Tube Amps in Church

I play at my church where we do a 4 song set before the sermon and just one song afterward. Between practice before the service and the sermon, my amp is on for about 2 hours. The sermon is about 1-1.5 hrs and then we play one more song, so like 5 more minutes of amp time.

My question is, would you turn off your amp for the sermon break, and then back on for one last song? Or would you just leave your amp on during the 1 hr break? I have a Blues Jr. III. Thanks for all your expert advice.

Sean

Doesn't it have standby?

No standby. When you turn it on it takes like a minute to actually "turn on"

I would put it on standby - every time you turn on a tube amp puts stress on amp components & tubes which have to warm-up agin.

On the other hand I abused a 67 twin reverb for over 40 years on gigs and jam sessions in a few countries and it still works pretty good at low volumes - in my living room on it's third set of tubes. Probably needs capacitors and speakers but all amps need maintenance sooner or later.

So it's your choice - nothing is forever anyways.

I think standby would be the obvious solution here only the Blues Jr's don't have it...

I would leave it on. Tubes sound best when nice and warmed up anyway. I often will practice or play for a few hours at a time through both my tube amps and neither has a standby switch. I can tell after awhile when the tubes are nice and warm, the sound is great. I would think turning on and off for that amount of time would be harder on the tubes.

Remember, when some of us were kids, the TV's ran on tubes. Ours was on for hours at a time with no problems. I can't even remember my dad ever replacing tubes.

By the way.... 1 to 1 1/2 hour sermons?!?!?! :shock:

By the way.... 1 to 1 1/2 hour sermons?!?!?! :shock:

I agree. Think of the children!

Wouldn't want to be a kid during Xmas Eve mass at that
church.:wink:

I knew this would take over the discussion eventually. Now you see my dilemma! If it were 30-45 mins I would leave my amp on for sure. But since I never know how long it's gonna go, I get worried over leaving my amp on unplayed for an hour and a half. It's not that big a deal but I'm just curious what some of you would do.

What about modding the amp to include a standby? I'm really nervous about using amps without a standby and this might be a good move to increase the longevity of your amp.

I'd leave it on - kill the guitar with your tuner and maybe turn down the master volume - it'll be fine.

By the way.... 1 to 1 1/2 hour sermons?!?!?! :shock:

As a preacher myself, I was thinking more of this:

we play one more song, so like 5 more minutes of amp time.

Whoa... five minutes for ONE song? :razz: :mrgreen:

I'd leave it on- people play in bars for 4 hours.

I would put it on standby - every time you turn on a tube amp puts stress on amp components & tubes which have to warm-up agin.

On the other hand I abused a 67 twin reverb for over 40 years on gigs and jam sessions in a few countries and it still works pretty good at low volumes - in my living room on it's third set of tubes. Probably needs capacitors and speakers but all amps need maintenance sooner or later.

So it's your choice - nothing is forever anyways.

Have your bias and capacitors checked. My pre cbs super reverb has been gigged by a professional for years before I got it, and I've been playing it out on gigs for a few years now. It usually gets to sit still now. As I use my Nashville 1000 for most big gigs now. Sorry im using my DROID and I bumped the wrong pic

That's the one I was trying for lol

So, is there something physically wrong with it that you can't leave it on for a couple of hours? On big stages we leave our gear on and come back some hours later after a meal, a nap and a shower. In the summer, in the south, in a tent, yeah you might want to turn it off if the sound guy is ok with that.

It's not a toaster guys. Just turn the guitar down or unplug the cable from the amp and walk away.

So, is there something physically wrong with it that you can't leave it on for a couple of hours? On big stages we leave our gear on and come back some hours later after a meal, a nap and a shower. In the summer, in the south, in a tent, yeah you might want to turn it off if the sound guy is ok with that.

It's not a toaster guys. Just turn the guitar down or unplug the cable from the amp and walk away.

+1

Isn't there a climate crisis going on? I don't know what the weather's like in Bellingham, but in Toronto it's been over 40 degrees for a month with the humidity (that's 104+ in farenheit). I say kill the switch, let the audience chill out for a minute while you wait for the amp to warm, and do your part to help conserve energy.

I'd just leave it on. May not be the best for it, but its certainly not gonna kill it. Just one of the perks of no standby.

I would leave the amp on... and take a nap.

Isn't there a climate crisis going on? I don't know what the weather's like in Bellingham, but in Toronto it's been over 40 degrees for a month with the humidity (that's 104+ in farenheit). I say kill the switch, let the audience chill out for a minute while you wait for the amp to warm, and do your part to help conserve energy.

It's actually been cool and wet, out west. As to your first sentence, where's my ten-foot pole?

As someone else said, if you were playing in a club or arena, the amp would be on for a few hours, so it will be fine for a 1 hour sermon.

HOWEVER, do NOT unplug the cord from the amp. I forget the exact science, but years ago it was pounded into me that tube amps freak out if they don't have an input signal. It's ok to not be playing, but do not unplug.

Turning down your guitar's volume will be fine.

As long as it's sitting someplace well-ventilated, it shouldn't be a problem. If it's sitting inside an isolation box or under a blanket to reduce stage volume, you might consider turning it off so you don't overheat something and let the smoke out.

As someone else said, if you were playing in a club or arena, the amp would be on for a few hours, so it will be fine for a 1 hour sermon.

HOWEVER, do NOT unplug the cord from the amp. I forget the exact science, but years ago it was pounded into me that tube amps freak out if they don't have an input signal. It's ok to not be playing, but do not unplug.

Turning down your guitar's volume will be fine.

....and I read somewhere that tube amps are casuing the planet to heat up....

Be careful what you believe. If you aren't playing there is no signal or else my logicometer is failing.

When you finish your first set, turn to the congregation and say; Well, that's it folks, see you back here next Sunday!

www.billmaudio.com makes a standby switch for the Blues Junior. I don't have one yet. I usually just turn the volume down if it's sitting for awhile.

When I was a young un, I bet my tube Bassman stayed on an average of 2-4 hours a day, every day, and sometimes as much as 12-14 hours at a stretch over a period of 5-6 years....never occured to me to change the tubes. It did eventually just quit. Not knowing any better and being young and stupid, I traded it at a music store...but got a good trade for a guitar I still play nearly daily.

I would leave the amp on... and take a nap.

:-) At first I thought you were directing this comment toward the sermon. so I broke up laughing. Later on I realized you may be referring to really leaving it on while taking a nap.

Guys please, it does not take that long for the heaters in the tubes to warm up and the voltages to raise to spec. Leaving your amp on, or on standby is not going to give you some magical tone. Actually leaving your amp on standby for long periods of time can actually be harmful to your amps tube life..

It's not a toaster guys.

sighs..........so much for multi-tasking!

I leave my amp on and on standby, if your amps bias is right its not gonna hurt a thing. My Nashville 1000 I leave on as well, I just pull the plug out half way. My tuber is vintage, and it works great. If you gave problems with your tubes heating properly get the bias adjusted and possibly look into some new tubes. And yes im aware that the Nashville is a solid state amp. Just making a point.

By the way.... 1 to 1 1/2 hour sermons?!?!?! :shock:[/QUOTE]





I know, kinda short huh! The preacher must get right to the point! Lol! That's just not all that long a sermon to me haha. I turn my amp off for sermons. It's still warm enough afterwards it only takes a few seconds to get hot and play that last song or whatever. I don't leave it on for that long not playing it.

EIther turn the amp off or leave it on--preferably leave it on. Once you have the tubes warmed up, they are fine. The on/off/on thing hurts a tube more than leaving it on. IF it had a standby switch, I would say the same thing. A tube amp should not be left on stand by for extended periods. This can actually be harmful due to what is called cathode poisoning. There is no need for a standby switch on any tube amp. IT may be convenient in some situations, but a standby switch is not necessary for 'warm up'. There is not enough voltage in these tube amps to cause the 'dreaded cathode stripping' that is talked about. IT takes 10K of voltage to do any damage in that respect.
As for the lenghth of the sermon....why not? You're in church, right? Listen up, people. OF course, for the Sermon on the Mount, there was some wild entertainment resulting in refreshments at the end so folks stuck around!?!?!
IT seems you have to have some 'shtick' to keep some folks interested. (;^)

I use a Blues Junior at my church, and we start practice about 8:20ish, and the service starts at 10:00, and our last song at the end is about 11:15, and I've been leaving the amp on all that time, for about 3 hours. No problems yet....

I have a standby on my amp V32 Palomino and I use it. We practice from 850 til 940, leave it on standby til 1030 when service starts play for about 30 min, back on standby, play again about 1200 for about 10-20 minutes, then I turn it off til the evening practice at 5oo. . . .

Our sermons/ messages go for about 40 min or so.
I go to "stand-bye" mode. I would get the mod for your amp.

Among the many mods for the Blues Jr, Bill M has a standby switch, if you want one:

http://billmaudio.com/wp/?page_id=327

I routinely leave my amps on from sound check to end of service, that can be an hour or hour and a half without use regularly. I once left an AC-15 on standby for 3 weeks when I went on vacation. Nearly ruined a good pair of shorts when I went to switch in on after being gone for so long and found it in standby. I never noticed any damage at all.

Either option is not going to hurt your amp. It may effect tube life depending on what you choose to do.
I have my amp on for about an hour, I shut it off, then after the 45 minute'ish sermon I turn it back on again to play. I have also forgot to turn it of or put it in standby a few times.Tone is magical every time and I haven't needed to change tubes for 3 years now. I also play 4 times every week plus one practice.
Just do whatever you want.

Sorry, amps are not allowed in church. Tube amps especially are way too loud. Just plug your guitar into your kidney, direct in the pa and the sound guy will take of your sound...