Tube Amp

[skweeks]

Are there any sites on maintaining tube amps (things like replacing tubes & fuses)? It costs like 100 bucks for a tube replacement at a shop, and only about $10 per tube at zzounds.com (around that at most online stores as well...) which would be a lot cheaper for me i'd assume... also, since I'm going to be playing shows with this amp (marshal jcm 800 lead series by the way), i probably should have extra tubes and fuses and the knowlege to replace them in case something (and it always seems to happen at the one time you don't want it too the most) blows

thanks in advance

 

[dragonworks]

Your fuse should be right on the back of your
amp somewhere easy to find and easy to replace, have you ever replaced a fuse in a stereo etc.? Same thing.
Your tubes should be easily accessable by taking off the back of your amp (the piece of
wood or whatever gives access to the tubes and simply replacing. I am assuming they are
either EL34 or EL84(?) and there should be a plastic centerpiece in the middle of the pins
with a rib on it and if you look at the tube socket you will see where the rib lines the tube up preventing you from putting it in the wrong way. You should get a set of matched tubes such a groove tubes (these will
be more than 10 bucks apiece but better sounding) you may also be able to get a set
of mathced tubes cheaper manufactured by another tube company such as Sovtek (Russian).
center piece in the middle of the pins

 

[virtual.ray]

Aspen Pittman,the gentleman who runs the Groove Tubes company,publishes The Tube Amp Book,which has maintenance information,schematics,and tube replacement types for virtually every tube guitar amp ever made,both British and American.Cheers!

 

[windowman]

You might want to learn a bit about biasing your amp as well. Most guys do it whenever they do tube replacements.

 

[foo]

But be very careful if you decide to go poking around in the guts of your tube amp.

Changing the tubes is not at all risky, but going inside the amp can be. Even with the power off there is mucho stored electrical energy in a tube amp. Be careful.

foo

 

[skweeks]

yeah, I'm not planning to do much messing around with my amp. All I really need to learn, is how to change the fuses and tubes, so that if they blow at a gig, the gig isn't blown. As long as the biasing or whatever doesn't need to be done right away (i could probably have it at a shop 2 days after a show at longest) when changing the tubes, I think i'll leave that to the professionals.

 

[windowman]

I'll tell skweeks, if you buy matched tubes from the same manufacturer every time (groove tubes for instance) you don't have to worry about the biasing too much if at all. If you live state-side I'd stick with GT's simply because their so easy to find here. Always carry a couple of spares. Changing them is usually just a matter of pulling straight out on them and shoving the new one in (kind of like a fuse). Piece of cake! Well...most of the time.