2:90 tube life and voicing switches

[Jackie]

Over at the JVM forum when I posted about my TriAxis/2:90, one of the users said this:

The triaxis is an awesome preamp. Linked with the 2:90 it's amazing. i had one for a few years and kick myself for selling it. The only problem I ran into with the 2:90 is that if you do a bunch of switching you'll go through power tubes like crazy. With my show schedule at the time I was changing power tubes 4-5 times a year. Not cheap.

I think he probably meant voicing switches...

I asked him and another user that had a TriAxis/2:90 rig and none of them responded.

So - is there any truth to this? I just dropped 300€ for an octet of =C='s (very happy with them) and I don't want to spend another 300€ in less than 3 months, I'm just a student :shock:

 

[dbone]

Four or five times a year seems like a hell of a lot.
you really have no way of knowing what state of repair the OP's gear was in or maybe he's just gigging and practicing like a mad man good for him.
I would buy an extra set so you have them if you need them.
You can always swap the tubes to verify whether the old ones are losing it or not.
It really depends how much your playing on them. If you play 3 hours a day 7 days a week you would use more tubes than 2 hours 3 days a week.
I don't think using the function switches is really "eating" the tubes.

 

[Jackie]

Yeah I know usage depends on how log they will last... during the week I usually play for no more than 3 hours a week because I don't have a lot of time, and maybe that goes up to about 7 hours a week if I use it on band practice.

But yeah I too think the voicings have nothing to do with it... I'll wait for some more posts.

 

[Triaxstasy]

As far as my humble understanding of electronics goes, all that the voicing switches do is alter the EQ and some paths in the cicuitry, but nothing power tube related.
Even the 1/2 Drive only lowers the voltage fed to the PI tubes....
So I doubt that the Voicings will have an influence on power tube wear and life....

Otherwise it would theoritically mean that by switching the channels on your JVM head you also wear down the power tubes in that head?!?!?!?

Just my two €-cents

 

[Jackie]

Yeah I agree.

Otherwise it would theoretically mean that by switching the channels on your JVM head you also wear down the power tubes in that head?!?!?!?

Probably, and I've had that amp for almost 2 years now with stock tubes and they don't seem like they're dying any time soon either (knock on wood). :mrgreen:

 

[tedsticle]

I put a sticker(label) on my 2:90 dating when I last retubed it. It reads 7/9/07. So, these tubes are now 4 years old, and have a nice layer of dust sitting on them. This amp has been through a lot of practices, shows, and miles of bumping roads. They still seem fine to me....Deep, Modern, and off switching constantly depending on songs.....haven't used the 1/2 drive much at all. I know the rule of changing power tubes every 3 years, but I just don't have that kind of money, so it will have to wait.

 

[Jackie]

Definitely reassuring, thanks!