Tube Life Span
The lifespan of a tube can be a bit tough to predict but the following may provide a bit of a guideline. If you play at moderate levels, 10-15 hours a week...
- Preamp Tubes are generally at their best 2 - 3 years.
- Power Tubes are generally at their best 1 - 1.5 years.
- Rectifier Tubes are generally at their best 3 - 5+ years.
Signs of Wear
Preamp Tubes:
- Hissing, 'shooshing'
- Sputtering, 'grumbling'
- Microphonic squealing (feedback type sound)
- Loss in signal in one or more modes of the amp (channel, reverb, fx-loop)
Power Tubes:
- Low end response is not as clear and distorts earlier.
- You turn your amp’s master volume up to hear the level that you are used to hearing.
- Blowing fuses
- Hearing 'crackling' 'popping' sounds, often accompanied by:
- 'Swelling' volume levels
- Buzzing
Rectifier Tubes
- Loss of Output in any channel where a vacuum tube rectifier is selected.
- Blowing fuses
