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Post by lawliet on May 13, 2014 6:47:51 GMT -7
Hey guys, Ive heard that some dr z amps go through tubes fast. Is this true? How often do you guys change your Maz 8 tubes? I like to play for an hour a day.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2014 7:38:05 GMT -7
Power tube would be the only one to change unless you were having trouble. 6 to 12 months?
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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on May 13, 2014 7:59:29 GMT -7
Myles, our resident tube expert, has stated that EL84 output tubes in cathode-biased amps should be changed often. (Preamp tubes will last much longer, especially if they are NOS in the first place.) If you play about an hour a day, I'd say maybe every year or so... but that's just my theory/opinion on it. It's too bad we can't install "tube usage" timers in our amps to really monitor this stuff well.
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Post by doctorice on May 13, 2014 8:04:36 GMT -7
It's too bad we can't install "tube usage" timers in our amps to really monitor this stuff well. That would be nice. I stick a piece of masking tape on the back of the chassis with the date I changed power tubes. At least it's something...
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Post by heynewguy (Ol’ Bill) on May 13, 2014 9:19:02 GMT -7
It's too bad we can't install "tube usage" timers in our amps to really monitor this stuff well. That would be nice. I stick a piece of masking tape on the back of the chassis with the date I changed power tubes. At least it's something... I do the same thing.
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Post by lawliet on May 14, 2014 10:12:44 GMT -7
Ok thanks for the replies! But do you guys find they dont wear out faster than with other amps?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on May 14, 2014 10:19:15 GMT -7
Does your Ferrari use more gas than your Audi?
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Post by lawliet on May 14, 2014 19:15:12 GMT -7
Does your Ferrari use more gas than your Audi? Technically yes me thinks
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Post by benttop (Steve) on May 14, 2014 21:38:58 GMT -7
Does your Ferrari use more gas than your Audi? Technically yes me thinks Every amp has its own character. You should get about 300 hours of use from your power tubes. Whether that is more or less than a differently designed amp I can't really say. But that's quite a few shows, and quite a lot of rehearsing. Preamp tubes tend to last a lot longer - some as long as you own the amp. Usually you end up having to replace those when they get microphonic or get otherwise damaged. But they wear at a much slower pace than your power tubes. And if you have a good NOS rectifier, it could last the life of the amp. If you have a new manufacture rectifier, expect to replace it about every year. Good luck with your Maz 8!
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Post by lawliet on May 15, 2014 8:35:19 GMT -7
Technically yes me thinks Every amp has its own character. You should get about 300 hours of use from your power tubes. Whether that is more or less than a differently designed amp I can't really say. But that's quite a few shows, and quite a lot of rehearsing. Preamp tubes tend to last a lot longer - some as long as you own the amp. Usually you end up having to replace those when they get microphonic or get otherwise damaged. But they wear at a much slower pace than your power tubes. And if you have a good NOS rectifier, it could last the life of the amp. If you have a new manufacture rectifier, expect to replace it about every year. Good luck with your Maz 8! 300 hours sounds pretty good
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Post by digs57 on May 15, 2014 8:54:52 GMT -7
That's way longer than I ever do....ill take it and run with it.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on May 15, 2014 13:07:51 GMT -7
That's way longer than I ever do....ill take it and run with it. Well of course it depends. I understand Brad Paisley changes his after 30 hours, so YMMV.
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Post by digs57 on May 15, 2014 14:27:34 GMT -7
I know brudda...I am around 80hrs +,probably less often than when I was gigging...not a lot of duty on them these days.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Oct 16, 2014 7:34:59 GMT -7
It's too bad we can't install "tube usage" timers in our amps to really monitor this stuff well. That would be nice. I stick a piece of masking tape on the back of the chassis with the date I changed power tubes. At least it's something... Check this out: www.zoro.com/i/G2469433/AC powered hour meter...there are lots of others to choose from. I'm thinking about one for my Mini.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Oct 16, 2014 8:10:28 GMT -7
Now this one looks really cool at first glance. I found one that's resettable, runs on a wide voltage range, and even has service alert reminders. www.gdimeters.com/products/46/Hour+Meters/newgen-series-hour-metersPretty cool. Runs on 5-277V AC/DC, and only pulls 150 uA (yes, micro amps, check out the specs!), so it looks like there are multiple ways of hooking it up to the amp. And with the tiny amount of current draw, it won't stress the amp at all. $45.
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