Fire Up Yer Tube Amps In Storage, (Hey badbluesplayer...?)

[Murph]

I have several old tube amps that don't get used anymore, I'm pretty much all acoustic these days. I need to move a few on, but they're my favorites, so I guess I'm just hoarding them. A (Zinky) Prosonic, an old 60's Champ that Naked Clarke from the TDP restored for me 20 years ago, and a Mesa Blue Angel.

Anyhow, several decades ago I read in Aspen Pittman's book that you should fire them up several times a year to keep the caps from drying up, and I've always done that. Sometimes I actually plug in a guitar, but sometimes I don't. I don't know if you actually have to, nor do I know if you can just leave them on standby, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I also don't know if that's required with old SS amps/p.a.'s as well but I always assumed it was, so I do it with my old XR600 Peavey and my Carvin bass rig. It's worked for me so far, all my rigs still work after over a decade of mostly non use.

I will also turn the knobs/pots from time to time.

It would be great if badbluesplayer, who is an actual amp builder and designer, and any other Forum members with electronics experience would care to jump in with any expertise about long term amp storage and/or collecting.

[Karloff]

18 minutes ago, Murph said:

I have several old tube amps that don't get used anymore, I'm pretty much all acoustic these days. I need to move a few on, but they're my favorites, so I guess I'm just hoarding them. A (Zinky) Prosonic, an old 60's Champ that Naked Clarke from the TDP restored for me 20 years ago, and a Mesa Blue Angel.

Anyhow, several decades ago I read in Aspen Pittman's book that you should fire them up several times a year to keep the caps from drying up, and I've always done that. Sometimes I actually plug in a guitar, but sometimes I don't. I don't know if you actually have to, nor do I know if you can just leave them on standby, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I also don't know if that's required with old SS amps/p.a.'s as well but I always assumed it was, so I do it with my old XR600 Peavey and my Carvin bass rig. It's worked for me so far, all my rigs still work after over a decade of mostly non use.

I will also turn the knobs/pots from time to time.

It would be great if badbluesplayer, who is an actual amp builder and designer, and any other Forum members with electronics experience would care to jump in with any expertise about long term amp storage and/or collecting.

yea, that would be good to hear what BBP has to say ...

[Larsongs]

I turned on some of my Tube Amps I haven’t played in a while & let them run for a for about a half hour..

I doubt it can hurt..

[10PoundLester]

I've scratch-built and/or repaired dozens of tube amps and I own several vintage ones that I almost never use. My 66 Vibro-Champ for instance. I did a cap job on it 10 years ago. I pull it out ever few years and play it and it's fine every time. I don't take much heed in what Pittman says about this but I don't see how it could hurt to do it. I also don't see how it can do much harm if you don't do it. The electrolyte is going to do its job regardless.

[jdgm]

Good advice! Time I got the big ones out of the understairs cupboard and gave 'em a run.

TBH I should sell my big amps soon - I'm 70 next year and big, heavy valve amps are not useable on the small gigs I'm likely to get.  But I'll never have another of these.....

 

[sparquelito]

This fellow Willie offers some advice.
Quite a few things that I would never have thought of.
 

 

[Murph]

"They just don't build 'em like they used to."

Amen, Willie.

Amen.

[Dub-T-123]

They can’t legally make em like they used to

[Murph]

Oh, I see.

THOSE laws they enforce....

[badbluesplayer]

Yeah, they say your electrolytics will last longer if you fire up the amp every once in awhile and allow them to stay fresh.  I couldn't tell you from experience, but that's what the experts say.