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That good 'ole Power Tube smell...


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...so what is it exactly that causes that good 'ole Power Tube smell?

 

I used to think it was just from the power tubes getting really cookin' after playing awhile or even that the older/more used the tubes were they just get that nice 'tubey' aroma...

 

...but when I mentioned a lack of that particular odor in my new So Cal head to my keyboard player he, of all people, theorized that it wasn't the tubes that made the odor but rather the surrounding cabinetry and/or components being heated or 'cooked', so to speak.

The fact that the So Cal is very open-aired must reduce much of the heat transfered to the chasis and cabinet which would make sense when compared to a Fender combo amp for instance which has less cooling ability due to it's configuration so that the cabinet covering and other components are being subjected to more heat which in turn creates that tube oroma?!?

 

I also wonder if differant types of power tubes can produce differant odors? I've always had amps with 6L6 power tubes until I got this So Cal with the EL34's and I seem remember a stronger 'tube odor' than what the So Cal produces but I wonder if I'm just being nostalgic...

...come to think of it, I now recall that my old Peavey Classic 60/60 power amp which had 4 6L6 tubes and was more open didn't produce much of an odor like I can remember from an old Fender Twin & Vibroluxe that I used to have 25 years ago. But I do think my old Carvin X100B I had 20 years ago used to get cookin' with that tube odor and it also had 6L6's.

 

Or maybe it's a just combo of both the amp type and the power tubes used. Combo amps with more power tubes like a Fender Twin with 4-6L6's are gonna cook pretty good compared to a 50 watt Marshall head with EL34's depending on how hard they are run I guess but therein lies the reason why I started this topic, which was to get your opinions and experiences.

 

So whatcha think Tubeheads?

 

peace & tone,

Jesus of Tubeshavebecomemysavioragainia

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I would tend to agree with your keyboardist. Much of the so called New Car Smell is the outgassing of new

fabrics and or plastics. Noticed most often when the car sitting closed up in the sun speeds the process. I'm

sure there is some underlying odor from hot electronics but I'd bet the majority of the mojo nose candy are the

cabinet components warmed by the orange glow from inside.

 

Wedgie

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I would tend to agree with your keyboardist. Much of the so called New Car Smell is the outgassing of new

fabrics and or plastics. Noticed most often when the car sitting closed up in the sun speeds the process. I'm

sure there is some underlying odor from hot electronics but I'd bet the majority of the mojo nose candy are the

cabinet components warmed by the orange glow from inside.

 

Wedgie

 

i hate the new car smell...

and people make car air "fresheners" with that scent! ugh!

then again, tons of people like coffee, but i hate it...

so maybe i'm the strange person...

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Corona discharge [ Taking a leak after several Beers] Couldn't help myself

umm...

that's electric...

 

corona discharge looks pretty cool when it's visible... unless it's your definition of corona discharge...

 

i will never drink a mexican beer.

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It's ozone' date=' being produced by the corona discharge within the tubes. Yeah, the more ventilation around that corona discharge source, the less concentrated that aroma will be, no doubt. [/quote']

oh, nice... i've never smelt that from an amplifier, but i've learned to love that from static generators...

(too bad ozone ain't good for ya...)

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umm...

that's electric...

 

corona discharge looks pretty cool when it's visible... unless it's your definition of corona discharge...

 

i will never drink a mexican beer.

 

yeah I hate it when corona discharge gets on my shoes.

 

 

I have a feeling you're not very fond of the mexicans eh, fenrirlupus?

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yeah I hate it when corona discharge gets on my shoes.

 

 

I have a feeling you're not very fond of the mexicans eh' date=' fenrirlupus?[/quote']

i don't really care about them...

i like mexican food,

but if the same differences apply to their drinks as their food...

 

ok, just kidding =D>

i won't because i've never had beer and i don't intend to start drinking any time soon =D>

 

so maybe i should change it to "i will never drink a beer" but since corona was specified...

i was keeping it relevant...

 

now, illegal aliens are another story. i hate illegal aliens, no matter where they're from.

maybe hate is too strong? i just don't want people to break the law and benefit from it. it's unfair to legal immigrants...

 

but i'm fine with mexicans... just not their beer...

 

EDIT: and the thing about mariachi... not all mexicans like that... or mexican beer...

i don't care about the people...

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aaah... the smokier you play' date=' the player you get.

Booze and weed pervade all the dives (and amp boxes) where I play. [/quote']

 

Hell, I don't have to leave home to get that although I would like to play some of those dives you mention, mine aren't smoky enough, LOL=d>

 

Now, back to tube odors...

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I grew up back in the days of Fender, Standell, and Gibson/Epiphone tube amps. I loved the smell of tubes heating up leatherette and Vinyl! It smelled even better than WD-40...

 

I guess you could put a light bulb in a transistor amp and get the same smell, since a vacuum tube is sealed like a light bulb and only provides heat to the interior of the amp. Some eager Ebay seller might one day get rich with "tube smell for your transistor amp" kits containing a disguised light bulb and mounting components. There's a sucker born every minute...grin.

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I don't agree with that at all. It is most definitely the tubes that send off the odor and may in fact be the ink that is on the glass. I say this because whenever I retubed my previous stereo power amp I would get that same smell. Said amp was about as open as you can get:

 

sfpower2.jpg

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I don't agree with that at all. It is most definitely the tubes that send off the odor and may in fact be the ink that is on the glass. I say this because whenever I retubed my previous stereo power amp I would get that same smell. Said amp was about as open as you can get:

 

Maybe it is ozone that you are smelling or, as you said, the ink is outgassing. A tube is sealed to hold in the vacuum and can't let out anything and still operate. It has to be the heat acting on something in the case.

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