Amp left on standby

  • Thread starter Thread starter TelePaul
  • Start date Start date
OH NO!!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!?!?!

Anyways, don't worry, nothing is going to happen. In fact, some may argue that you actually prolonged the life of the preamp. (http://www.rickonslow.com/mods/ampfaq.html)

Or you can think of it this way: if standby was actually bad for your preamp, why would you think they'll have it there. And even then, don't you think they'll stick a bunch of stickers everywhere about how you shouldn't put your pre in standby no matter what?

Relax...
 
... seems to me you did mention being a piano tech once... didn't remember you being electronic... .
ok .... that seems open to having a discussion rather than just insulting me so let's try.
I never did the electronic tech thing for money ...... by the time I'd finished school on it the piano tuning buisness had gotten so busy that the only application it ever got used for was fixing my own amps. So I don't think or speak of myself as an electronic tech often because I only do it at home. But that doesn't change the fact that I do know the subject. And I have played 5 and 6 nights a week and it's always been tube amps every night for 40 years so even with no tech knowledge you would learn some stuff about what blows up amps....... I've never had an amp go down on me with the exception of a Marshall 6101 which are known to have some problems.
As for standing by your comments ...... you didn't really make any other than a passing swipe at me but I really am interested in what you think I said that was bullshit.
IF you're actually saying that leaving an amp on accidently will ruin it ..... then I don't see how you can say that. If the amp is well ventilated as it should always be, then there is no reason at all that it should be damaged by leaving it on accidently overnight and you have given no reason at all why it would be so far.
And though you're certainly correct that Class A is a bit different in that it is always running flat-out even if you don't play anything thru it at all, that, in and of itself, doesn't mean that running it overnight would damage it. And the loss of tube life would be only about 1/60th of the total tube life .... even less if you don't change the tubes as often as someone like me who needs them to always be at their best.

I am interested in what you have to say ...... but you really didn't explain anything even a little bit and simply said that I was saying bullshit and that's what set me off.

Are you saying that, for instance, if I had an event where my amp would be playing for two 4 hour gigs in a row that it would be too much without a break and would damage the amp?
Are you saying that if it were three gigs that'd be too much?
At what point are you saying that an amp requires a break to rest before being turned back on?
Technically, I've never heard of such a thing and I have frequently done 8 or 9 hours straight with an amp that happens to be class-A and never even gave it a thought ...... and had no problems..

Plus, the only thing I really said was that if it happened I wouldn't worry much about it
If there actually is such a reason then it would do me and others a lot of help to explain why that would be.
But as far as I know ..... the simple fact that an amp is on for a longer period of time than usual won't harm it and I have never ever heard of any time limits on running an amp.
If there is such a thing I'd be delighted to learn about it.
:)
 
I know its been lying dormant for a while, but perhaps someday someone will learn to use the search function and actually need some info...

My two cents - I've left my tube amp on, on standby, overnight once or twice by accident, and it sounded no different. With the same tubes, in fact, it still sounds excellent, so I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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LOL ..... everyone always says they tried the search and couldn't find anything!
:D

Some people do. They just don't use proper key words (or combination of the key words)... :)
 
I've left my amp on for a couple of days once.

It' probably added a few bucks to the electricity bill, but the amp was a-ok.
 
i had decided to stay away from having anything else to do with this thread but then ltbob had to go and leave me some green chicklets... and i figured he deserves some props publicly for not turning this into a pissing contest... and actually we're not that far apart... especially since he doesn't reccomend leaving an amp on and add's the caveate of it being properly ventolated... and that leads me to the problem because IMO (humble or otherwise) most manufacturers dont adress ventolation very well... and heat is an issue in a lot of amp repairs.... but i guess my biggest issue was in making blanket statements that could lead someone to believe simply leaving an amp on was ok... and i've worked on too many amps where the guy comes in and says i just left it on and when i came back it was dead... and there wasn't anything in particular that they shared as far as the repair goes... i've seen some that the speakers were blown (which tells me it was oscilating).... some blown tubes (not just in the output stages)... and other things... so do yourself a favor and get in the habit of useing the standby... and turning of if you're going to be gone for awhile...
 
I vaguely remember Jon Butcher saying he left his amp on and upside down for long periods of time before he recorded. I'm sure someone else did it before him...
 
won't hurt it at all...

i remember reading somewhere about someguy.....i don't think it was srv, but it was someone like that,and they were in the studio for like 16 or 17 hours, and after that,the amp was sounding the best they had ever heard i sound...johhny lang maybe? Shit i can't remember...

JasonBird
 
Before I started using Boogie, I use to use JCM 800's. I would cover the vents on top with a towel, and leave the amp on for an hour or so. It actually sounded better hot (as good as a Marshal can, anyway). Then I discovered Boogie, and didn't have to play those games anymore.

Anyway, to answer the question....
...yes, you have ruined your amp. Since it's ruined now, you should just send it to me, and I will dispose of it for you.:D
 
dunno if I want to get in on this or not, butt...when I buy gear (in the first place) whether its tube or solid state I burn it in, meaning I turn the gear on for 24 hours and let it cook in the studio...if its a good unit it will work the next day, and usually have pretty good luck with its dependability, my guitar amp (has tubes) but no stand-by switch, I blew the trasnformer in it, sent it back for replacement and asked for a stand-by switch be put in the amp...never happened, point is, if you have one and leave the amp on, this is what the stand-by function is for I dont think there is a time stipulation on how long stand-by mode is...the amp is just waiting to be played through, as on idle...now my amp is just plain hot all the time, and once I turn this baby on I must remember to power her down, or risk meltdown over a period of time due to heat, and I put one of those little clip on fans on the rear to help cooling and circulation...now if I had a stand-by switch I wouldn't be that concerned over leaving the amp on, it would be made to idle and be a tube saver...not ruin the amp. Tele, crank her up and jamm til the tubes fade or crap out, make some noise. Have fun, its only tube replacement....unless you melt your transformer hehe
 
..now if I had a stand-by switch I wouldn't be that concerned over leaving the amp on, it would be made to idle and be a tube saver...not ruin the amp.

Dude-

The amp doesn't really run any cooler on standby.
 
Dude-

The amp doesn't really run any cooler on standby.

I read in a Fender amp forum that the standby switch was designed in to keep the amp quiet when it wasn't being played rather than to keep anything from blowing up or wearing out. I have been playing on Fender tube amps for more than 40 years and I have always thrown both switches on and off together with never a problem. All a standby switch does is take the high voltage supply off the tube plates so they won't pass signal; the heaters keep running.
 
so you guys are saying that a stand-by switch only makes the amp quiet when turned on and has nothing to do with heat? this is interesting.
 
Dude-

The amp doesn't really run any cooler on standby.

touch the output tubes in stand-by and then when on and get back to us on that....

of course it's cooler in stand-by...
 
touch the output tubes in stand-by and then when on and get back to us on that....

of course it's cooler in stand-by...

that's what I was thinkin'. I've looked at the tubes in old Fender amps I had and they seem to "glow" less on stand-by. I'm by no means an electronics person, but I do like to play the guitar and have different amps. What does this do then...set the output or pre into standby? The amp I use now is on all the time, no standby mode.
Thanks dementedchord
 
touch the output tubes in stand-by and then when on and get back to us on that....

of course it's cooler in stand-by...

Not if you're not playing it, it isn't. I don't know about class A amps (refer to previous discussion for that), but in class AB (push-pull) amps the current through the power tubes is nearly nothing when you aren't playing.
 
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