Top 10 things you should never do with your Vintage Tube Amp.
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- Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
- Vintage tube amplifiers are a blast to collect and play, but you can damage the amp or yourself if you don't treat it right, be safe watch the top ten things you should never do with your vintage tube amp. Shot with a Panasonic HDC-TM900.
After the dangerous stuff 1-3, this list became pretty badly informed. You will not damage your amp if you turn it on without a guitar plugged into it. You WILL risk damaging it if you try to play it without a speaker load. You CAN play your guitar through the amp before the tubes are warmed up. It's not going to hurt a single thing to do that. Before the tube rectifier has completely armed up, there is no amplifying voltage on any of the tube plates anyway. This does absolutely nothing to harm your amp.
You CAN move your amp while tubes are hot, just don't move it into a complete different climate, like taking it outdoors into the freezing cold immediately or firing it up immediately after it's been in the freezing cold. You CAN change your tubes while they're still hot. I do it quite often without damaging anything. Use your shirt or something to hold the tube. And no, hot tubes do not contain "molten metal". :D
#6 is legitimate and I would actually file this under "dangerous stuff". Don't plug in tubes that do not belong in that socket. That could burn up your amp.
Nice collection, by the way.
Thanks and thanks for your opinion.
Brad Linzy you may play while warming up, but u definitely will not hear the creepy scary sounds coming out of it during the warming up. So just don't do it, is a good suggestion.
yes it will.
I second anything Brad the Guitologist says about tube amps. He knows them inside and out, literally. I wonder what Uncle Doug would have to say about this video... Hmmm
The Guitologist I watch all your videos and I was comparing what this video was presenting with what I know from your channel. I came to the same conclusion as you. Thanks!
#1, don't eat your amp. they do not taste good, do not try to consume them.
Though some parts might be edible.
soundcheckvideos Hemp speakers... Smoke or eat?
@Club Soda come on man, it was kinda funny.
Also, dont play your tube amp in the shower......
or bathtub
+Robert Orr Maybe under a fountain if you're living free
But make toast in the shower or bathtub.
Just for curiosity: Why it isn't allowed to play anything digital on vintage tubes?
Is there anything wrong with using a blowdryer in the shower? I do that sometimes...
#15 NEVER YELL AT YOUR AMP.
IT COULD HURT ITS FEELINGS, AND IT WILL STOP SOUNDING GOOD ONCE THE DAMAGE IS DONE.
I did that once,, it took a lot of playing too win it back over.... Eventually I had to sell the poor guy too get out of jail.... Never went back to get him he had moved on....😎 True story...
DO sell your vintage amp if you are not playing it. Someone else might want to make music through it. Don't deny the amp its purpose. It is not a great amp sitting in the closet, silent.
Agreed.
I love my tube amp and use it!
Along these lines if your vintage tube amp has not been used in a long while (sat in a closet for months/years) It is not wise to just power it up. You have filter capacitors (the big shiny cans)that can fail. These can fail over time from non use. It would be best to power it up slowly over a few hours raising the voltage a little bit at a time with a variac to allow the can capacitors to "reform". If you don't know what a variac is, best you find a tech and contract him to bring your unused amp to life again. So take it out and play it on a regular basis! That's the best medicine. If not, you could plug it in one day and hear a pop, see some smoke and wonder what the heck just happened??? AND destroy a power transformer when that filter cap shorts to ground or worse!.
he said if there sitting silent, i play all my amps. Yes sometimes you have to sell, need money, don't like it, don't play it, wife. So ya, i'd say if your not playing an instrument, pass it on.
@@soundcheckvideos NEVER
Never use your amp as a suppository. Especially when the tubes are hot.
Sia Mese gross
Had I read this before...
I encourage everyone to experiment with changing the tubes. That's a big part of enjoying your tube amplifier. Experimenting with different tubes and speakers is essential to getting the best sound out of your tube amplifier. Just learn enough to make sure that you don't fry your amp with a stupid mis-match.
Man, you said it! My heart goes out to kids from busted up families who don't have relatives that can be mentors to them and share the love as well as the knowledge. I'm one of the luckiest people who ever lived, and I never forget it.
#13. Never EVER play a pointy guitar through your vintage tube amp because it can damage it.
#11 don't listen to wonky dos and don'ts.
#12 don't listen to #11.
#13 don't listen to soundchechvideos
+Per Normann #14 Disregard # 13
#15 only tap in on the thread if you've seen the clip and like to point out wonky stuff.
+Per Normann Yea don't tap threads.
In 1980 I purchased a like new 1978 Musicman 210 sixty five. It was the most amazing amp I had ever played. Unfortunately, it was stolen out of my band room a year later. After searching for almost 40 years for another one I was able to purchase a “CHERRY” 1978 Musicman 210 sixty-five from the widow of a friend who had passed. I had tried many times to buy it but it was “NOT FOR SALE”. It actually was shipped to me in a red flight case. It is so incredible! Thanks for all the info on using a vintage amp especially the DON’T EVER SELL IT. Young players today have no idea how amazing these old vintage amps are. It is such a warm clean sound. It still has the original MUSICMAN 10” ceramic speakers. There is something magical about the 2 10”speakers that makes it a very unique amp.
Very glad I watched this, I just received an 80s champ 12. I broke the rule of not playing until it is warmed up. I'll let it warm up for a minute going forward. Thanks.
NEVER play a tube amp with no speaker connected or say bye bye to your output transformer and the heart and soul of the amp.
not to mention arcing your power tube sockets!!
SOOOO true.
On amps that don't have grounds on their plugs and worse yet where the electricity supply doesn't have any grounds.( South America) I sometimes bring a wire with alligator clips on each end to my gigs. I connect one end to a nearby water pipe, metal rail, or anything metal that can act as a ground and connect the other end to the chassis of the amp. Not only does it make things safer but it also gets rid of a lot of noise.
Cool advice man!
Yes, nice one I made a similar gizmo with a 200watt bulb between amp and wall socket with a green earth wire. If theres a voltage problem the bulb flashes..like they used on old loudspeakers.
Do play your digital pedals into a tube amp. Whatever makes you happy and want to play more is great!
Your best comment (*in my opinion) was "Do not sell your vintage tube amp"!!
I have a vintage Traynor head (YSR-1) and Ive owned since 1975. Many times my wife has said "why don't you just sell that thing??"
11. Never put it through the car wash. :-)
Or shower with it!
#11 - Never go to your house main electrical panel and put your tongue across the electrical feeders while playing your guitar through a vintage tube amp.
#12 - Never pour soda or any softdrinks directly into the circuitry of your vintage tube amp unless it has been unplugged.
#13 - Never make oatmeal on the circuit board of your tube amp unless you are certain the amp is in the standby position.
#14 - Never, and this is important to me, ever look at your vintage tube amp too long. The increase focus can damage the grill cloth and damage essential components.
#Finally - Never let elephants stomp on your vintage tube amp. They will crush the components and significantly decrease the value of your amp.
#Finally- Would be kinda cool to watch an elephant stomp.
what about taking a pee on it? HUH? There's nothing that says you can't right, you can do that right? :D \m/
And never pour pancake syrup on your speakers for faster play!
0isez but i like these sweet tones
Don't urinate directly on the power transformer, or electrical outlets.
You forgot at least two things; 1: Don't shower with it. 2: Don't set it on fire.
Otherwise, good video! :)
Never let anyone repair or restore your vintage tube amp but a fully experienced tech that is frequently doing this type work all the time. #11
I'd agree with that.
#11: Never let a shittalker play your tube amp and never let`em touch your guitar.
I mean the one on the vid for example ...
I would never.
instead of the last one, it should have been "never lend your amp to anyone".
Good tips! Especially the warm-up tips and the tips regarding hot tubes.
Thank you. Hope it helps.
SOME GREAT ADVICE! I USED TO GET SHOCKED ALL THE TIME FROM AN OLD AIRLINE TUBE AMP.....NOW I KNOW WHY.
You forgot the worst sin of all - Don't stand your beer on your amp when its LIVE!
But Jack White did it at the Hammersmith and it was fine... Tbh I was pretty worried as well
@@N0-0n3...i had many a beer puddles on top of my Marshall, cocaine, whiskey, even whores , and that amp never once let me down! Played it loud n hard . many many gigs. 40 years later i still have it~
Never store your vintage amp where you would be uncomfortable sleeping. Basements are damp. Speaker cones, cloth wire insulation, and pressed paper tag boards absorb this moisture and can make your amp quite sick. Dampness also leads to mildew in the wood. Amps and guitars like to live in the same conditions we prefer. Rock on!
Excellent , this should definitely be in the top ten. Next video.
Legit!
I am new to owning a nice vintage Philips tube, or as we Brits call them valve amps.All what you told me is very very important as I did not know any of your warnings.I would like to thank you very much, as this little amp cost a bit, and being a pensioner I had to save for it, also I have now bought a Heathkit tube radio to go with it. They were worth saving for. again thank you very much on what not to do.regards Colin UK.
+colin warner Your welcome, glad to help and Thank You.
And never drive a car in reverse on a cold Tuesday morning before 9:00am...
Switching on an amp,without the guitar connected,does not harm the amp,because the input is protected by a 1 MegaOhm resistor. Of course, it is always better to have your guitar plugged in before switching on the amp.
A pulldown resistor.
Mostly good advice, just one more suggestion if I may , when gigging always let a tube (or even solid state) amp sit and warm up to the room temperature before turning on in frigid US winters or if your gear has been flown to the gig, the relative high moisture of the inside heated air will condense on to all the cold metal, glass and plastic parts, it may not short out but why take a chance?
helpful stuff. just bought a tube amp after many years of playing, and it was good advice, clearly explained by a guy who throws a few jokes in just to keep it light! Nice work!
You get me. Thanks Simon Spencer.
Make sure that your amp is cooled down before you put a cover over it or put it in a road case. All that heat can damage the inside of the amp.
better: dont even touch your amp if it has a 2 phase powercord.
bring it to a tech and let him install a 3 phase cord, for safety sake.
The intent of your statement is completely true and should be followed by all. However it is a three wire cord not a three phase. In my experience there has never been a three phase guitar amp.
and of course you are right aswell, just forgot the word wire xD
no native speaker here, im sorry.
would have been a funky idea tho, building one i mean haha :)
Never play JUSTIN BIBER through the amp (or any amp, no one needs to hear that) but mainly vintage tube amps, its a disgrace to you and the amp and the guitar.
+V10 FSI I heard a vintage Vox blew just when it was placed in a same room with Justin Bieber CD.
+V10 FSI ...also Never mention Justin Biebers name..ever again
Yeah, Grandpa definitely got in at the ground floor of the tube game. I still have his very first book he ever owned on electronic theory. He gave it to me when I was 10. It's called "Radio Frequency Amplification" by Kenneth Harkness, and it's copyrighted 1923. All the principles of operation, the math equations, and the explanations of how tubes behave and why they work is still valid today. It's a classic, and I'm very fortunate to have had a man like my Grandpa around to show me the basics.
Ditto, Turned TV channels over by touching the tv dial while playing elecric guitar through amp, almost met the creator! BTW teenage Pete Townesend grew up to be a senior citizen and he was informed of the Dangers and possible problems even when he used new amps. Only the Earthing/ grounding issue applies to players.
lol shortly - NEVER use a tube amp it's very dangerous ;-))))
never use a guitar - your fingers can be tangled in strings
Never ever lend out your vintage tube amp to your mate to do a gig when his amp is in for service as he will forget to tell you the gig is outdoors and he will kill your amp leaving out in the rain when he gets drunk!!!!!! grrrrrrr.
Yes, that one should definitely be included.
take your mates onces his is out of service i would hope after 5 years its ready
i became the conductor one time playing a job in a very old building. i saw the big blue flash as my bottom lip touched the shure sm58 mic. i missed singing the next line, then kept back a bit till the end of the song. not a fun time. play it safe out there, buckaroos.
Woo, you just gave me chills. I play alot of em and always try to make sure I dont have anything else near that could shock me but that one sounds like a bad one, glad your still with us.
Why so many dislikes? People who disliked this video are probably already dead.
I think most of them are because they don't like #10 and some I think are because I can be a little annoying.
soundcheckvideos Yeah it's annoying that you really know your stuff, but then throw in random opinions, it detracts from all of the genuinely important points in the video.
I think it's really well made, and I like what you're doing, just some constructive criticism.
Cheers
People take pleasure in attempting to hurt others, that the only reason there are dislikes.
1/2 of #4 is nonsense - there is no way an amp can be damaged by turning it on without an instrument plugged in.
+Jerry Sorn If the volume is turned up high when you plug in your guitar, it can cause 'flashover' which can damage the output transformer, causing shorted turns.
Um..."shorted turns"? You have clearly exceeded my electrical savvy, or at least my knowledge of such terms. However, I have cranked a tube amp without a cable plugged in - while volume was way up - more times than I could possibly count, with no ill effect. Still, in theory you could well be 100% correct.
+Jerry Sorn a shorted turns is when a turn in a transformer makes electrical contact to another turn next to it, like losing isolation between turns. when you turn a tube amp on without load you have no current and the voltage on the primary of the ot goes waaaay up, it could cause arcing inside the transformer. but i really think that turning a tube amp with it pluged in is to avoid it motorboating to oblivion.
+Camilo Pasin nice. i actually pulled out the NEC to read up. in rush current is dangerous too. i think thats the correct spelling.
+Silas Fatchett The odds of a large transient spike actually causing an OT short are infinitesimal. OT shorts are nearly always caused by overloads caused by speakers of too high an impedance or no speakers plugged in (which the OT "sees" as an infinite load condition).
Folks, I build tube amps & other tube gear. This guy knows what he's talking about. Take his advice. Especially #10.
Most of the amps I have seen Ground the input when nothing is connected.... the output/speaker needing to be connected is obvious... the input comment is a surprise.
It's good advice for most folks... I love tinkering with amps... the less valuable ones I dig into.... and have fixed many of them... the super special ones I send to my amp guy. A Crate, Markley, or Dano, I fix.. a Gibson... goes to the amp guy.
You're right about prices creeping up. The 80's stuff is appreciating now... I feel old.
This is one that was told to me back in the 70's by a tech. When changing tubes, wipe them with a dry cloth or use gloves. Possible oils from your fingers could create hot spots on your tubes and decrease the tube life.
Yes, thank you. That should be on the list.
That ones BS. that only applies to halogen bulbs.
Not true, vacuum tubes don't get hot enough for that to be an issue. But dirty oily finger prints are unsightly.
Sold my silvertone 1484 when I was down and out in life. Easily the greatest mistake I have ever made.
Sometimes ya gota do what ya gota do.
if that is EASILY the greatest mistake you ever made, rejoice. I had an old tube amp back in the late 70's that sounded great. It stopped working and I threw it away. Still not close to the greatest mistake I've ever made.
I just sold a vintage Peavey Mace VT 160W head a few months ago. Young bass player, really nice fella. He really liked it, and I wasn't using it anymore, so I let her go.
:)
I just bought a Silvertone 10xl today, thanks for the advice!
Whohoo, love that amp, great sound , easy/cheap to fix, take it anywhere , play it anywhere . If you want to add a little bass and depth to it, lean it up against a wall, the solider the better but any wall that doesn't shake will do. Have fun , thanks for the comment.
good advice here- I would contend that these things aren't THAT mysterious/dangerous. While one should consider his warnings, one can indeed work on these things themselves. I am in no way what people consider "mechanically minded" yet even I, after watching enough Uncle Doug and D-Lab, Guitarologist etc vids, have managed to purchase and work on a few vintage amps at this point. cap jobs, mods, 3 prong conversions, bias updates etc; all of these are well within the limits of a halfway intelligent adult. Want to know how to safely update your filter caps- watch 3, 4 or even 5 different videos on how different guys do it. How do you think the amp techs learned?? watch the vids and be careful!
Half of the information in this video is false and misinforming.
#11 never set a glass of any kind of liquid ( like a drink) on your amp it could spill and do big damage. #12 never put a larger amperage fuse in the amp than it calls for. If something in the amp should short out it could blow your power transformer and damage things. #13 never overdrive the amp with the original speaker it may blow the speaker out. #14 If the amp has the original leather handle do not carry it by the handle it could break and down goes the amp. #15 do leave the amp in your car trunk unless going or coming from a gig. It does not need to be subjected to the extra shaking. #16 if the amp has been in a cold place do not turn it on until it has had time to warm up and dry out from any condensation that may have formed in it. #17 Do not use WD @@@@ Lub. to clean the controls it will dry out after a year or so and may lock your controls up. It was not made for that purpose. #18 do not wiggle the tubes in their socket tring to clean the tube sockets this will expand the spring steel in the tube socket so that the tube socket no linger holds the tube in tight. #19 after having the amp gone over by a good Tech turn the amp on at least wonce a month for a few minutes. This will help to keep the filter caps from going bad. #20 donot beleive everything you read, see or watch unless it is coming from a relable source.
Add number 11. Do NOT modify the wiring. I own 1977 Fender Deluxe Reverb. Two reputable technicians refused to add a Master Volume stating it would ruin its value. The "sweet" spot is 4 1/2 and a bit loud (even for stage volume). So . . . finally learned about attenuators to moderate volume and I'm happy using a Weber Mini-mass.
I use a digital reverb with my tube amp and it sounds great! Much better than janky spring reverb.
I use digital reverb also and have found some great reverb pedals but I personally like the janky spring thing the most. Thanks for your comment 😎
I have an original 1957 Fender Champ and I am concerned about playing through 60 year old capacitors. Also, there is a limit to how long to hold onto an amp. When the generation that finds them valuable starts to decline due to death, the value of your amp will also start to decline.
Internet Psychopath Do they even know what tubes are and how many guitar bands do you see nowadays, slim to none, its all digital sampling and Autotune.
All of these are myths except number 3. I work on my vintage amps all the time. Best way to get good deals on vintage gear. Buy it broken and fix it. One piece of advice this guy should have listed would be to never turn on an amp without a speaker load.....but without the GUITAR plugged in? Why not? Also paying attention to matching impedance is sound advice....but amps always going up in value? Glad this guy isn't my financial adviser.
***** Oh Joe, your such a Shmoe, thanks for the comment.
I've explained it to many times, if your really interested read the comment.
Joe Simon He didn't say amps always go up in value. He said vintage TUBE amps go up in value and that is almost always the case. In fact I can't think of any 30+ year old tube amp that has decreased in value, can you? If so I'd like to know so I can buy one so when it goes back up I can profit. At the very least they will hold their value. Hanging on to those old babies is excellent advice. I've never sold one of my amps but I sure as hell regret selling a couple of my older guitars when I was a young dumbass!
@@patrickfoster4586 their for a few years small tube amps like the kay went up in price for a few years and came back down in more recent years for reasons idk
Thanks for the choice notes on care and safety. I would like to add "Don't leave it on for long periods when you are not using it!" I did this by mistake to my rebuilt 1960 GA200 and it is now back with the man getting a couple of tubes and a check over. Could have been more expensive and he said if it was an old AC30 it could be a pile of ashes, house too!. Also keep a good area for cool air to circulate around your hot bits (especially on your amp!) ;-)
Thanks, I just found an old tube amp recently for 25.00 at a garage sale and needed to know this information....
glad to help, enjoy that sweet vintage tone.
Is this an April Fools joke??
gonna plug my synthesizer into my vintage tube amp just to spite you. Ain't nothing you can do about it! MUAHAHAHAHA (jokes aside, really useful info)
Your only hurting yourself, meanwhile It would be interesting to hear.
Great comment, Thanks.
I like the sound of a synth going through a tube amp. I don't run my stuff through a vintage one but I do run it through a modern tube amp and mic it up to record. It's a quick way to add tube warmth to things that don't have enough character already. Plus, you can get some crazy sounds when you use the distortion on the amp itself in conjunction with the synth.
CheezeWizzzzz Sounds like it would sound very cool.
Raul ODonnal
Great little video. Good tips and info. Love your vintage amp setup in the piece of furniture!
totally underrated gear
#11 don't use your amp as a coaster for drinks
#12 if you do not know the do's and don'ts when it comes to tube amps, then do some research. Not only will this be good for your amp it will be good for you.
Yes and thanks for the share.
#12 NEVER play your electric guitar through your vintage tube amp while taking a shower. It can "shock the heck out of you".
Singing in the shower is allow, however.
Absolute brilliant advice, and I for one totally agree with all 10 points .... and maybe number eleven ... don't krank you're vintage tube amp Combo at maximum volume ( Tubes in Combo's are often very near to the speaker, and lots of heavy vibrations will make the Tubes "rattle / microphonic after a while) ... personally, I tend to disconnect the original speaker and run the amp through a separate speaker cab ( often with a modern & High efficient alnico etc. ) ... it saves the Tubes and all other components in the amp 😉
yer fricken awesome, great #11, play on
$...here Brazil the importation taxes are absurd...but such a clever advice
So, someone should never do anything if it is not absolutely safe? Nice video, bro!
I always knew you cannot fire up a tube amp without a speaker load, but this is the first time I've ever heard that you shouldn't fire it up without a cable in the input jack. Why would powering up without anything in the input jack damage the amp?
It's all a circuit looking for a load? resistance = pickups ....
Maybe if the input jack isn't grounded , you would hear a hum , like if you have a lead in but no guitar...any company that skimps on a 1 meg resistor for each input jack, needs a good hard kick in the nuts...
There is not a really good reason for this as long as there is a 1 M resistor to ground. No problem in turning it on or of. The problem can be connecting the guitar as it can give a static electricity shock that is quite high. In general tubes are quite robust to this as they are a mechanical construction, but modern amps with special FET's and Op-amps in the input stage are very sensitive to this and can be burned off.
In tube amps I think some of the capacitors may suffer by this shock over time, but the question is what hit them first. This or general ageing :-)
It's not about tube amps, it's about vintage tube amps, any precaution counts!
Jorge Valdovinos Yes, exactly.
some of this is bogus. dont move a hot amp yes but because you could break the tubes not the amp. dont play until the amp is warmed up? wrong. its the tubes that warm up and it doesnt really matter. most tubes draw 100% power instantly. again this is about tube life not amp life. also its fine to turn an amp on with no guitar plugged in. I agree about never turn it on if the speaker isnt plugged in though thats the only good thing on the list.
A big part of why vintage amps sound the way they do is because of the vintage tubes that are in it, so when I say vintage amps I also mean the vintage tubes that are in it.
soundcheckvideos
true but vintage NOS tubes are sold everywhere. some positions really benefit from vintage tubes but others dont. Vintage made in USA or England tubes will last longer and be on spec more accurately than any new production no doubt but everything else is subjective (tone, distortion characteristics, bass response with 5Y3s etc;) the beauty of vintage amps is the circuit, magnets, speakers, parts drift etc; Tubes are just one part of the equation. for example those old supro/valco amps used the cheapest POS parts they could find. Boutique versions will be built "better" with superior parts but they wont sound the same. hell 2 1959 tweed deluxes wont sound the same next to each other.
Thats why we love them, partly.
Chris G That's why I'm so careful with my old tubes, I've had to many amps that sounded awesome, blew a tube and never sounded the same, so I feel the old tubes are integral to the sound and that's why I try to never move a hot amp.
soundcheckvideos
i try not to either, but sometimes i forget and move my little tweed deluxe around, its so light at 25lbs or so compared to my twin reverb at 70 lbs I dont even like to look at that and my back hurts lol
Chris G
Yeah, last time I loaded my TR into the trunk I said the next time will be to deliver to the next buyer...same w/the Super Six. Deluxe Reverb is enough nowadays heh.
I might also Add a BIG number 11 if you do have a 2 prong amp take it to a professional who knows what he's doing, and have it converted to a 3 prong grounded chord. A lot of old amps like the Kay 503, Kay 703 etc can KILL you quick in a HURRY, What can happen is if a capacitor goes belly up the chassis will receive the live current, and will light you up like a Christmas Tree. Also have an Isolation transformer installed especially if your amp doesn't have one.
All of these old amps sound fantastic, and deserved to be preserved, and treated right. They were for the most part made in the US by American hands which makes them extra special. Please heed my advice seek out an amp tech who's not an dunderhead, or out to rip you off, and let him remove any safety hazards.
My thoughts exactly, Thanks for the backup Jerrad.
a guy gives some friendly aadvice and gets trolled.
Bashing digital pedals is stupid. Go play a strymon timeline then tell me that digital effects are wrong.
+TEAMSTEAM4LIFE Nothing wrong with digital effects, I just don't like to play them through my fully analog sweet sounding vintage tube amp.
+Nicholas Bouffard When playing through a super clean vintage Amp Pedals are nothing but an inconvenience IMO. To me there is nothing like the clean sound of a good tube amp without any effects, in my opinion pedals are overkill to a really good tube amp
Very good advice here. And this advice will save you from learning the hard way, like I did in one or two of the things to avoid doing with a tube amp discussed in this video.
+Ralph Adamo Thanks, glad to help.
If a two conductor amp shocked you - you have a leaky 'death cap' or faulty electrical installation in your house. Also it is highly advisable to just convert to 3 prong plug - better hum rejection (chassis and signal ground is grounded through a wire that doesn't carry current) and conformation to current safety standards.
Number 10 i disagree with. there are a lot of great digital products on the market today that can enhance your sound. If it ain't broke don't fix it... unless it makes it better!
I wish I could dislike this twice
When we were kids (early 60s) we got plenty of shocks playing our guitar and approaching the microphone to sing. I remember seeing large bolts of light on ore than one occasion. I guess we were lucky not to get fried
That Silvertone guitar amp case combo was my first electric guitar more than half a lifetime ago, sigh!
Good advice, Don't forget to tell your band mates not to take the speaker cable out just because it's buzzin! Yep it happened to me, thanks to the bass player who didn't offer to pay for the repair bill! Ouch.
The only problem with number 9 is when I sold the amp back in 1967, no one knew it was a "vintage tube amp". I bought it used, and it was still just a used amp when I sold it two years later.
It didn't become "vintage" until 20 years or so later.
+John Sessoms So True.
Damn! Now I have to buy a vinyl player and make a vinyl discs for my back tracks!
Thanks Man!! :D
Great video; short and sweet, thanks.
TooLooze and thank you To Looze.
You got a pretty good setup going on for you. Keep up the good work.
I would highly recommend the use of an isolation transformer for these amps. They usually don't have a power transformer, which means they're not isolated from the mains. That's where the risk of electrical shock comes from.
An isolation transformer is cheap, and there's a nice tutorial on Instructables explaining how to add one to a small vintage amp (search for "isolation transformer", it's the first result), and it goes very deep into details, so you don't screw up anything on the amp.
I have a few vintage tubes including a original 58 5e3. 1- Do not sit drinks or play quarters on the top of it. 2- Don't use it for a step ladder. 3- Do not leave it outside in the rain. 4- The force you hit or kick the amp when it acts up is proportional to how much it cost. 5- Do not take it to Best buy to get worked on. 6- Do not let male dogs around it. 7- If you GF or wife ask if you love it more than them. LIE. More later....
I just found your channel and I have become a fan !!!
Cool, thank you.
I like finding vintage 50's/60's amps at garage sales, as soon as I get them home I plug em right in and turn the volume/gain to full screaming max. It's strange how these old amps behave, some don't come on at all while others come on with the smoke rolling out followed by an awful smell, sometimes they flame up. And others will come on then after a few minutes rocking out at full max the smoke starts rolling on these as well. These old amps were sure made crappy and smell worse. Oh well a few bucks for a few minutes of play then they're on their way to the landfill, rock on'
Lol sounds like you know exactly what not to do. Love the sarcasm!
That is great! thank you for informing! :) I have a late 60's Binson hifi amp head, and I didn't know how to use it correctly. thank you very much indeed!
You bet, glad to help.
I'd also suggest that One should not play the amp any louder than necessary, and be sure to keep all the settings as low as possible - this will likely extend the life of all of the internal components tremendously!!! Cranking anything up to near maximum is just asking for something to burn out, (aka: "smoke"), or fail!!! GREAT Video, & Great advice!!!!
It's not vintage (yet!) but I just picked up my VOX AC15C1, my first tube amp. I'm kinda in love, thanks for the advice! :D
+Colin Myers Sweet.
Living and learning, my friend. And yes, these tubes were used in most small budget radios of the time, and basically every company that made guitar amps had their own version of the thing: Vox had the V5 Student amp, Harmony had the H400 and similar models and, well, the list goes on and on.
Thanks for the great advices! Never mind any ungrateful troll!
Good advise. My amp tech has said much of what you said.
And much of it I learned by touching my lip to the mic which lit up the basement and blew the fuse back in 1968 with my old Long gone 2 prong 1484 twin Silvertone amp and long gone Gibson Les Paul jr.
My first amp was a Long gone Kay 503 which I totally abused.
So your suggestions are not law but are a great rule of thumb that most newbies may need to consider. For someone to knitpick your page is just childish
I got great toys now and plan to give some of them to my grandson if he continues to progress.
these are all excellent pieces of advice
thanks L
And I'm sure he was very glad he had someone to hand it down to, so cool.
i really love the effect a tube amp can add to a crazy digital pedal effect sometimes. its just like another effect or tonal option. but id never go through a digital effect for a pure tube amp tone
Yes , very well put.
Nice, I just bought a tube amp and it seemed like all good information
....pay attention kids... great video. Keep up the good work.
If you have an amp that has two conductor A.C. plug, get an Ohmmeter and check wich prong is connected to the chassis, mark the it with a Black marker, permanent, and always note which way you pug it in, putting that prong ito the left hand . or Neutral, opening in the wall socket. This is the neutral slot if you have proper polarized power in the wall. Hot to hot, and neutral to neutral. And use the voltmeter function on the meter to check for a safe ground on the chassis.
Thank you, great info.
Yup. will prevent the bite.
True, thanks for the info.
Most small amps did not use a power transformer. They mostly had a 50C5 power tube, a 35W4 rectifier and a 12v preamp tube (usually 12AU6), with their heaters connected in series to the B+ AC, which was taken DIRECLTY from the mains.
What I mean by being isolated from the mains is that, with an isolation transformer, if something fails in the amp, the risk of you being electrocuted from being in contact with the "hot" wire from the mains is very unlikely to happen.
Great stuff! Im trying to find a vintage 1970's silver face fender twin reverb and am about to watch your How to Buy a Vintage Amp video!
Great amp , Best of luck.
Check out the new Fender 68 Custom Twin Reverb. It sounds incredible.
yes i have one