Tube question in triple rectifier

[drewfromutah]

I'm a tube newb so I need some help here. All 6 of my 6L6's are lighting up fine when I play. The one tube to the left of those has a really feint red glow, and the 2 on the left of that never light up at all. This does not change when I switch rectifiers or anything. I think one of the tubes is for the effects loop which I don't use, so I can understand that one not lighting up. Just a bit confused on why my rectifier tubes aren't lighting up.

I want to change all my tubes anyway (dunno how long these have been in there for and don't want them dying on me during a show) but I could really use some kind of schematic or something that tells me what goes where.

Thanks

 

[mrd]

There should be a tube task chart in your manual. I'm not really sure if rectifier tubes light up either way. You don't need to replace those ones. They don't 'fade' like power tubes do. They are like a light-switch. They either work, or they don't. If you can switch to rectifier tube mode and play your amp, they are fine. Don't waste money fixing what ain't broke. Same thing goes for pre-amp tubes. Generally, unless you are seeking a new tone, don't replace pre-amp tubes. They very rarely fail, and they take an extremely long time to die out.

I would say just get a set of new power tubes. You should replace power tubes about every 6-12 months depending on how often and how loud you play. Also, if you gig regularly, it's a good idea to have backups of every type of tube in your amp and a backup fuse or two as well, in case something hits the fan while you're playing and you don't have a backup amp.

 

[domct203]

I'm a tube newb so I need some help here. All 6 of my 6L6's are lighting up fine when I play. The one tube to the left of those has a really feint red glow, and the 2 on the left of that never light up at all. This does not change when I switch rectifiers or anything. I think one of the tubes is for the effects loop which I don't use, so I can understand that one not lighting up. Just a bit confused on why my rectifier tubes aren't lighting up.

I want to change all my tubes anyway (dunno how long these have been in there for and don't want them dying on me during a show) but I could really use some kind of schematic or something that tells me what goes where.

Thanks

Read Your Manual!

Those tubes on the left (5U4GB) are rectifier tubes and have nothing to do with your FX Loop. They convert AC voltage to DC voltage. It is normal for those to glow very dim, but they should all be glowing. Check again in a dark room.

As mentioned, your manual will have a tube task chart showing where each type of tube is and also list the preamp tube functions.

Dom