How often should tubes be changed?

[parabola]

I know this is sort of a noob question but Ive been new to tube amps since last year after playing a solid state for 5yrs. My question is how often should you change change the tubes in them. I have had my 3ch Dual Rectifier for a year now and it was actually pre-owned for month before I purchased it and I have no idea how long it was sitting in the guitar shop before I bought it. I'm considering changing all tubes except the rectifier tubes as I use the diodes more often. I usually play the amp at least 10 to 14hrs a week cranked at band practice levels. Anyway what are your views on tube maintenance...

 

[fjk1138]

Tubes are funky -- I had a DR that I played at home with low-moderate volume that never had one failure in 5 years. Then I traded it for a brand new Roadster (I watched them open the box) that had a failure in the V1 position in less than 3 mos at the same volume levels. The dealer replaced it for free, naturally.

In my opinion, if it ain't broke don't fix it. However, at the same time I would say for the amount of time (and level of volume) that you play, you should probably get a full set (rectifier tubes included) as a backup. That way, you always have some at the ready. After my little mishap, I bought a few extra ones just in case, and especially since the dealer is 45 mins away.

 

[RectoStudioGuy]

Tube amps can be finicky creatures at times as you'll come to find, as well as your tastes can change the more you become accustomed to using them. I have found that unless there's a specific reason; ie: malfunction, tone loss, fizzle, or you simply want to change your sound that you let the tubes do their thing. You'll discover that certain tubes will last a really long time and sound ok and then there's some that sound amazing but short life span. Perhaps wait until you actually NEED tubes before changing them and hopefully by that time you'll know more about how your playing fits into your amp and vise versa.

 

[Silverwulf]

In my opinion, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

This. Change them when they go bad or when you don't like how they sound.

 

[94Tremoverb]

+1.

But also, it's worth having a spare set. At least, a full set of power tubes and one or more preamp tubes.

Rectifier tubes either work or they don't, and if one goes down at an awkward time you can always flip to solid-state diode to get you through, so you don't strictly need a spare of those. (But you do need a spare fuse, since a blown rectifier tube will almost always take it out - and in a 3-ch Rectifier, you must physically remove the blown tube as well.)

Power tubes wear out more quickly than preamp tubes, but progressively so you don't usually notice the drop in performance until you put a new set in. Power tubes need to be changed as a set, unless you have the means to test them individually. They can also fail outright in which case you will also most likely need a new fuse.

Preamp tubes tend to 'go bad' suddenly - either loss of gain, hum, or microphonics (rattling, ringing or whistling noises) - but don't blow fuses if they fail. They're also interchangeable and don't need to be matched, so you only really need to keep one spare. But they also can have quite different tone characteristics, so it may be worth keeping a few for experimentation - they're the least expensive.

If you want to be completely certain, it *may* be worth replacing all the tubes at once - but *don't* throw out the old ones, if they haven't failed - even worn, they will always be useful as spares since you know for sure they're working... actually better than brand new tubes, which can fail right out of the box or shortly afterwards. They don't degrade in storage, so even if you don't need them for years it's free insurance.

 

[thejay]

I agree with the comments above. Tubes are extremely fickle and anything can make them go and some last forever. Let your ears decide as far as changing them and if you question the life of them I would have some spares just in case.