How Often Do You Change Your Tubes

[@oldmanlearningguitar446]

I have an all original 1959 Danelectro amp. The previous owner played it nearly every day. Tubes are still fine and now 63 years old.

[@jerryodom7358]

Yes, but if you remember everything was made better that long ago. And has been getting cheaper made ever since.

[@seanbrooks2583]

i got a mesa tweed from Sweetwater.. bad tube rattle right out of the gate. THey sent me new power tubes. i replaced them... 30 days later.. they starting having the same issue. I sent the amp back and bought a tonemaster... Ill get another new tube amp when the quality stops sucking.

[@rstuartcpa]

I've had a DM25 and a Cadet and both were magic. I especially loved the reverb on the DM25. It had a cool little one inch square by eight inches pan. Springy and wonderfully weird reverb.

[@kirkwilson6229]

I'll bet it sounds fantastic.

[@kirkwilson6229]

@@jerryodom7358 That isn't necessarily true. The parts and manufacturing processes have gotten nothing but better. There is a lot more inexpensive stuff available now, with different levels of components. That was not true in the 60s or 70s. Back in the day there were like 3 amps widely available, and they were expensive as hell; more comparable to today's boutique amps. And, in honesty, the majority of them didn't enjoy this kind of longevity. Hand made stuff is inconsistent, and this amp is clearly particularly well made. Nobody lost any knowledge or secret part formulas, they started offering cheaper stuff designed to be discarded rather than repaired. They were so much less expensive that the majority of players at least started with one of them, rather than having to save hundreds of dollars for an amp to learn on. In the 60s, anyone who wanted to play guitar had to save for an expensive tube amp... there was simply no option, so of course ot seems like everything was better then - everyone was playing the equivalent of a handwired Princeton!

[@TT-bl1jq]

Wait till Jonathan finds out hotdogs come In a pack of 10 but buns only in a pack of 8!

[@JenniLudes]

You know, you guys are freakin' awesome! Love the drifting subjects and the play back and forth. In these crazy times, you make me smile!

[@danielphillipsmusic9145]

Only when they absolutely need it. So almost never. I scooped up a vintage Bassman Ten last year that had a short in one of the tube sockets so when my amp guy went through it he retubed it. I think a lot of players swap tubes when a bias is all that’s needed. My Bassman 100 has been going for almost a decade and has thousands of thousands of hours on it. Still rock solid.

[@deeess6027]

Bassman ten! Beautiful workhorse combos! I had mine break down once but that was cuz of a blown cap. Other than that it has been perfect. Great for both bass and guitar!

[@danielphillipsmusic9145]

@@deeess6027 absolutely! It’s become my main live bass rig. My main gig is in a blues rock trio where our guitarist runs a Blackheart Handsome Devil 12” 15w Combo. Most of the time he’s kicked down to 7w and we’ve got a decent PA with subs and good floor monitors. Just drop my old Beta52a in front of her and run my P Basses straight in. It sounds absolutely awesome. Full rich bass and just dig in a little and all that natural tube dirt is right at my fingertips. Truly hidden gems of the Fender amp world.

[@deeess6027]

@@danielphillipsmusic9145 a precision into it is a great sound. Also, if the 50w isnt enough i put a Radial jDX in there between the amp and speaker. Ive played pretty big venues and even though the di is voiced as a marshall 4x12, it works beautifully for bass.

[@danielphillipsmusic9145]

@@deeess6027 mine’s actually the 70w so it’s good to go. The thing with Bassman Tens that a lot of people don’t realize is that they are 4ohm heads (basically a Bassman 50 or 70 in combo configuration) and the internal cabs are 8ohms. So unless you add a 8ohm extension cab you’re never actually getting the full power of the amp. How many players back in the day grew frustrated with their Tens not being able to keep up not knowing they were only working with about 65-75% of its real power?

[@deeess6027]

@@danielphillipsmusic9145 thanks for the info!

[@brucer261]

Thanks for clearing that up guys! I was about to go out and buy every tube I could find and if I couldn't get enough tubes the plan would be to buy 2 or 3 more tube amps ... JUST FOR THE TUBES ... : )

[@rstuartcpa]

never a bad idea to get more tube amps

[@jameshughes9706]

Same!

[@brucer261]

I came so close to buying more amps today ... in hind site I wish I had There was a used 120 watt Bugera for 350.00. If its there next week end I may go get it yet. There were a lot of nice used tube amps. I have to go back sooner than later and grab a couple

[@yestoES355]

Keep these convos going. I love the randomness and off topics, as a 20 year old, I’ve been loving this channel since it had 500 subs

[@NJSonye]

Me too

[@TheFeelButton]

I've been busted down to a single acoustic before! Good stuff Baxter and Jonathan!!

[@jeremiahallender1919]

I played my reissued 65 deluxe reverb for 10 maybe 12years ? But I just changed the tubes,two weeks ago for the first time.it started making noise,picking up radio ,then it wasn’t putting out much sound,it became obvious new tubes were needed.I only use the volume at 3-4.I accidentally order extra too,whoop whoop!😀✌️❤️🎸

[@Gauntlet1985]

Bedroom guitar player, volume on 2 max here... So happy to know my amp tubes should last forever 😎 Thanks for the information guys

[@captainsnarky6949]

The hair and chocolate bit just earned you a subscription.

[@CasinoGuitars]

I appreciate that and also have to question your sanity a bit there:) many thanks and thrilled you joined us!

[@rknprs]

I did exactly what Johnathan was talking about. I bought a quartet of EL-34s so I could pop the second set in and not have to get the amp rebiased. I’m a weekend warrior so my tubes will last a pretty long time, but I have a little stash of tubes just in case. BTW, F the baritone. Get a Languedoc. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Get a Languedoc!! 😃

[@alanlevesque7180]

I've seen the Wiggles twice live. My kids loved them. Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car baby!

[@rowbags3017]

A guitarist I've worked with recently is still using a Selmer combo he bought in the '60s - complete with the original valves. He's gigged with it constantly all these years, but OMG - it sounds AWESOME! Clear as a bell clean, and just wonderful when driven... By contrast, in a band I was in back in the '80s, the keyboard player was using a '60s amp where the valves were totally fried - noisy and breaking up as hell! Basically, they were at the point of imminent death so, obviously, we hunted down "as new" replacements. The trouble was, when we did so, we realised the added "grit" the originals gave to his Juno 60 synth was exactly what made it sound good! We never managed to recreate what we lost with that valve change... 😄

[@fiddlix]

That is right logic on buying a quartet.

[@Moka8]

Every time I go to car shows/swap meets, I almost always find someone with a case of tubes for sale and I usually snag it. Tons of GE/Sylvania/RCA/Tung Sol stuff. Snagged a whole set of 1962 Amperex Bugle Boys for my AC30 and like 50 other tubes for $100.

[@robinmorris5416]

Lol, I've got a 1995 peavey classic 50wt head that I gigged all around the Atlanta area, and all around GA. Up until 2010 and I retired it for a newer amp. I've never changed the tubes, or cleaned the pots. I turned it on maybe a month ago and after it warmed up, and I fought with the pots to get the hiss to quit, after 15 minutes or so all of a sudden, I had the most exquisite VanHalen 1 tone and I proceeded to play every VH lick I knew and there was just my Strat with a Seymour Duncan HB, straight to the head, through my ampeg 4/12. So, I keep it settup in my studio for when I gotta get my VH fix, hell, at this point id be scared to change the tubes for fear of losing that amazing tone. Who knows? They have that sound where you think it's on the brink of failure, but it sounds so good you can't get that shit from a new amp, or any pedals!

[@BrandonOutside]

THANK YOU! I've specifically been avoiding all the "tube shortage" clickbate. The last time I changed my tubes was 10 years ago, and that wasn't even out of necessity because anything was wrong, it was just an experiment of 'will the sound change at all if I change the tubes?' (btw, the answer was no, not really)

[@jfar3340]

many many home players play their small combos cranked through load boxes, attenuators, ox box etc. This is NOT reassuring. Playing cranked combos through attenuators can be tough on power tubes.

[@alangreenway6695]

I’ve had a Marshall JTM60 that never worked in my cupboard for 20 years, and during lockdown I fixed it and found out it wasn’t the Valves, but the effects out jacks are badly designed and you just plug a link cable into it. I retired my 2 Valve states that sound hideous (that I replaced the Valve once in one and twice in the other), and bought a new Vox AC15 to pair with the JTM60. I only record songs with them, and use a solid state Fender practise amp. I would guess I’ve got at least 10 years before I have to worry about them at least, and I have a few preamp valves saved just in case.

[@MrMann-gt1eh]

If you go to Western Electric’s website, a banner pops up that you can click regarding which tubes you’d like to see built and you can click them and hear more about their ramp up in tube production.

[@homegrownson]

I can just see those Solid State amp Owners checking their Amps to see if they need to replace their Tubes Now LOL, I have a Dozen 12AX7's stashed away and glad the Supro was recapped before shortages

[@jfar3340]

12AX7 are not the problem, delicate power tubes are.

[@rstuartcpa]

The more amps you have, the less you can use the individual amps. That will be my new strategy for rationalizing buying new amps...I need to save the tubes in my old amps. Just remember to rotate and play each amp at least once a month so you can keep the caps charged up.

[@vanessamonster5038]

I have a music man amp I've had since 1993. The amp is from the 70s. I've never changed the tubes in it. I wouldn't be surprised if the tubes were original.

[@3cardmonty602]

I have Great Dane puppies that I’m sending you in a guitar box. Watch for the Martin box. 📦 🐶 When I first heard “Money for Nothing” I thought he was singing “Chips for Free”, & I thought the song was about Chi Chi’s. Baxter combs his hair with a rock 🪨

[@bryantwalley]

Baxter, FSR Hardtail Strat flat black out to metalic old gold done as a 72 reissue with 3 bolt neck. 1 ply black pick guard and aged white covers and knobs. You could even do a mild relic if needed. Fender Casino?

[@heckatron2586]

I have bad news for you, Baxter. That's not a trained eagle, that's CGI. They wanted to get a trained eagle, but it was too tough to get the shots they wanted so they just faked it. It's still adorable.

[@realmongo7565]

Yes, you can buy a set of 4 matched tubes and be good using them in pairs.

[@shanedingz]

Ha! After I watched this, this morn, I went to a pawn shop and found a little, vintage, combo tube amp. Thorcraft Mustang. Canadian built (me too) from the ‘60s. It has all the original Thorcraft labeled tubes in it. I cleaned up the pots and tube sockets and rocked out! Cool little amp

[@allisonholmesmusic97]

A month ago I pointed out in a guitar group that given current world events it might be difficult to find tubes soon, and I was perfectly happy with my digital amp. I got flamed for it. Fast forward to today and people in the same group are freaking out about tube shortages. I’m sure everything will balance out eventually, we just need to be patient

[@jfar3340]

i can't stand digital, so fizzy, doesn't sound right to my ears

[@timothymallon]

3:30 I think the reason you cant buy a "matched quad" of tubes is that when one goes, the one that remains behind has aged at the same rate as the one that just died so when you replace that bad tube, the other tube that has been aging wont be working at the same level. I'm no pro, but I think that makes sense

[@vintagetubeamplifiers]

You replace the first pair with the second pair, both tubes.

[@timothymallon]

@@vintagetubeamplifiers I know you replace the pairs at once. I'm pretty sure you missed his point, or the point of my original comment. I think he was implying that he wanted to buy 4 matched tubes and replace one at a time, allowing him to conserve on tube usage. If they were a "matched quad" as he was suggesting. Otherwise, who cares if they're all matched. As long as a pair is matched.

[@WayneMemphisMojo]

Just like strings, I only change them when there's a problem. On a side note, "Die A Beat Us" - when you suspect the dice you roll might not be favorable.

[@joeydurant6267]

*pulls out the fumble chart*

[@WayneMemphisMojo]

@@joeydurant6267 check with the D.M. first

[@216trixie]

Strings lose their tone after a few weeks, a few hours of playing. Is that a problem?

[@WayneMemphisMojo]

@@216trixie I don't usually notice a difference until 6 months or so

[@CraigGriffiths]

The EL34 I use have gone from $39 to $54. The world is not ending. I think and extra $20 every 4 years. I see that JJ has already started a solution to the problem.

[@chrisnations7743]

One of my hopes is to meet Baxter and Jonathan. One of my fears is they won’t find me handsome.

[@h3llbornknight980]

I am the proud owner of an original 1938 Epiphone Electar lap steel tube amp, and it still has the original tubes, 84 years later

[@csnide6702]

wow !

[@rowbags3017]

Thanks guys! Amidst all the recent panic about possible tube (valve) supplies, it's so refreshing to see a vendor say that - for home/lower-volume playing levels - you're basically good forever! I've still got to say, though, there might be an opportunity for a canny entrepreneur to invest in producing valves for the niche audio market - they could end up with a nice little semi-monopoly...

[@jfar3340]

many many home players play their small combos cranked through load boxes, attenuators, ox box etc. This is NOT reassuring. Playing cranked combos through attenuators can be tough on power tubes.

[@BrianBrazilHarmonica]

Some amps won't need a tube replacement for years. It depends on how many hours of playing you actually have on the amp, how loud it's being played and how hot the tube bias in the amp is set.

[@AmericanVetMusic]

Between 2015-2018 I amassed quite the vinyl collection. I’m glad I hit the auction market before 2020. Quite a few people suggested that I should sell them but my wife and I refused. (I’ve traded vinyl but I’ve never once sold a record.) I’m quite grateful for that today. 😊 5:00 For what it’s worth, if I was offered four custom shop Fender’s for my collection, I wouldn’t take it. I couldn’t replace it. It reminds me more of my guitar mentor than my guitars do. I remember a year ago, I was on the phone with a school and I told them “I don’t have a computer, but I have a two record players.” Lol. I’m a middle aged 82 year old man. 😅

[@robertstan2349]

guitars for records? SOLD! i'd make that deal in a minute 😋

[@johnblackburn2914]

When I was a kid, a very long time ago, we had the entire wizard of oz sound track on a big stack of 45’s.

[@hog7203]

I change them when they quit working right.Got two that have the original tubes from 10 years ago. I've had a couple amps where I've changed the preamp tubes to get a different tone or cleaner headroom. Did that to a Tiny Terror and it became my favorite amp. Unfortunately it grew legs and walked away, along with my sweet SG.

[@BrentAdams]

I usually run my amps pretty clean with pedals in front for my extra drive, etc. I don't change out tubes, unless a problem were to come up. I'll play my electrics "unplugged" ... just like I normally do whenever I pick it up for practicing, or coming up with ideas. I only "plug in" when things "get serious"....and even then I might be plugging directly in through my interface for recording and get GREAT sounds!

[@stonebrakerstudio8238]

Hello out there Casino guitars please show more of your guitar shop it's beautiful reminds me of a Christmas card but it's actually a happy card

[@csnide6702]

When I saw this title , all I could think of is ... : when one of them burns out....😆 That's the only time I've ever done it........😉

[@Louis_Velliotes]

Morning guys, great point you bring up and I have been thinking about it myself! I have been playing tube amps since the mid 90's and I have so rarely changed my tubes. For sure probably as you point out, I mostly play at bedroom levels. I have a ton of backup 12AX7's.

[@gab_ale]

I have had some power tubes gone bad, but I think it was more bad luck than anything else. I have tubes that I bought back in the 90's and they still work perfectly. I only have a bunch of tubes because I was curious about their performance. I also have a ton of 12ax7s.

[@ryanfulldark2775]

I change my tubes every time I think about playing. 😂 Seriously though, I just bought a 67 Twin Reverb literally 3 weeks ago. Though the tone is phenomenal I feel a bit of regret.😬

[@rstuartcpa]

Sweet Twin...before GE could screw up the circuit.

[@bryantwalley]

Back when I still had tube amps the only time I had to change them was when they went out or started squeeling. Almost never. Some of them I had and played for years and then sold with the same tubes.

[@richardlynch5632]

Still have tubes from the 60's. OCD folk hopefully don't throw away the tubes they've run for a month and feel new ones are needed. Send those tubes to me please...🤣 My nephew is into vinyl albums and 45's....YES...!!! 😎👍❤🖖

[@titanuranus]

Jonathan, beagles are... well, they're stubborn as anything you could possibly imagine, and they never ever ever stop barking. Do what you want, but you have been warned.

[@richsackett3423]

There’s a bizarre notion that tubes either work or they don’t. That’s like saying, “I don’t need new tires. These still hold air.” When they start to misbehave. You can pick up a good mutual transconductance tube tester for less than a hundred bucks. Every guitar who runs a tube amp should own one.

[@lgrim68]

It seems like you lose high and low end frequencies when tubes wear. Some people like this, and prefer tubes with miles on them. Pro-active replacement I think might make your caps last longer, and generally be more cost-effective in the long run. Newer tubes are brighter and make Fender-type circuits sing. I often hold on to my old power tubes if they are still functional.

[@NJSonye]

I’m told that today’s amps are designed with today’s tubes in mind, but the old tunes were more robust. Depending on how hard the amp was used maybe a year & half. I’m talking about amps in and out of cold / hot trailers, and may push the amp. Since 2005 I’ve 3 tubes fail. 2 of them were old and one lost vacuum 3 days after it was installed. The manufacturer replaced all 4 tubes. I’ve had 1 pre amp become microphonic!

[@JRuns]

Because you started with "I'm told", I'm not gonna give you a hard time, but there are a lot of people that state this as fact with zero evidence behind it. Setting aside real evidence of a manufacturer doing it, I've never even heard anyone explain how you would design an amp for "today's tubes". Components are picked based on their ability to bias the tubes, provide proper voltages, and filter frequencies. The values needed to do these things have been the same since all the favorite tubes were designed and introduced to the market. Even something like dropping plate voltages wouldn't address the actual mechanisms of premature tube failure. And in fact we're seeing the opposite with companies like JJ known for putting out tubes that can handle way higher plate voltages than the original spec sheets would advise. The second thing is that today's tubes are actually more reliable than they used to be. People get confused, because like Baxter and Jonathan were saying, tubes can last forever if you don't push them hard. What they didn't say is that is only true once they get past the point of "infant mortality". So now we have a bunch of super old tubes that look like they're built like tanks that don't fail and we compare them to the ones we have today. What we're missing is that a bunch of these great old tubes failed early just like the ones today. It's just no one really cared back then because tubes were available everywhere. People point to their beefy construction as evidence that they were more reliable, but that was because they *had* to be built like that because the manufacturing capabilities sucked back then. So in summary, 95% of the things you hear about tubes on the internet are third-hand rumors started by people who didn't know what they were talking about in the first place.

[@NJSonye]

@@JRuns thanks for illuminating me. Thanks for not busting my chops. Anyhow It wasn’t the net, but I’m thinking it was this “audiophile type” person post gig, and the conversation was “rolling tubes” and the fact that I blew a tube and couldn’t get Winged C’s tubes (reportedly “cork-sniffer” tubes from The Gear Page) at the only amp repair shop that was open, but Guitar Center had Groove Tubes. Actually, I was impressed the bar had my favorite bourbon. I enjoyed the conversation, the fact my amp worked that night, I got paid, and enjoyed the free bourbon. The other time there was a tubes conversation, Andy and I discussed the merits of Maker’s Mark verses Wild Turkey. There was a time most Radio Shack stores carried RCA tubes. The Old daze… well, I’m looking at a tub of tubes (6L6 & 5881) that were “graded” by Bob a retired EE. How do you feel about 5881? I think I like them. He put numbers like 6300 & 6500 on the boxes (40 of ‘em) - Bob’s a pretty good guitar player. I’m extremely happy he took the time to grade the tubes. Sorry if I “generalized” - if you’ll excuse me, to my right is a Fender Blues Jr known for running hot and a German Shorthaired Pointer that needs to pee. Jordan got to run.

[@JRuns]

@@NJSonye I'm betting what you're talking about by grading has to do with how much current the tubes pass at a given voltage. The idea being that you don't have to re-bias the amp if you're installing tubes with a close enough rating as the old ones. That's definitely a real thing and something that can absolutely be measured. Have a good one!

[@Theweeze100]

We do appreciate listening to you guys just shoot the bull concerning guitars, amps, stuff. Keep it coming, keep it real… Don’t worry about the guys in the suits!

[@stringlocker]

When I was a kid every store had a tube tester. And we had shoe repair shops. And Maytag Man. Now everything is a throw away. I feel bad for the tube Junkies they will have withdrawals.

[@rstuartcpa]

I remember one at the front of the grocery store and you could buy replacement tubes right there. I think those were for the TVs which I guess had tube amps for sound.

[@csnide6702]

@@rstuartcpa Yeah ... when i needed tubes for my Amp - I ALWAYS went to a TV/ Radio shop . There were 3-4 in every decent sized town.

[@stringlocker]

@@csnide6702 even the music stores would send you to a radio shop. That's funny it wasn't that long ago it was hard to get your amplifier fixed. The old guys in the repair shop didn't get it. You would tell them you lost volume and they would say it seems pretty loud to me. Okay never mind and then I went to the next guy..

[@onceupona1]

Tube matching for guitar amps wasn’t even a thing until Aspen Pittman (Groove Tubes), began convincing players that they needed his matched tube sets, which started in 1979. A LOT of amps made prior to that time sounded amazing. Some players and techs prefer tubes that are somewhat mismatched. After all, guitar amps are tone and distortion machines, not meant to be faithful to the input signal. That said, the advantage in buying tubes in matched sets is that the matching process is a final QC check point that weeds out the duds. For that reason alone, I prefer matched pairs or quads. The genie in my crystal ball tells me that the tube supply will probably resume over the next 2-3 years, only they’re going to be a lot more expensive.

[@vintagetubeamplifiers]

I agree with you 100% on all 3 points.

[@onceupona1]

@@vintagetubeamplifiers Thank you and best wishes.

[@ericsfc1ea.16]

The oldest set I have running are 12 years old/ Deluxe Reverb. I've had only a few failures over the last 12 years, 2-5y3's(had a short in the power transformer on a new to me 5a3) and 2-12at7's. I've bought plenty of bad/microphonic tubes over that period but maintain a healthy stash of mostly NOS/used older tubes. I have a '51 National that I believe still has the original matched RCA tube set- that I put aside for resale someday maybe-probably not.

[@alexbeard3703]

Have an 11 year old pocket beagle thats by far the best dog I've ever had! Lots of personality!

[@tommyvanhorn7912]

What is that blue guitar in the back, is freaking gorgeous

[@jacobbockover1628]

I started playing in 1987ish. I have changed 3 tubes. Some of that time i had solid state but mostly tube. One of my first amps was a silver face champ that i had to crank all the way and set on a book shelf by my head so i could here over drums. It got stolen but it never lost a tube

[@mkenific]

I bought my egnater rebel 30 combo in 2010 and use it a lot. I had to replace all of the tubes after about 8 years . The amp. Just as Jonathon said, suddenly lost almost all volume.

[@simonpark843]

Anthony Field and Jeff Fatt from The Wiggles were in a band called The Cockroaches in the 80's. I'm old enough to remember that strange fact.

[@markschomaker3053]

1965 Silvertone 1482 combo amp here. All original tube compliment, including Sears branded RCA 6v6s. Sounds like you would expect. Gets a few hours of play per week...

[@richsackett3423]

The Soviet Reflektor 6V6s kick ass and are quite inexpensive.

[@scottkidwellmusic9175]

It sounded like Mike from EHX had made it possible to get his tubes out into the world, but that cost and prices were going up. As I understand it, the Slovakian-made tubes were 6 to eight months back-logged, and that was likely to increase, as well as pricing. I only change my amp tubes as needed, and I have a set of backups. Speaking of Tubes... anyone remember that band?

[@steveatkinson9123]

With the dancing qualoudes!🤣😂

[@syklonight]

She's a Beauty...

[@Pead929]

Sometimes when you guys go off on tangents I picture the room getting hazy and empty wrappers of Little Debbie’s strewn across the foreground. Never change

[@Ottophil]

I don’t think these guys are cool enough to smoke

[@Mary.Lou1978]

Me when 3/4 of my amps decided to redplate playing at bed room levels:💢👁👄👁💢

[@robertspreitzer8126]

I have a 1998 Laney GH50L just had them changed out it still had the original power tubes the pre amp had been changed out to some cheap Chinese brand put Sovtek in the preamp and Mullard EL34s in the power section.

[@DDPAV]

I have a collection of amps that never leave the studio. My three main non-master volume amps go thru a set of tubes at almost exactly the two year mark. That wasn't something I gave much thought about when I picked up my UA Ox so I could run them cranked all the time for recording. I always keep one complete set as a backup, when everything started getting crazy I added one more set before everyone ran out. Panic buy for sure, but my Princeton and Bassman are due up before the end of the year so better safe than sorry....

[@hangaroundrecords4761]

Baxter you should totally get a record player! I recommend you do it right and get a turntable receiver and decent speakers. And you can get that stuff for cheaper than you might think used. A lot of record stores actually sell that stuff used. Cool thing is if you get a nice receiver you can get a blue tooth to rca adaptor for under 20 bux and use it for KZbin and Spotify as well! I actually just watched “Summer of soul” with the sound coming through my 70s era stereo! Haha

[@Barbarapape]

As a retired Hi-Fi tech who trained with Valves / Tubes in the late 60's good tubes will last a long time, cheap ones are made with thin glass and cheap metal and can and do fail. I have seen some where the glass has melted and the sides sucked in, i have also seen some where the internal parts have collapsed and this can cause other components to fail. As we all know, heat is the enemy of amplifiers, this causes most faults due to dry joints and burnt out underated resistors, cheap capacitors also dry out. For home use a good valve amp will last a long time, stage use is another matter. With the current crisis the temptation might be to order some while they are available, this is down to the indvidual, my advice is don't panic buy.

[@smelltheglove2038]

I’ve been panic “buying”(picking up organs for free on local classifieds) tubes for over a decade lol. For some reason I got addicted to tearing down old hammonds for parts.

[@Barbarapape]

@@smelltheglove2038 That is a great way of building a good stock of tubes at a low price, the modern day tubes are very inferior to the ones made many years ago, guitar players seem to go for Russian tubes thinking they are good. I have boxes full of old stock brand new tubes, i will wait and see what happens before i decide to sell them. At 67, my days of repairing gear has almost come to an end, few people have anything repaired these days.

[@smelltheglove2038]

I have over a thousand tubes of all different varieties. I grab up every old organ I can get my hands on for transformers, tubes, transistors ect. Now that we can’t get sov-tek tubes, I’m glad I did this.

[@0megalul309]

my 79 jmp still going strong on its stock tubes, and yeah I crank it with a loadbox tho

[@Canadianwheelchairguitar]

People on youtube complaining about a tube shortage but they usually have 10 tube amp, a few solid state amps, a few digital amps & 15 guitars? Use a different amp or an acoustic. Unless they're actively gigging every other day, there's no reason to worry. Tubes will come back, but they'll be much higher in price. If a person has a tube amp & another amp of any kind to play at home, they'll likely be O.K.

[@joeldowdy404]

I bought an extra set of tubes for my tone king imperial right before covid 19 hit. Glad I did that.

[@pierheadjump]

⚓️ Thanks Casino 😎 What’s the deal with tubes? I’m OAF (to me) & I seem to remember a thing: on/off power cycles decrease tube life? Leave the power on stby > volume down??? Ask Uncle Doug???

[@bluzzjazz]

I have a 60 W SuperSonic and just changed out the full set from the original Groove Tubes after 8 years of playing it 3 times a week running between 2 and 4. 4 is LOUD but thanks to the Isocab, I can crank it a bit! I initially put in Ruby's but have since gone to the Apex matched 6L6 J&Js and pre amps.

[@mikecorey8370]

If they go, change them. If they don't, leave them in.

[@melissahansen-rood86]

I change tubes when an amp does not sound or feel right. Nowadays I play at "inside the house" volumes and the amps stay in the studio so I am not rough on tubes. Regardless, I keep a spare set of tubes of each type my amps use. I was fortunate to buy at a reasonable price an Orange VT1000 Tube Tester a few years back. While not a comprehensive tester, it makes managing the tubes for my 5 tube amps much easier.

[@jfar3340]

In this day and age of attenuators, loadbox, OX box, amps with variable wattage or integrated attenuators (mesa cal tweed, jubilee, carr, orange) etc etc, more and more people run their tube amps HOT, especially small combo amps with power tubes that are right next to the speaker. These amps are cranked at very low volume, and sometimes in silent recording settings. This tube shortage IS a big deal, power tubes can be very delicate. I am NOT reassured by this video that completely ignores the fact that many people run cranked combo amps in their bedroom through attenuators and load boxes.

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

i highly recommend getting a used orange vt 1000 tube tester it's 300$ and you don't have to live in the dark

[@davidpotsdam]

Puppies yeah I dig it. Best of Luck.

[@CindyMattern]

Thank you!! Ben loves you guys!!

[@violinmiata]

My fender Blues Deluxe has had factory tubes and sounds great, my AC15 eats power tubes. But I don’t play at high draw for six hours straight anymore, so I’m probably good for awhile!

[@terrymarshall5480]

I have. An amp with 2 6f6 g..... manufactured 1935. Strong and loud.

[@ericwarrington6650]

There's more to be said about the value of listening to vinyl that I've recently given more thought to...there's a nastalgia for me in the warmth and lofi nature of that tone w all the imperfections and pops and clicks that really takes me back to being a young kid..born in 74 it was mostly 8tracks in my family that I remember ..cassettes changed everything..

[@smelltheglove2038]

My hi-fi stereo(all analog) makes my records sound amazing. Digital takes the soul of music and gets rid of it completely.

[@216trixie]

@@smelltheglove2038 Vinyl still sounds better than digital.

[@marcobaltodano3196]

The Trolls World Tour OST is a great record. I own it in gray glitter vinyl. cool af

[@DRChevalier]

I replace tubes when they die. In forty-five years, I have had to replace one, in a not so wonderful Marshall Valvestate rack unit long since gone. My Custom Super Lead Mark II is 48 years old and has never needed a tube replacement.

[@tonepilot]

Not to worry, no immediate plans to live with you. I'm safe. For now.

[@mojo6778]

Pocket beagle, that would be a cute doggie.

[@vintagetubeamplifiers]

Jonathan, you are correct with your quad of tubes theory.

[@titanuranus]

matched quads cost a fair amount more than matched pairs. I base this of years of ownership of home audio tube power amps.

[@vintagetubeamplifiers]

@@titanuranus Yes, buying 4 of something usually costs more than buying 2 of something. But Jonathon asked at 3:01 if he got a matched quad for his 50 watters that use two tubes, could he swap the second pair of tubes without re-biasing. That answer is yes.

[@mikemedina9339]

What is that thing on the wall that looks like a Jazz Bass body but has a cutdown Tele bridge?! Yes! Fiesta Red? Double Yes!

[@jordanpriest3629]

I have DIABETES that commercial has been stuck in my head since I was diagnosed. I always made fun of how that guy pronounced it.

[@smelltheglove2038]

My dad has diabetes from drinking too much. I quit drinking ten years ago after it destroyed my life. He claims I will still get diabetes and blow up like he did. My old man is an asshole. He also told me drinking was better for me than smoking pot. Well, I never did quit smoking pot, and I’m well functioning responsible adult. I couldn’t say that about myself when I was drunk. To be fair, my old man did give me his ‘81 Les Paul custom. Thanks pop.

[@jordanpriest3629]

I'm medical cannabis patient because I have peripheral neuropathy. It's been the only thing that helps I stopped taking all the pain meds they were giving me so I completely understand the not stopping pot it's nothing like alchohol.

[@vr6jettar]

"Diabeetus"

[@TurfShifter]

That is a totally CGI eagle in Peacemaker. They initially tried using a real eagle in some early shooting and it went as well as you would expect...

[@30smsuperstrat]

I change em Every other week. 🤧 Bolshevik. Sometimes, I hate living with Juvenile Diabetes, but love Jonathan's Die a Beat Us. 🤣😆🤣🤣 Being follicly challenged, I love that Baxter was brave enough to transplant his armpit hair to his head. Now I know I have another source.

[@friedrudibega6384]

Never unless there’s a tube failure. I did make a call and have a pair of el34s and a pair of el84s along with some various preamp tubes on the way.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@lumberrivermusicrobertbyrd9160]

I only change tubes when I have a failure. I had to replace my power tubes once over the past 3 years.

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

I've only replaced tubes once. I have a 1958 385 amp with original tubes.

[@The_Metal_Mechanic]

I am taking my brother's old 30w Vox amp off of him that he has had for well over a decade, and I'm wondering if I should replace the tubes or not. He has always been terrible about upkeep, so I'm pretty sure it will be a good idea to replace them just for the sake of it.

[@jhellnowh]

I only ever change my tubes when I get the squealing telling me that they’re failing. It’s usually the power tubes, not the pre amp ones. As a general rule for myself, (if I can remember) I’ll change all the tubes after 5 years, whilst giving the amp a health check. Just for the record, I’m not a working guitarist anymore, so have a certain luxury of not needing to be as meticulous as I once was!

[@MrPhins]

I changed the tubes once to check the gain difference between 12ax7 and 12ay7 and see if it was more home friendly in my Blues Deluxe. Guess what? It's still loud but at least I have a spare set now.

[@TunedupFlat]

We keep a spare pack or 2 of strings in case you break a string. Why didn't people who are worried about tubes already have bias matched spares? Maybe I'm abnormal but I have a spare sets for every single amp I own.

[@bbrotherton6345]

I designed circuit boards for DOD/Digitech for 10 years. Now I design for defense, medical and other high-end products such as SSDs. When is the last time you saw a computer chip fail? The worst future problem is supply chain. Play what you have!

[@brickspieth6797]

100% vinyl all the time. 1500 records, 1/3 Rock, 1/3 Jazz, 1/3 Classical, all played on vintage tube gear. Thorens 124 turntable, Fisher, Scott, and Dynaco amps and Klipsch speakers. I do have one modern Bottlehead amp. $750 for a Blues jr? I'll play my tweed champ clone I built. or my Gibson clone of the Trace Elliot Velocette, or my 70s MusicMaster Bass with the vintage Jensen P 12Q. I've played my 65 Epiphone Texan, 70 Guild D 35, and Martin Custom D 35 most of the time anyway. These days all I want to do is play better. Guess what, you need to practice.

[@mma1st105]

I have an old Twin have never changed the tubes. I've owned it for probably 15 years maybe more. Gigged heavily in the beginning and who knows how much the guy before me played it. Watch I'll break it out today and have to change a tube.