of them is labeled "Standby To Standby"
It's great for taking a break in the studio. You cant mess with the volume once you're tracking. It's also good to use if your amp has a speaker pop when you turn it on. If you are using an amp in the studio it's preferred to have a standby. That's why most high end amps include them.
Well, every Mesa Boogie manual: "The STANDBY switch turns off the high voltages inside the amplifier while allowing the tube filaments to stay warm and ready for immediate use. It’s a good practice to turn on the A.C. power with this switch in the STANDBY position, allowing the tubes 30 seconds or so to warm up. This procedure prevents tube problems and increases their toneful life substantially."
Marshall Plexi manual: "The Standby Switch is used in conjunction with the Power Switch (item 1) to ‘warm up’ the amplifier before use and to prolong the life of the output valves. When powering up the amplifier always engage the Power Switch (item 1) first. This allows the application of the voltage required to heat the valves to their correct operating temperature. After about 2 minutes, when the valves are up to the correct temperature, the Standby Switch can be engaged. Upon doing this the H.T. (High Tension) which is the high voltage required by the output valves to pass signal (and hence produce sound) is applied. Your amp should be completely powered down before the selector is turned. To prolong valve life, the Standby Switch alone should be used to turn the amplifier on and off during breaks in a performance. Also, upon full power down, always disengage the Standby Switch prior to the main Power Switch (item 1)"
EVH 5150 amps manual: ". STANDBY-Place this switch in the OFF position to put the amp in STANDBY mode. This should be done when taking a break from playing or before turning the amp POWER to OFF as outlined above in the POWER section. Using the STANDBY mode prolongs the life of the tubes in the amp."
Ampeg V4B: ". STANDBY-Place this switch in the OFF position to put the amp in STANDBY mode. This should be done when taking a break from playing or before turning the amp POWER to OFF as outlined above in the POWER section. Using the STANDBY mode prolongs the life of the tubes in the amp."
So, I assume all these tube amp manufacturers have no idea about the sacred truth of no need for a Standby switch, right?
2:05 that is probably one of my favorite Collin moments of all time.
The Mad Ginger did you see 3:56 ?
That was pretty great too.
He kinda sounds like the Monthy Python guys when they are playing women
The Mad Ginger will my amp brikk?
When taking a break I like to use the standby switch to make it quiet. It's just easier than the volume knob. I would propably forget the exact position of the knob and it would mess up my in-ear mix. Even though the switch doesn't protect the valves in any way it's a nifty little thing to have.
Jukka Pesonen I think you hit the nail on the head. I mean this is the only valid reason I can think of using a standby switch so as to not affect the whole mix while playing a show not just the inner ear volume or monitor volume.
Yeah, but he does point out that switches die faster than pots, so there's that.
Boss Tu-3 or similar tuner pedal achieves the same effect plus, unlike a standby switch, actually serves a purpose.
Lance Toth I'm never in that much hurry :D
VintageSG I've actually noticed with my Marshall that even if I switch on the tuner the od channel still makes that hiss. And the amp already has it so I'll just use it.
And in just a single video, everything I thought I knew is in the bin. Knowledge is power as they say, and you don't need a standby switch on that either ha ha! Great video Colin! :)
Pete Cottrell knowledge is power if you know the facts! Like he did
No.... It can't..... Not unless you purchased it from AliExpress......smh.....Stop with the misinformation. Somehow, tube amplifiers got along just fine for decades without a standby switch. Go educate yourself on the subject please.
All of you seem to have a real problem with getting your knobs in the right place.
Can't say I've ever had that issue.
Du dun tiss.
Frankly i just use the switch when changeing guitars so i dont get that BRRRRRR noise
I think this only happens in fender, and only in the models that have messed up volume knob (hot rod deluxe is the only one I'm sure has this problem). Many owners replace the volume pot with non-linear one:
"The volume pot is a linear taper (B) pot, i dont remember the value, but it does say what it is on the pot inside your amp. Get the same value pot from your local electronics store, except make sure it is an Audio taper (A) pot. Replace. Easy."
Basically, I think Fender messed up - I have played a lot of gigs with that amp and have never found any benefits of linear volume pot when playing loud.
Try an old traynor. The master volumes on these amps are so sensitive. My YGL3-3A is at least. At 1 the amp is too quiet to play with a band, and at 2 your eardrums starts to bleed... (With the preamp on 10 to have a nice crunch)
So yeah i use the standby to mute the amp :P
human lobster project, I had the same issue with my 1998 Fender Hot Rod Deville 410, when it was on "2" it was so absurdly LOUD, it was completely unusable! I solved the issue the same way you did, had an audio taper pot installed...it's much more controllable and had absolutely NO negative effect on the amp's tone. Fender finally figured this out (or actually listened to their customers), the Hot Rod III series now has a usable master volume taper!
They seem to ignore the problem on all their other amps though. This is a Fender "feature".
Standby switches were designed long before guitar stands. Whenever I finished playing, my bass would either be left leaning against the cab or laying on top of the amp. The standby switch disables any mad feedback howl that would inevitably happen 5 seconds after walking away from it. Very useful in live pub jam sessions.
You do realise rolling down the volume control on the instrument will achieve that too, right?
@@ScienceofLoud Try telling that to drunken musicians getting up and using your gear.
@@zibbezabba2491 That sounds like you just can't secure your own equipment correctly...
@@ScienceofLoud Yes I can, I use the standby switch.
Why not have just turned the volume off on the bass?
After doing some research it seems like amps with older solid state rectifiers need to be turned on before the standby switch is flipped on to prevent high voltage from surging into tubes that aren't ready for it, or amps that have indirectly heated tubes and a directly heated rectifier. However, most modern tube amps have inrush current limiters to prevent this from happening and thus eliminating the need for a Standby switch, for older amps though it's still necessary to flip the standby on after the tubes warm up. I found some pretty reliable articles from manufacturers like Peavey and Fender that explain that it is not as black and white as you mention.
I kinda like the standby. What if I want my amp to be quiet while taking a break from recording and I don't want to mess with any of the settings for the sake of continuity?
Edit July 2022: I have a solid state now, it's no longer an issue. 😂
Totally agree.
Then just turn it off
Ooh ooh what if you turned the volume down on your guitar
Or have a volume pedal on your pedalboard/multi-fx. I couldn't see myself playing without one.
Jordan Powers Ooh ooh what if the amp still hums, because the guitar is not a part of the amp
You're absolutely correct! Since I stopped using my standby switches (over a decade ago), I rarely have problems with amps or tubes. My tubes remain quiet and eventually wear down gracefully. I just turn the amps on with volume, gain and reverb turned down completely. I turn volume and gain down before turning amps off. On set breaks, I simply turn the volume down. The amp builder who made several of my amps quit installing standby's on his amps a number of years back.
You could avoid messing with your settings by just switching the standby switch...
I've been making amps for 30 years and... You're totally right! But if I make an amp without sdby they get mad at me. So I keep putting it. Sad bu true...
To save myself a whole bunch of time answering things individually, I'm going to post links as replies to this thread so you can do your own research.
www.wamplerpedals.com/news/blog/talking-about-gear/should-i-put-my-amp-on-standby
www.valvewizard.co.uk/standby.html
debontamps.com/standby-switches/
www.londonpower.com/standby-switch
CSGuitars What bass(es) do you have?
That's some useful information, I'll definitely use it in 10-20 years when I buy my first tube amp...
Zachary Volt you can get a nice tube amp without spending a ton. Why would it take 20 years
Because I have no money. And no way to get money. Also, I prefer to spend more money on the guitars than the amps.
I'd switch that up. I spent about $1200 for a USED Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier and a Marshall 4x12 cab and spent only about $300 for my guitar and upgraded the pickups to EMG 81 in the bridge and 60 in the neck, which was about $220 or 230. So there is a huge difference there. But, I wouldnt have done it any other way. The amp sounds great, plus I have a Line 6 Pod HD500x with a whole bunch of effects and pedals. But I put a colordrive overdrive simulator on it and boom sounds great.
Now, I'm not saying spend $1200 for an amp but put a little bit more money in the amp then worry about a guitar. Or go half and half, spend the money for an ok guitar and an ok tube amp.
I see it this way: You can get an okay guitar for $120 and an expensive amp and cab for $1000 to $2000, or get a great guitar for upwards of $300, and a great amp (Marshall CODE, Orange Micro, etc.) for around $200 - $500 (maybe even free if you use an amp sim.)
Its difficult to get a good sound out of a cheap guitar, but there are great inexpensive amps out there, so in my opinion, you should spend more on the guitar.
On a side note, cheaper guitars tend to be harder to play, because they can sometimes have small, yet important, tasks left undone, like some fretwork and specific nut trimming and fitting.
you can get into a tube amp/cab for much cheaper than that TBH, don't think all of them are that outrageous.
It's a good addition for if you're using the amp in the studio. If you're taking a break and already have the right volume set being able to mute the amp while the tubes are still hot is much more convenient than dialing in the volume again
I just treat it as a mute like you mentioned.
Mike G don't,please don't believe an idiot on youtube,find a professional about electronics before you blow your tubes.
Jude Diaz
Thanks Jude, it's a good point but if you go through Colin's stuff you'll see he's not an idiot. There's an amp builder who looks after my stuff too. :-)
read this article, written by a man who has written several books on tube amp design.
www.valvewizard.co.uk/standby.html
standbys are still bullshit.
HaloMaster10093 you realize he’s also a licensed engineer right
Honestly, a mute function (no matter if its called "standby" or else) is great, because you don't mess with the volume control, which might have been a chore to get right.Plus obviously you don't get any noises when actually shutting down the amp (though that could be solved otherwise as well).
I agree. I have the PRS MT15 which has an incredibly sensitive volume knob for the lead channel. A slight change of the knob will make the amp very loud or dead quiet. That's why I like the standby switch as mute switch
I built my homebrew amp with adequately rated filter caps, with heater elevation and arc protection components on the cathode follower. A standby switch is totally unnecessary, but I did include one. It's a switch which grounds the wiper of the volume control and is labelled 'mute'.
It's also really nice for switching guitars, unplugging or plugging in pedals
I think I've used it to change my speaker configuration before? I'm not sure if that's actually safe though
@@redderm Yes, that is one of the real benefits of a standby switch. Being able to switch amps or cabs, without damaging the transformer.
Although, I think you can do the same by rolling down the volume on the amp. But its just so much easier just to flick the standby switch lol.
It's like pressing B + Up when I'm catching a Pokémon.
I've been doing it for over fifteen years, and know it does absolutely nothing, but it FEELS like it helps.
I don't play guitar.
Gordj Scott it's B + down
+Xavier Tech and Music B + up increases catching likelihood, B + down decreases it.
UP+B is ingrained in to my muscle memory, I couldn't stop doing it if I wanted to
Xavier Tech and Music It doesn't particularly matter which variation of buttons I'm supposed to press, as it's never going to work anyway.
Gordj Scott lmfao this is the best comment ever!
I modify, repair, and build amplifiers and I say you are 1/2 way correct on this issue. The standby switch is very useful when A- repairing an amp B - on a fresh build. On a fresh build if you have an issue many times during the initial "warm up" you can identify a problem before you blast it with hundreds of volts. Amplifiers with tube rectifiers, the standby is 100% not needed, It takes a minute or so for rectifier tube to generate the current needed for the amp to have enough power to amplify. However, with solid state the high voltages are developed much faster and can shorten the life of your tubes. By how much depends on the quality of the tubes and how often you turn the amp on & off. You NEVER need to flip off the standby and then wait a minute or so to turn off the power, switch turn them off together and no harm will come to your amp. Bottom line is, if your amp has a standby switch use it, if not don't worry about it. On another note, you mentioned standby switches wearing out faster than your volume pot, it would take years to wear out a quality switch in a good quality amp.
The only reason i can see why a standby switch would be beneficial for
solid state rectified amps is if the filter caps are only rated for 450-475V. If you switch on HV before the tubes are fully heated and conducting then they aren't yet presenting a load to the power supply, and the B+ voltage in the amp can exceed the voltage rating of the caps.
I just turned on the power switch and standby switch at the same time on my mesa boogie amp sim vst and blew the simulated power tubes. :D
Im surprised he hasnt told you that you are full of shit . Because thats what the dick said to me . I mean.. i have a triple rec. A 1999. Thats 21 YEARS old. Mesa said it "shouldn't " do that. However it did. Yet this fuckwit couldn't get it through his head rhat despite his opinion... it happened.
Andrew Jack probably because you are full of shit.
Agreed. Good bit of information. Standby makes a good mute switch. I have had many vintage tube amps and tube radios from the 40's and 50's. No standby switches. They are all original tubes except for some updated power chords, and they still work perfectly. I turn them on, and they start to put out sound when they are good and ready. Rock on C!
I personally use standby switch when I'm switching my guitars in live situations... also when I want to mess around with different pedals and put them in or out of the loop. In general, standby switch comes in handy when you want to mute your amp in a recording situation, cause you don't want to touch the volume knob on your amplifier or else you would be shoot dead by the recording engineer.
Mind blown! I have religiously used the standby on my Mesa Dual Rectifier since the day I bought it. Now I don't have to wait those few annoying minutes to start playing or to turn off my amp. Thanks Colin!
Far too many people now are obsessed with equipment and technicalities yet the music they make is utterly pedestrian mulch...
On the Marshall JVM series, the standby switch also engages Silent Recording mode via the emulated output socket. You can operate your amp without a cab in this condition. The emulated output sounds great, by the way.
When Collin's pissed you know shit's real 😂
I read the links you posted the following is from Mesa Boogie on how the switch works: The STANDBY shuts down part of the high voltage to the power tubes so that they can rest at idle without wear. It provides a start-up procedure (follow the Cold Start procedure… wait at least 30 seconds after powering up with the POWER switch before turning the STANDBY to ON). This reduces the shock on cold power tubes and increases their life. The STANDBY is also great for muting the sound during speaker changes and should also be used to cool the amp down during set breaks or when swapping tubes.
I had heard the myth on several videos and when I bought my first valve amp (a Fender Super Champ X2), I was a little worried that it didn't have a standby switch. Good to know that I've got nothing to worry about. Thanks a lot, Colin!
the tubes can handle it very well. on the other hand some guys here cannot...
I agree with you about the standby switch. There was a guy who made tube guitar amps years back and did not want to put standby switches in them but only after players/customers kept requesting it he added the standby switch. His name was Leo Fender.
obviously everyone knows you're supposed to only use your standby switch as a clean boost.
Great video, don't know if you know this but a standby switch can actually damage tubes by causing cathode poisoning ( oxidation of the cathode of a tube) which happens when the cathode is heated but no current flows through the anode causing a high-resistance chemical layer to be formed between the cathode tube and the barium layer of the cathode. It is called interface resistance growth and it can shorten the life of a tube.
I do know about it, but decided to not include it as the jury is still out on whether or not cathode poisoning is actually a threat or not.
There is little evidence to be conclusive either way, but I did hear that old valve jukeboxes would sit on standby until a coin was put in. Those things would sit in the corner of pubs switched on for hours without music playing through them, and the valves would run for years without needing replaced.
Whether that holds any water or not is a different story, and who can tell if poisoning was hindering the performance of the jukebox and people were just too drunk to notice?
not on guitar amps.
I actually use my standby switch as a mute switch. 😛
Same here
Thank You! Finally someone made sense of this for me. I've been using Line 6 gear forever but was given a great deal on a Fender Twin '65 Re-Issue.When I put a tube driver and delay on it I was knocked out at the God like noise that came from it, it changed my life and approach to playing, but I was concerned about the standby and my lack of knowledge on it as I didn't want to damage my "lost arc".Every video I watched left me more confused than the last, I admit I'm not the most tech savvy guy and I know about guitars more than amps so thanks again for the no b.s. breakdown, new sub.
Actually there are various scenarios where a standby switch is beneficiary. For instance, amps that feature cathode follower gain stages, can short out a preamp tube if not warmed up enough. There are also designs where bias voltage comes in (and out) rather slowly. You don't want to put plate voltage on a tube without negative bias.
It is not unknown for DC coupled cathode followers to still flash over even when a standby switch is utilised "properly"
Reference: www.valvewizard.co.uk/dccf.html
Just saw a video of another amp tech talking about it. He mentioned that actually those standby switches, creates an inrush current that may damage even more the amp.
Thanks for that great and concise video!
Neither of my tube combos even have standby switches. My Vox AC30 head had it and I never used it because it would shorten the life of the tube rectifier.
You may be interested to know that the original AC30s didn't have a standby switch, it was only later models and reissues that got them after the standby craze fully caught on and people started to question why it wasn't there.
And when they did fit one, they put it between the tube rectifier and the reservoir (first filter) cap. This meant that when switching out of standby the poor rectifier saw the discharged filter caps, almost a dead short, resulting in quite a few dead rectifier tubes. So they fitted a resistor in parallel with the switch so that the filter caps could charge during standby, thus making the standby switch pointless.
Mr Colin: I’ve been doing everything correctly for decades but no clue about the standby story, so thanks for that.
Question about leaving amp on (with volume down, of course). I’ve always turned my amp off if I’m not going to be playing longer than a half hour or so. But, some players claim you can literally leave an amp on indefinitely as #1, it doesn’t use much power and #2, it’s actually better for the valves, the less they are powered on and off. One gent said his wife gets angry because he prefers to leave his amp on, most of the time. Thank you, sir!
I like it for convenience's sake, I dont have to remember what volume I was at :')
You know, I wondered about this. Since I'm not really a musician, I used to spot what kind of amp was valve or solid state by the presence of lack of Standby. However, I am trained electronic tech and could never wrap my head around the concept. When I bought a 15W Marshall valve amp and there was no Standby, I shrugged it off, because clearly Marshall wouldn't have eliminated the switch if it was going to mean the amps were busting tubes constantly. But every time I look at the panel, I wondered what happened with Standby. Now I know!
Love your work Colin; you're a great help to us hobby players.
Well ma amp breek? Freakin' hilarious!!!
I still laugh at this :D
Standby switches are easier to get to if a cable shorts. Muting the amp for rig changes and warming the tubes. I always use the power switch to shut down the amp, drains the caps, and don't touch the standby until I want to power up again. Great video on an overlooked item.
Hey, when will 'will it shred' finally be concluded?
When the clear coat cures enough that I can work on it again.
CSGuitars Finally! we've been waiting more then 2 years for this!
+CSGuitars How many more episodes you think it'll take? Coming on great
Colin's best video ever! The manufacturers would rather install a redundant switch that hire someone to run a switchboard to field "where's my standby switch" questions.
BARRY
I visited an old valve radio shop a few days ago. Those old radios look awesome! Anyway, he turned them on and played music and I instantly noticed there was no standby switch either. And those radios really work forever!
Musicians are so gullible when it comes to the technical specifications of their gear... I am an electronics engineer (more specifically I will be one within a year) and am often ashamed about these things. Also pricing of things like effect pedals. Only musicians and apple users accept such ridiculous prices.
I simply refuse to buy a Fuzz Face for that reason. There is no justification for a price tag of over £100 for what amounts to pennies worth of components.
More complex effects I can see the merit of paying for, especially if they are from small manufacturers who aren't benefiting from bulk component pricing and assembly line construction.
Products are only worth what people are willing to pay for them. That promise of 'better tone' is one juicy carrot to dangle.
Any other examples of overpriced gear? I would love that in a video.
amorte666 I'm not entirely sure, but I guess no amplifier has to cost more than 1k. Haven't built one though, so I can't say that for sure.
A lot of it comes down to human involvement.
After a certain point amps and guitars aren't made by machines, but by people.
And the time of a skilled engineer is a costly thing. The price stops being about the physical item, and starts being about the human care and attention that went into producing it.
Tone City Pedals, boutique hardware in an epiphone, and a rebuilt peavey classic 100, run in at just under a grand total, and sounds fantastic. Sure I'd love a Gibson, a Marshall, and a Klon, but that's ten thousand compared to one thousand, and if you've heard the Tone City pedals you'll know this rig sounds phenomenal.
Merlin Blencowe and Kevin O'Conner are writing about the standby switch from the perspective of new amp designs. Techs and amp designers are their target audience. The Standby switch protects the power supply capacitors.
Switching on both "Power" and "standby" puts the full, unsagged B+ voltage to all the power supply capcitors. WHen there is no current draw (cold heaters) , there is no voltage drop. The whole amp is hit with full B+. Preamp capacitors that would see less than 300V when an amp is warmed up, may see 500V or more when the amp is cold. The common peavey 5150 is an example of an amp that has a B+ when in standby that can be as high as 510V. '69 plexis have B+ in excess of 520V when in standby. Problem is, you won't find any power supply capacitors rated at over 500V in either of these amps. Once a tube amp warms up, the current draw will "sag" the power supply and bring voltages below the rating of power supply capacitors. Any 50 watt or 100 watt amplifier will be running close to 500V B+, don't be tempted to think yours is an exception.
Using standby is not only convenient, it will save your power supply caps.
This is all true, and I think it's probably the real reason Fender added the original standby switches to their big amps -- to protect under-rated caps. But most capacitors have a surge rating that allows them to handle more voltage for a short period of time, usually about +10% for up to a minute. Tubes rarely take more than about 20 seconds to fully warm up. And all of this goes out the window on any amp with a GZ34 rectifier (like an AC30 or a 5F6A Bassman), which takes as long to warm up and pass high voltage DC as the power tubes take to start conducting, resulting in no surge at all.
Capacitor lifespan is a function of percentage of maximum rated voltage. Why abuse your investment? Plus, you are still ignoring the possibility of Grid to Cathode arc in cathode follower circuits. I don't see a compelling reason to promote this idea.
valves have a different tone when they're nice and hot. so when I'm getting ready to play I turn it on while it's on standby to get the tone while I'll getting my other gear. when I'm done playing I switch it to standby first so that the speaker doesn't pop when I cut the power. is all that reasonable?
100% reasonable and correct.
The tubes don't get "hot" with the amp on standby- the tubes aren't conducting and there's no plate voltage. The only thing that's happening is the filaments are glowing.
@@michaelwoods9005 why do you think the filaments are glowing, michael
Great video. It is such an example of a lie that just perpetuates amongst those that do not know anything about electronics. The switch is entirely unnecessary but yet everyone still thinks they are for when you take a beer break or have to take a piss. As you note in the video, just leave it on and don't touch it any more so you don't wear it out.
Bro.. probably the point of the standby is to stop the sound whilst you don't change the EQ that you programmed with the band!
A lot of pedals make the volume knob so sensitive that is hard to set it! so there comes the standby!!
This would only make sense if the switch was on solid state amps too. It isn't.
Plus most tube amp manuals specifically state you have the standby switch to protect your valves.
Yep!! I know that!! I believe that this is 1 more point hehehe
my Boss Katana which is solid state has a standby switch.
That makes sense especially when dealing with amps over 100 watts in a live setting. Messing with a volume pot that is exponentially sensitive is far more irritating than just switching a switch.
I don't see what is so hard about remembering to turn the volume pot to 11 when you are ready to engage. Really Colin needs to answer why the volume is a pot and not a switch.
Makes sense. I've got an early 60's Silvertone 1481 tube amp that hasn't got a standby switch. It simply has a power switch & takes roughly a minute to warm up & produce sound. That little booger is a beast of an amp, too. Beautiful cleans & nice breakup above mid level volume.
Jesus Christ... The Nazis who disagree can be painfully annoying sometimes. Why does it seem to physically HURT some people to be wrong?!
Bru741iX I'm afraid he's right, and no amount of personal insults you throw his way will stop him from being right.
CSGuitars has actually provided a whole bunch of links to technical articles in the comments, so you don't have to rely on the advertising copy provided by the amp companies you mention, but can in fact educate yourself on why standby switches serve no function on guitar amps.
Regarding your claims on valve life, I have a hot cathode biased EL84 amp (a configuration known to be hard on output valves) that is loaded with expensive Mullard, Dario and Tesla NOS valves, and I have never had premature valve failure (or indeed any valve failure) despite ignoring the standby switch for years. Indeed, as my amp has a hot-switched standby, it's actually far better for the rectifier valve to not have the stress of a standby switch placed on it.
But hey, hurling insults is easier than trying to learn something, so I suppose you could just keep doing that...
Scottish accent... fancy.... LOL.
Colin, my Blackstar HT20 doesn't even have a standby switch... although apparently you can put it in standby by pulling the lead out.
I purchased my first amp with a standby-switch lately and I love it. Yes, sure, you can turn down the volume but the switch is just more convenient.
BUT MUH STANDBY
You have some very valid points there Colin, but I just personally prefer to use the standby switch as opposed to turning the volume off as I find it's the most hassle-free way to mute the amp. But that's just me really, I prefer to preset things like my rhythm sound, my lead sound, pedal settings etc and to able to activate them at the flick of a switch as opposed to faffing about with knobs all the time.
NOoooooooo!!!!!
mine stops current hitting the power tubes though,so in standby mode they get no power whatsoever and thus they claim they prolong their life
It does stop current (as it disconnects high voltage from the tubes) but then fully hits them with a spike once you turn it on while they are heated up. An unheated tube is essentially a few metal plates in vacuum and with the relatively low voltages (compared to thousands of volts in something like transmission tubes as collin mentioned) in amp tubes, nothing really will happen and the current gradually increases during heatup, wich is always better than a spike for all components in the HV path.
Uzmeyer If you have the master vol turned to 0 there is no current hitting the heated tubes though.
Not really. There will be no signal on the grid of the tube, but in a regular push pull class AB amp your tubes idle at arround 70% of their rated max dissipation (aka 70% of the max current that the tube can handle at the voltage its running at), sometimes more or less depending on how you bias. The input on the grid just causes the tubes to conduct more or less, driving AC through the output transformer wich then drives the speaker. If you are really interested, i suggest reading valvewizard's website, especially the section about power amps and standby switching.
Uzmeyer I will thanks.
Love the way you explain things so plainly. I never heard all the valve stuff, I just assumed that was a mute, because it always got flicked accidently....killing my sound!
My amp tech who does tons of work for touring Pros, of whom I've been using since 1980, said the ONLY amp he said the standby is not needed is the Vox AC30. He said all other amps, if you dont use it, you ram the tubes w electricity. Decrease your tubes' life drastically. I back about everything you have done, but on this one, I believe my Tech. Might be a bunch of fried tubes coming...
+B. Scott Farthingsworth yet every other non guitar amp doesn't feature one and they don't blow valves.
Also, have you ever wondered what makes the AC30 different?
I'll tell you, it was produced before standby switches on guitar amps became common place, it was designed by people who knew it didn't need one.
The reissues have a standby switch because people started getting panicky about it not having one.
The technology in an AC30 is no different than in any other amp, if it doesn't need one then none of them do.
I'm afraid all the evidence is against your tech friend.
That is incorrect, your tubes get electricity as soon as the amp is switched on. Standby merely stops the signal from the output of the amp to the cabinet. Otherwise you couldnt warm your tubes up in standby mode because they wouldnt get electricity by your techs logic. For someone who works with touring pros he is remarkably ignorant of signal chain which i find suspect and questionable. I own tube amps and have years of sound engineering and musical experience and I trust Collin of CSGuitars enough to believe his video. That being said tubes should warm up a little but honestly 30 seconds to a minute is plenty.
CSGuitars your an idiot,please people,don't believe a guy on UA-cam,go find a professional and ask him about this stuff before you blow your tubes.
Right because its impossible for youtubers to also be professionals in the field. Speaking as a sound engineer, and someone who understands how amplifiers work the ONLY thing a standby does is prevent your signal from being sent to the speaker cones it literally does NOTHING ELSE. Otherwise you cant "let your tubes warm up". How would a tube warm up unless it gets electricity? Once an amp is on the tubes get juice. How is this so hard to comprehend? All a standby switch does is prevent the output of the amplifier to the speakers this is the reason an amp can have its tubes warmed up in standby mode -___-
Tube amps sound BETTER when pushed to their limits and after they have warmed up but there is nothing to say you need to keep it in standby for 5 or 10 minutes first.
why dont YOU go ask a professional and stop criticizing real professionals unless you know what you are talking about.
MetallenVikingr what ever,just don't cry when your tubes blow and you have to by new ones every so often.
Well that was some insight I wasn't expecting today.
Now I know I don't have to unnecessarily stress about waiting before playing my amp. Awesome.
Why didn't the guy who's considered a guru, that makes Victory Amps write a whole paragraph in the manual on why to use the Standby switch opposed to power? Not only that but specifically instructs the owner to turn the volume down before entering standby or powering off. Seems like a lot of trouble to explain how to use a switch that you've made a video about how useless it is. Not disputing your knowledge but you also didn't wire me $1500 CAD to pay for amp, nor did I to you and thus why I don't care what you do with your amplifiers.
I'd be very interested in reading the instructions outlined.
Most boutique amp manufacturers refuse to include the switch, so I'd be interested to learn if Victory are doing something different with their design that adds merit to the switch, or whether they, as many other companies do, include the information people are used to hearing in order to keep people happy.
Stephen H. Leo Fender was a guitar crafting guru but he still called a screw on neck a bolt on neck and a vibrato bar a tremolo bar. Just cause someone important said it, doesn't mean it's right.
CSGuitars from the Victory V40 user guide at www.victoryamps.com/uploads/2/3/7/0/23703557/victory_v40_manual_issue_1.pdf
HIGH - STANDBY - LOW Switch
The V40 should always be switched on, (mains switch on rear of amplifier), with this front panel toggle
switch in its centre position. The amplifier is now in ‘STANDBY’ mode with just the valve heaters and low
voltages on. This allows the valves to heat up before they get 100s of volts up them, (it’s less of a shock).
After around 60 seconds, the amp can be switch to either HIGH, (around 42watts rms) or LOW, (around 9
Watts rms)
And many other guru amps says otherwise www.wamplerpedals.com/news/blog/talking-about-gear/should-i-put-my-amp-on-standby Fortin, hamstead, trace davis etc etc
Stephen H. Well, I always like to check for myself, but I have my butchers I trust too, and your butcher doesn't really say anything different than what this video is responding to so...
Thanks for the informative video. The comments thread was interesting, too, which is not something I would normally say. From my perspective, you gave some intelligent, thoughtful answers. I'm a novice to tube amp function, so I never really knew if there was a proper way to go about turning the amp on and off, and I never knew if there was a way to do it that might harm the amp, or speaker. I've inferred a lot of vague, mythical advice on tube amp operation over the years lacking in any sort of explanation that made sense to me. I'm guessing that outside of outright abuse, that the occurrences to be expected in normal operation of an amp used by a musician are thresholds that would be over engineered to ensure proper function in any decently built tube amp. That is my perspective as a user, the technical aspect is quite a bit over my head.
Dude, you just dont understand the genereal purpose of that standby. Turning down a volume knob does not affect the current flowing inside the valves and standby feature does. It turns on and off the positive anode voltage gently from zero to hundreds of volts, depends of an amps model. You should go and read at least how valve amplifiers work in depths before posting such bullshit, seriously.
Then maybe share some links to real electronic engineer explain it in depth?
+Enlightened One I understand perfectly how a standby switch works. The point is it doesn't actually benefit your amp in any way, it's there to make servicing safer for the repairer. Shutting down voltage to the valve does nothing for the user.
You seem to have mistaken this for me saying the standby switch is the same as a volume control. What I was saying is that for the user, the only effect the standby has is a mute button.
You should take time to watch and understand the video before telling me what I don't know.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Enlightened One Not so enlightened after all huh?
At first, when theres no positive voltage on the plate, valve will work just as lightbulb, all amplification function will remain off exactly like if you turn off your amp. So when you practice and going to make a short break, answer the phone or take a shit etc, the standby feature will be useful save of valves life cycle.
And then, you failed with reading my thoughts.
What i heard from the vid was "turning down the volume control is actually BETTER than standby switch". So, if you understand that there is two absolutely different purposes for that things, why u even try to complain it?
Seems reasonable... I have an old Gibson Falcon amp... 54 years without a standby switch... it persists... still sporting some of it's original tube compliment... it's awesome...
I have heard that Standby switch is there for servicing purpose also.
It may provide an easier and safer way to drain the high voltage caps.
It make total sense in a letal high voltage risk environment.
I've had a the same fender tube amp since 1980 and I've never used the standby switch. It hasn't ever affected the tubes period. I've replaced power tubes on it two or three times since I got it. Preamp tubes I switch every now and then when some new trend like jj or groove tubes or whatever is the new thing comes along. This video is correct.
My favorite yt channel!!!! Praise be to Colin for leading us out of the light that drives us to sin
Into the light*
I'm fairly new to the tube Amp world, got my Bugera Boutique amp a couple years ago. The manual says when you turn it off, you can ignore the standby switch. So at least they are embracing and spreading the truth!
Thanks for the knowledge bomb bro... I always wondered why my local amp tech would unabashedly jerk the power cord out my amp when he was done showing me how he fixed it without paying any attention to the standby function
Yes! I’ve been saying this since the 80’s but got shouted down for decades. I don’t use mine. Never have and never will! My standby switch is permanently on and I power up with the main switch.
Amp stays on for the whole gig or rehearsals until I’m done!
In 40 years of playing and 1000’s of gigs I’ve had two amp failures and nowt to do with a bloody standby switch! 👍👍
It's not really for the tubes for the amp it's for your ears or anyone else listening. Mainly so you don't have to hear the sounds of a guitar plugging and unplugging. Or weird sounds in the amp can make when it turns off
When I don't have a standby on an amp, or especially if I want to switch instruments, I use a Radial BigShot ABY or EFX, or something similar to switch off the live feed to the amp.. They are handy for that even when you have a standby switch!
the only use that i can now think of for a standby switch would be for recording purposes if you want to shut the amp up without adjusting the volume level on the amp, great video :D
This has to be one of your best videos yet!
I have always been told that as a rule of thumb, if your amp is tube rectified you benefit from a standby switch. These are usually older circuit designs {AC-30, Tweed era Fenders, early Marshalls until the 1959 and 1987}. Diode rectified circuits don't need them, which is what most tube amps are these days {modern designs}. There still are some boutique builders using tube rectified circuits so check with the builder or tube sheet which is usually applied to the cabinet. You can also remove the back panel and see for yourself if you know what your looking at. It was originally designed to prolong the life of this tube. The 1965 JMI era AC-30 I used to have had no Standby, neither did the 1958 Deluxe I had so many years ago {wish I had them back today!}
many will say the exact opposite. solid state rectified amps should use the standby for powerup and tube rectified amps don't benefit from this practice.
It's not just the valves you should consider when applying a high voltage to a circuit. Any switching of 300 or 400 volts to a board with capacitors and all sorts of other bits puts a small stress on those components. They will be designed to take it, but if you do it too often, there is a chance of component failure. Leaving the voltage on is less stressful than switching off and on. As someone else commented, I use the standby when switching guitars to avoid the buzz. It just easier than turning the volume down and up. If the standby was absent, I wouldn't bother switching the amp off, I'd put up with the buzz or turn the volume down. An amp not having a standby switch wouldn't stop me buying it though.
I really appreciated this video Collin but you just didn't mention an important thing which can make big difference and cause issues.
It's all about right what you said on the futility of the standby switch concerning saving the life-time of the tubes but what about the filter capacitors on the rectification side of the circuit? If they are not properly dimentioned in terms of voltage peak, without using the standby switch you can easily blow off them.
Since initially the tubes are cold there isn't voltage drop through them, so if the amp isn't well enginered, or the manufacturer has saved on components, you are just shortening your capacitor's life-time... and not saving your tubes as well!
Nowdays big reservoir capacitors are pretty inexpensive and manufacturers tends to use properly dimentioned ones, but honestly (as amp technician...ish) on commercial amplifiers, expecially cheap ones, I suggest to keep using the standby switch. Hopefully not as a mute switch as a lot of people does, because leaving hot tubes without applying tension on plates can eventually cause some issues tho...
In live situations the standby switch has been extremely useful for me. Being able to mute the amp while still keeping everything hot when I'm not on stage is so useful, since turning the volume down would inevitably mean I turn it back up to the wrong level and mess up the balance on stage. Good video though!
It may keep the tubes "hot" but actually in a lot of cases will put the amp back into a low power state and when you switch it back on will send a rush of voltage into the power tubes which is not exactly good for them..it's not the gradual build up of voltage your tubes would normally get if you had the standby on and then powered up initially.
Hello Colin...I've been watching your videos for nye on two years and I can tell you that they are the best music/gear related vids on youtube...I've been a musician for far more years than I care to remember but I always learn something from the vids you put out. Good job mate. Cheers, Mike.
Honestly, I'm still glad it's on there, it's much easier to set everything up for a gig, then flick it on and off when I'm not there then leaving it on and getting a shit load of feedback from my guitar or pissing about with the volume every time.
Agree with the video and normally don't install a standby on a build. Worth noting, if you've just turned off the amp and the tubes are still hot then bringing it back on without SB can easily draw a large current. I just took out a mains fuse doing this.
Great to hear your comment on the SB switch. It was indeed copy'd from early Fender amps. Although the first amp from uncle Leo had no SB switch either. L Fender was in his early days a radio service man an he worked on receivers and transmitters. Transmitters work on a very high voltage to get the high power for transmitting. As you said there was the standby switch useful. In my naval radio time I always used the SB switch from transmitters. But on my own build guitar amps never. absolute rubbish
My Laney Ironheart doesn't have a standby switch and I have to admit I was nervous about the lack of it but after a while I realised turning down the volume to switch guitars was fine.
This video has killed off the last of my reluctance so thank you 👍🍺
I can add another good reason for keeping standby at on all the time. I was playing a gig fairly recently, and we were the first band on, so we'd left our stuff on stage post-soundcheck. My amp was on standby, and we got on stage to play. I strum my guitar to check it's working and... it isn't. I had a miniature heart attack which only got stronger when I hear the drummer counting in. Luckily I realised about a beat before we started, but I'll happily 'risk' my amp breaking to avoid that feeling happening again!
I use it because I turn the amp on and then pick up the guitar cable and then grab my guitar and plug in. I don’t get any pops and unwanted noise. I use it to switch guitars too for the same reason, it’s silent. I don’t know jack about electronics, but I’d just rather not hear noise, unless I’m making it on purpose.
You know you can just disconnect the cable amp side to prevent those noises too, right?
@@ScienceofLoud well there you go throwing logic at me. I totally understand your point. It evolved into a myth and people think it’s vital to their amp. My black heart amp doesn’t have a standby. But since my other one does, I figure I might as well use it since it there.
It's nice to have as a mute when recording so that the levels don't change at all if you need to take a break. If your volume knobs are changed at all, you could end up getting an inconsistent level, and gain structure, which could impact how and when your amp breaks up. Most people could live without it, but it does have its uses.
Thank you so much for that information. I’ve been messing with that damn fender standby switch since 1974. I’m going to try it your way for a change. That’s what I get for trusting instrument salesman as a kid. Again thank you. Postscript watching your UA-cam videos are better than taking a pull from the mason jar and watching Rob Roy. You are informative and entertaining.
FYI, the standby does more than turn down the volume. I tested my Peavey, Vox, and Marshall using a "kill-a-watt" device to measure power consumption. The power use literally doubles when you pop that standby on, and goes back down when off. If you are like me and have 3 amps on at one time, you can save yourself about 150 watts if you decide to take a break for a bit.
I heard Fender used the standby switch to keep from over voltage on the filter caps during startup. Fender used lower voltage filter caps because they were cheaper. The higher voltage caps were double the money, and wiring in a cheap switch was easy.
Is that the new studio classic behind you? Do a video! I love that thing! It's going to take me six months of saving, but I LOVE that thing!
As taken from the valvewizard website:
Pro (of a standby switch):
2.Reduces the chance of arcing in direct-coupled valves, e.g. cathode followers
Since most valve amps use cathode followers to drive the tone stack, which is inherently badly designed to begin with (but also what makes it sound amazing), most amps should use a standby switch just for the warmup procedure. Also any amp with an elevated heater supply will benefit from a standby switch warmup.
Honestly I like having the standby as just an easy mute switch so I can keep my volume controls set to how I like them.
Though I wouldn't mind dropping standby switches for mute functions. I have a mute function on my Dual Rectifier and honestly it's a great feature more amps should have.
One of the many reasons nobody hates dual rectifiers. :)
With amps that have a solid state rectifier a standby switch may help the valves to last longer.
Agreed. If you have a valve rectifier then plate voltage isn’t applied to the power/pre valves until the rectifier heats up anyway.. taking out the standby switch opens up options for adding a pot or switch for mods too..