Tube Amps

Quick question about Tube Amps.
Since my Valve Junior Head is a tube amp, the tubes have to warm up before you can play. Why? and can they overheat?

It makes them last longer if you let them warm up. It's not like they instantly break of get damaged if you don't warm up - but just do it and you should get more life out of them.

And... you shouldn't really worry about overheating. Tube amps are made to be cranked right up.

No sound comes out of the Valve Junior Head before it heats up. Is every tube like that?
What about overheating by having it on for long periods of time

Well, some valve amps like mine have a stand by switch... so you can just turn it straight on and have sound... but you're supposed to leave the standby on and let it warm up. Then there's no sound.

Yours is obviously just built into the power button... so you don't need to worry - and yeah, it's normal to have no sound before it's warmed up.

You can probably get away with having it on for ages, longer than I rate you'll need and especially at low volumes.

if your a geek (Like me) and if not ignore this post.

so tube need lots of juice to work. if you work on a tube amp even something small it can kill you. so you these big fat capasters that need to fully charge before the amp can distribute power to the rest of the tubes. also the tubes need to get power before they will work. you'll see the same thing with told T.V.'s

tubes can over heat which happened it the old marshals (from what i hear) and some people actually but fans in the back of them (not a good idea since they will create noise by magnetic interference) With the way your amp is set up i would not worry about it. the head is plenty big with air round to help it cool off.

now if your playing and you decide for some starange reason to kick your amp, them maybe you could break a tube or your amp.

NOTE TO SELF DON"T KICK MY AMP.

I hope that helps

Alright, thanks guys.
And lol @ the amp kicking piece :P

I read somewhere like I think on UG that this guy replaced his tubes in his tube amp and then it didn't work with the new ones, then he puts the old back in and the amp is screwed. That'll teach ya something.

I noticed something today too, I was playing really loudly and I let a chord ring out while intentionally shutting my head off, and then I could still hear it. I take it that means the tubes were just cooling down slowly

yeah, you'll notice that. also if you have any concern about the environment you might want to burn your tube amp. They burn alont of coal just to warn up those tubes....but man they sound nice.

I have an off topic tube amp question. Does Guitar Center work on tube amps?

i doubt it, but they might.

I have been trying to find someone to look at my amp but there is no one in my area.

I'm not really into the environment stuff. My cousin is though ;p

LP, Why don't you try posting an ad somewhere asking if someone could look at yer amp? Like post it in the paper of if you have one, a classifieds flier. I've had luck doing that before

whats wrong with it?

you could to a craigs list post..

Nothing it sounds fine to me, but I got it second hand from a guy I went to school with and I would just like to have someone give it the once over just to make sure there is no loose wiring or anything and give it a good inside cleaning.