Parts Life Question

[ssgfowler]

any knowledge as to what is the average life of some of the parts in the Valve Jr. before you should change them out (ie. filter caps, etc.)?

[TWANG]

five years according to epiphone.

but most of that stuff can last a long longer.

[Steven Lister]

...and, add in the near endless list of variables like: playing styles, transporting/gigging, setting it on top of a cab (more vibration) versus on a table, manufacturing tolerances/bias, and on-and-on. Unit to unit life will vary considerably -- plus some things seem to just roll off the assembly line built like a tank, while others do tank.

 

My ver. 3 works an average of 3 1/2 hrs. a day and about half that time it is driven rather hard, so I'll be curious to see (and will post here) the answer to this question as to mine -- I'm hoping it's 5+ years.

 

 

Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on :-

[layboomo]

I think it can be considerably longer than that......I have a 67 Fender Bandmaster that's in very very clean shape and outside of the paper filter caps which have been replaced....the rest of the amp is all original and still going strong 41 years later! It does require cleaning every few years,but thats true of any tube amp.

[m-theory]

Stuff will last until it breaks. That's the easiest way to describe the lifespan of anything.

 

This is a very difficult question to answer, because there are so many different variables that can affect the life of the components, including the frequency of use, how hard the amp is pushed when used, the quality of the components in use, whether or not boosters are being utilized, etc. Any sort of guideline to parts component longetivity is only a loose guideline.

 

Tubes are undoubtedly the most consumable component in the amp. Filter caps would be second. Everything else is capable of lasting many years, if not many decades. Figure 2 + years on the 12AX7, depending on what type you use and how hard it's pushed (i.e. using a booster/overdrive/distortion will significantly reduce the life of that tube), and about 6 - 24 months on the EL84, again depending upon how hard it's pushed and how often the amp is used.

 

I'd say that if you're playing the amp hard and often, say 10-20 hours per week, expect to replace the output tube every 6 months, and poke around with DMM every 2 years, to see if anything has drifted. A schedule like that should keep the amp reliable. Keep spare fuses and tubes on hand at all times. Those are what are going to blow and leave you stranded, if anything.

[oldpriest]

You just never know. I have a 50's Stromberg Carlon PA head that still ticked the last time I played on it and has all original parts...I don't do much with it anymore but it's kind of cool. I like to use it with bass guitar...but I don't have my big speaker anymore.