Break-In Necessary for New Amp ?

[pirana]

On some motorcycle discussion boards there's a huge debate on the proper way to break in a new engine & that got me to thinking about wheather or not a new amp should be "broken-in", so to speak. I was thinking along the lines of gradually increasing the volume & letting tubes, speakers etc. have a little time to adjust before the amp is driven to overdrive. My new Allen amp is supposed to arrive today & i'd like to get the best out of it. Anybody have an opinion ?

[Daddy Elmis]

My guess is that the Allen goes through a burn-in period so the electronics are already "broken in." Speakers take a little time to break-in, but this is more about speaker movement rather than a gradual increase of volume from the amp.

So, in general, I don't think you've got the same break-in issue with an amp. Crank her up and go!

[stephent2]

plug a bass up to 'er, loosen up that new speaker!

[trag-o-caster]

I absolutely would NOT plug a bass into a guitar amp!!!

Very bad! Very very bad!

[Joe-Bob]

I don't really think a break in is necessary for the amp, but the speaker can be a little stiff at first. Give it a few hours of normal volume before you turn it to 11.

[emisilly]

Since there aren't any moving parts (other than the speaker cone) I say you should just go for it. You might want to break in the speaker, and there are a million versions on the best way to do it, but if you are going to be gentle at first it might be safe, heck, I say let er' rip. Also, check how those tubes are glowing the first few days. It isn't unusual for the tubes to be slightly damaged in shipping/sitting around a store and they can go funky real soon.

[stephent2]

Originally Posted by trag-o-caster

I absolutely would NOT plug a bass into a guitar amp!!!

Very bad! Very very bad!

Hmmmm, (might need to get out more often), Folks plugs bass guitars though "guitar amps" all da time.

I've used this technique to break in new speakers more than once and so have several buddies of mine.

That being said, it's not for the faint of heart, you could break them in the old fashion way,....play the Allen for 20 years or so.

[chriswuzhere]

Which Allen did you get? I've got the Old Flame in a head and a 2x10 combo... Great Tone,,, for sure...

[Tremo]

Electronic stuff generally goes through a burn-in, not a break-in. In a burn-in, the thing is put on a rack and is run for a day or so, to make sure there are no infant mortality problems and everything is ok. After that, it's good to go.

The speaker will need some break-in to loosen it up a bit. Blast hell out of it for a while to take care of that.

[Chris S.]

Originally Posted by stephent2

Folks plugs bass guitars though "guitar amps" all da time. I've used this technique to break in new speakers more than once and so have several buddies of mine.

I'm with Trag – playing a bass through guitar speakers is a good way to <u>break</u> them, not break them in.

The problem is that in order to produce the low frequences being generated by an amplified bass, the speaker cone has to physically move a (relatively) greater distance front to back. Bass speakers are designed to be able to do that; guitar speakers are <u>not</u>.

And the thing is, you never know which note(s) or what volume are going to do the damage, or how long it's going to take. You might get away with it for a long time, or you might get away with it for about half a song.

So can you play a bass through guitar speakers, and will it work? Sure – right up to the point when it <u>stops</u> working, and you have to repair/replace the speakers. :( CS

[Silverface]

What Chris said.

Terrible idea. Break it in the normal way - by playing it with a guitar. New speakers usually need 8-12 hours to start to loosen up a little bit. You can also plug a CD player into the thing annd run that at moderate (not loud) volume - that way you can let it "break in" whilee you're doing other things.

[JonesKY]

Originally Posted by Silverface

You can also plug a CD player into the thing annd run that at moderate (not loud) volume - that way you can let it "break in" whilee you're doing other things.

Apart from the higher frequency content, using a CD isn't much different than playing a bass through a guitar amp. CD's have plenty of low-end content that'll push the speaker (even with the compression/limiting used in mastering). That said, using a CD or Bass at moderate levels can be helpful for breaking-in a speaker, although too much can definitely be bad news. Personally, as with a new flattop, I like to hear the improvement in tone as things loosen-up.

[Chris S.]

Originally Posted by JonesKY

using a CD or Bass at moderate levels can be helpful for breaking-in a speaker

NO. That's <u>WRONG</u> information.

although too much can definitely be bad news.

And that's why it's wrong, as explained above. Sheesh.

You can also get your kicks by playing in traffic, jaywalking and dodging cars, and maybe get good enough to do it for a long time without getting creamed. But <u>why</u> would you? The first time you miscalculate, you're out of the game, possibly permanently.

Your point about CDs being potentially damaging is valid (although I would hope no one's dumb enough to crank something up THAT loud for THAT long...) But playing ANYTHING that's going to over stress the speakers is NOT a good way to "break them in," it's a good way to <u>damage</u> them. Don't do it. :evil: CS