tube amp question

Congrats on your new amp! Here is a link that was posted in another post about the "Hot Rod Deluxe", but it also talks about the "Deville" too.
http://studentweb.eku.edu/justin_holton/
Hope that helps, and good luck! 8)

Dan

hello i just bought a new fender hot rod deville 410 and i have a few questions. what should i be doing in terms of matinence? should i whipe down the inside?If any condensation got in there, wiping the inside dry would be a good idea. Moisture in anything electrical/electronic is a Bad Thing. Any accumulated dust should get "evicted," too.
:!: Do use caution if you go poking around in the back of a tube amp. They can have some pretty high voltage to them, and maybe some capacitors that store a charge for awhile. :!:
The Fender Forum (FDP Forum) may have some more info on maintenance in general and the HRD amps, too.

--
Doug C.

Yes the amp gets hot. I wouldn't be wiping the inside down, unless you have problems I wouldn't be inside doing anything. Being the amp is new you shouldn't have any problems. There are times when my tube amps are on for days without being on standby or turned off. I do have cooling fans on them though. I generally only use the standby when I first fire them up. Other than changing tubes when the tone changes I plug and play.

Joe

Okay, I misread "new" as "new to me." (The only kind of amp I know. :lol: ) In that case, you should be okay. Just be kinda careful where and how you store it. (No overnights in a cold car.)
I'm considering getting a custom cover for my "new" (1971!) Fender Musicmaster. 8)

On the standby question, the Radiotron Designer's Handbook, 4th Edition (1956), recommends that standby be used for breaks up to 15 minutes or so, and that the equipment would best be turned off for longer periods of disuse.

I've forgotten and left amps on (on standby or not) for 2-3 days without harm, myself. But there's a risk when tubes' heaters are left hot with no cathode current flowing. The tubes can develop "sleeping sickness." The cathodes deactivate and can't put out enough electron emission for normal operation. There are several hypotheses of how this occurs. The most plausible one IMO is that the electrons are actually emitted from traces of free barium metal in the oxide coating of the cathode, which when hot slowly evaporates and combines with traces of gases left in the tube. This depletion is balanced by new barium being released from the oxide by an electrolytic process as current flows through it. When there's no current, the depletion outpaces the production and eventually there's no barium left to emit electrons. When you turn it back on, since there's no emission, there's no current to electrolytically replenish the barium, and it's a very hard thing to catch up.

When new tubes are manufactured there's a cathode activation process they have to go through before they can operate. It's basically one of applying carefully controlled voltage and current to start that electrolytic process. There's experimental evidence that oxygen is released from operating cathodes, and that free barium is present in activated cathode coatings.

Another factor related to "sleeping sickness" is silicon in the nickel cathode sleeve the coating is applied to. When it's kept hot with no current flowing, that can form nonconductive silicates between the nickel cathode and the oxide coating. For special military uses requiring long periods of standby operation, and for vacuum tube computers where a tube is either "on" or "off" (conducting or nonconducting) for long periods, special tubes were made with extremely low silicon levels in the cathodes.

Bottom line is, it's better not to leave an amp on standby for very long periods, though I doubt you'll ever have problems leaving it on standby while the band takes a break. I wouldn't do it for days at a time, though.

Bottom line is, it's better not to leave an amp on standby for very long periods, though I doubt you'll ever have problems leaving it on standby while the band takes a break. I wouldn't do it for days at a time, though.
Now that was one of the better scientific explanations I've read. I consider a day wasted unless I learn something, so you saved an otherwise "blah" Monday for me.

8)

I have a Hot Rod Deluxe, the little brother to your amp. I switch it on standby during breaks at gigs, usually 20-30 minutes. But I have left it on all night and just turned my guitar down.

They don't take much to maintain. I cleaned off the top control plate this weekend, probably the first time I've cleaned it in 2 or 3 years. I just used a damp cloth and wiped it down. Looks new again. :D

I leave mine uncovered all week, but put the cover on when moving it. I do not have one nick in the tolex or tear in the grille cloth at all.

I've never touched the inside to clean it. It probably wouldn't hurt to take a good strong hairdryer and blow out the amp with cool air once in a while. But I wouldn't stick my hands in there with a damp cloth. Might be an electrifying experience. :shock:

These are good reliable amps. The one and only problem I've had was the little jewel light burned out. I picked up two at a auto parts store for $2.

At my last gig my amp made some funny buzzing noises. This is the first and only time it has done this. I thought there might be a problem. But I have played it for many hours since and it is working perfectly as possible. I think there was a problem with the electrical at the venue.

You should always turn on the amp with standby ON. Let the amp warm up a minute or two before you turn standby off and play. This will prolong tube life. When you are finished playing, it is not necessary to turn standby back on. Just turn the amp off, or even unplug it. It will not hurt the amp at all.

Just remember to switch standby back on the next time you use your amp.

Tube amps are not so delicate as people make out. I have a 1958 Premier Twin 8 amp, it is all original including the tubes. Plays fine, and sounds great.

At my last gig my amp made some funny buzzing noises. This is the first and only time it has done this. I thought there might be a problem. But I have played it for many hours since and it is working perfectly as possible. I think there was a problem with the electrical at the venue.I'm glad you mentioned that, Wes; it brings up a very important point. Even though most public places (meaning clubs, etc.) are probably "up to code" with their wiring, musicians really have no control over the outlets they plug into when out on a gig. Some musicians have gotten nasty shocks via their own guitar/amp. Sometimes a microphone has played a part in an electrical mishap.
Bringing your own GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) adapter and plugging your gear into it can help avoid a "shocking" experience. :shock:
The GuitarNuts site has a page about electrical hazards and what guitarists (and vocalists) can do to avoid them. There are images of GFCI testers and adapters on the left side of the page. http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/electrical/safety/index.php
I carry one in my gear bag.

I have a Hot Rod Deluxe, the little brother to your amp. I switch it on standby during breaks at gigs, usually 20-30 minutes. But I have left it on all night and just turned my guitar down.

They don't take much to maintain. I cleaned off the top control plate this weekend, probably the first time I've cleaned it in 2 or 3 years. I just used a damp cloth and wiped it down. Looks new again. :D

I leave mine uncovered all week, but put the cover on when moving it. I do not have one nick in the tolex or tear in the grille cloth at all.

I've never touched the inside to clean it. It probably wouldn't hurt to take a good strong hairdryer and blow out the amp with cool air once in a while. But I wouldn't stick my hands in there with a damp cloth. Might be an electrifying experience. :shock:

These are good reliable amps. The one and only problem I've had was the little jewel light burned out. I picked up two at a auto parts store for $2.

At my last gig my amp made some funny buzzing noises. This is the first and only time it has done this. I thought there might be a problem. But I have played it for many hours since and it is working perfectly as possible. I think there was a problem with the electrical at the venue.

You should always turn on the amp with standby ON. Let the amp warm up a minute or two before you turn standby off and play. This will prolong tube life. When you are finished playing, it is not necessary to turn standby back on. Just turn the amp off, or even unplug it. It will not hurt the amp at all.

Just remember to switch standby back on the next time you use your amp.

Tube amps are not so delicate as people make out. I have a 1958 Premier Twin 8 amp, it is all original including the tubes. Plays fine, and sounds great.
are you sure re: standby switch on for warm up.
I read the opposite.
warm up one minute with standby OFF.

I have the article at home and will recheck.

other than that I agree with everyone else.
and dont poke around the back of your amp. caps hold a powerful charge for days.
to release the charge take a screw driver that is insulated.
lay it against the cap and athe metal frame of the amp. you will discharge the cap.
be aware that you will jump out of your skin when you hear that pop.
after that it is safe to poke around.

Nope, it's Standby ON for the warmup.

dogbite

Sometimes amps are a little confusing. On my HRD, the standby switch is labeled ON at the top (toward the rear of the amp) and STANDBY below the switch. When I say have standby "on", the switch should be in the down position (toward the front of the amp). This puts your amp into standby. You will not hear anything. When you flip the switch up to the ON position, then you can hear your guitar. But really this is turning standby off.

My Marshall amp is labeled the same way. When you press the switch down it is in standby. When you press the top in, standby is off.

So, the way they label these amps is a little confusing sometimes.

But anyway, on the DeVille the standby switch should be in the down position. You hear nothing. After maybe one minute flip the switch up and play away.

This is only when you first turn the amp on. You do not need to go into standby to turn the amp off. Just turn it off, it will cause no problems.

Another time the standby switch is valuable is if you want to change a guitar cable, or turn an effects pedal on or switch a cable. I always put the amp in standby when I make any changes like this. Otherwise you can get some loud pops or buzz. :D

Amps can stay on for many hours without any harm to the amp whatsoever as long as it has good ventilation and airflow around it. Always make sure a tube amp can get some air. You wouldn't want to drap a blanket or your jacket over it, or place the back against a wall. It could overheat.

Doug- Thanks for the article, I'm going to read that. Yeah, I think I need to get some sort of protection for the amp, you never know what you're going to get from venue to venue. I have gotten hum on a different amp in the past from neon and flourescent lights too.

Yes, Standby "ON" or "OFF" is ambiguous. But as said, it is better to let the tubes warm up to full cathode conduction with the standby switch in the position where no plate voltage is applied to the tubes and the amp stays quiet. 30 seconds is adequate in most cases for the tubes to reach operating temperature.