How to Care for the Tubes in a Guitar Amp

Most guitar amps these days are digital. But for the old timer, or the music purist, there are still plenty of amps in use that have glass amp tubes. You need to use special care with guitar amp tubes as they are fragile and expensive to replace. The following steps explain how to care for guitar amp tubes.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Use care when transporting your amp. Too much jostling around and the filaments in the tubes (similar to those in a light bulb) will break.

2. Maintain good ventilation, a free flow of clean air, around the guitar amp tubes.

3. Touch the tubes as little as possible and when you need to, handle them with a cloth. If this isn't possible, wipe them clean with a dry cloth or use a tube cleaning solution after handling them. Any oil left on the tubes from your fingertips will heat up when the tubes heat up, causing additional wear.

4. Watch for a bright red glow. A tube that is flooded with this bright red glow is about to melt. Turn the amp off immediately and let them cool down.

5. Change the tubes when the amp stops to sound as clear or loud or when your amp won't emit a sound at all. Tube life is directly linked to how much you play your guitar. Someone who plays regularly might need to replace them every year or two. If you don't use your amp that often, your tubes could last five to 10 years.

Tips & Warnings

• The hotter you run your guitar through the amp (the louder you play, that is), the greater the wear on the amp tubes.