Leaving JCM 800 on in Standby mode.

[DDawson 202]

Greetings list,

I just wanted to ask if leaving the guitar amp on in standby mode for a week will damage the amp or put significant wear on the tubes?

Thanks in advance.

David

 

[paul-e-mann]

Greetings list,

I just wanted to ask if leaving the guitar amp on in standby mode for a week will damage the amp or put significant wear on the tubes?

Thanks in advance.

David

I still have original tubes in my 1982 2204, so no...

 

[MaskingApathy]

Greetings list,

I just wanted to ask if leaving the guitar amp on in standby mode for a week will damage the amp or put significant wear on the tubes?

Thanks in advance.

David

Why do you need to leave it on for a week?

 

[DDawson 202]

Why do you need to leave it on for a week?

I left it on by accident. Noticed it was on in standby mode and freaked out.

 

[Adrian R]

I left it on by accident. Noticed it was on in standby mode and freaked out.

Getting stoned again eh??? Lol...It should fine...no worries.

 

[dtier]

I have seen audio amps, years back, in industrial applications, that were full on 24-7 365 days a year. Maintenance schedules I think called for annual tube replacement. That oftentimes didn't get done.

 

[Gutch220]

You should be fine

 

[NumbSkull]

A similar question,
I was playing my 2000 DSL 401 for 2 hours today,
when I turned it off the power switch was too hot to touch,
I could touch it for half a second to turn the amp off but that was it.
Is this normal ? should I limit my playing on that amp to 1 hour then switch to another ?

 

[Kuga]

A similar question,
I was playing my 2000 DSL 401 for 2 hours today,
when I turned it off the power switch was too hot to touch,
I could touch it for half a second to turn the amp off but that was it.
Is this normal ? should I limit my playing on that amp to 1 hour then switch to another ?

Use a leather glove to switch of It. That happens because It's built backwards and without ventilation grill. Tubes and power transformer get very hot.

 

[Purgasound]

Use a leather glove to switch of It. That happens because It's built backwards and without ventilation grill. Tubes and power transformer get very hot.

complete nonsense

 

[Purgasound]

You'll be fine. I've done it more than once. I left rehearsal on a Thursday and didn't come back until Tuesday and one of the amps was left in standby. I just flipped it on and jammed the set. No worries at all. It's not hurting anything.

Once in my studio I had a guy playing through a JCM800 bass amp and the light in the rocker switch was failing. When they left I assumed they turned everything off but the amp was still on in standby. That went on for a few weeks I think. I used the same amp to track a record a few months back. Worked fine.

In standby the only thing getting power is the tube heaters.

 

[V-man]

many commenting have various opinions based on THEORY, not EXPERIENCE.

in reality, you will need it serviced. Any 800 left on standby over 72 hours will experience component drift into becoming a JCM 900.

 

[anitoli]

OMG, you must have cathode poisoning....

 

[marshallmellowed]

Greetings list,

I just wanted to ask if leaving the guitar amp on in standby mode for a week will damage the amp or put significant wear on the tubes?

Thanks in advance.

David

Damage, no, "significant" wear, no. Some wear, yes. I tend to think of vacuum tubes as being similar to light bulbs. They're under a vacuum, and have heaters (filaments). Although vacuum tubes at idle do not run as hot as a light bulb, there's still heat generated, which over time will degrade a tube.

 

[TheKman76]

I was playing my 2000 DSL 401 for 2 hours today,
when I turned it off the power switch was too hot to touch,

That sounds like a problem with the switch. Contact corrosion can cause increased resistance and heating. Maybe replace it, sounds like a fire hazard.

 

[Karl Brake]

Remember that these things were originally designed for, like, aircraft carriers and computers and machines that were kept powered up for very long periods of time. Tubes enjoy electricity.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Remember that these things were originally designed for, like, aircraft carriers and computers and machines that were kept powered up for very long periods of time. Tubes enjoy electricity.

Yeah, especially in this case of standby mode with nothing but heaters on.

 

[NikkiNova]

Damage, no, "significant" wear, no. Some wear, yes. I tend to think of vacuum tubes as being similar to light bulbs. They're under a vacuum, and have heaters (filaments). Although vacuum tubes at idle do not run as hot as a light bulb, there's still heat generated, which over time will degrade a tube.

The Centennial Light at the Livermore, CA Fire Dept. has been on since 1901.

 

[riff19]

The Centennial Light at the Livermore, CA Fire Dept. has been on since 1901.

source?

 

[TheKman76]

The Centennial Light at the Livermore, CA Fire Dept. has been on since 1901.

I watched a doco about that some years ago, very interesting.

... Yeah, in hindsight I can see how a doco about one lightbulb might seem boring.