Trash or Trick?

[Dan0h]

When the tubes in your amp have worn out, how do you guys and gals dispose of them? For some of us it’s a very rare occasion but it does happen.

 

[Harry Klippton]

Catastrophic failures go straight in the trash so I won't accidentally try to use them again. If the tube hasn't failed, I don't change them

 

[Dan0h]

Catastrophic failures go straight in the trash so I won't accidentally try to use them again. If the tube hasn't failed, I don't change them

My entire life I’ve never had to swap out power tubes until recently. Last year I swapped out two 6550’s from the 70s as they were way overdue and were starting to make wild noises. And then last night I swapped out a pair of 6v6’s in my super champ these were only a few years old but we’re making very odd noises and the process of elimination I thought I’d try a tube swap before pulling the pcb and re-capping. Turns out the odd noises were coming from the power tubes.
But now I have these tubes and just feel wrong trashing them. Although they have no more use as audio tubes. 6550’s are beautiful chunks of glass.

 

[Harry Klippton]

My entire life I’ve never had to swap out power tubes until recently. Last year I swapped out two 6550’s from the 70s as they were way overdue and were starting to make wild noises. And then last night I swapped out a pair of 6v6’s in my super champ these were only a few years old but we’re making very odd noises and the process of elimination I thought I’d try a tube swap before pulling the pcb and re-capping. Turns out the odd noises were coming from the power tubes.
But now I have these tubes and just feel wrong trashing them. Although they have no more use as audio tubes. 6550’s are beautiful chunks of glass.

Did you try just cleaning the tube sockets?

 

[Dan0h]

Did you try just cleaning the tube sockets?

Of course not

 

[fig]

I dunno….I’m in some strange yet marvelous group of people with questionable judgement who buy old and possibly worn out tubes for reasons yet unknown.

 

[Harry Klippton]

I dunno….I’m in some strange yet marvelous group of people with questionable judgement who buy old and possibly worn out tubes for reasons yet unknown.

Guilty. I have plenty of OOS tubes. If they test good and they work in the circuit, they are good

 

[Robert]

I don't think I've ever personally had a tube fail completely. I've had some microphonic tubes, and I hang on to those just in case I need to swap one for troubleshooting.

I've replaced some dead ones in repair jobs, but those always go with the customer.

 

[Dan0h]

I don't think I've ever personally had a tube fail completely. I've had some microphonic tubes, and I hang on to those just in case I need to swap one for troubleshooting.

I've replaced some dead ones in repair jobs, but those always go with the customer.

Yeah all four of these still work, but the artifact odd noises coming from them warranted a change in my book. And now things are back to clean and noise free operation.

 

[Harry Klippton]

I don't think I've ever personally had a tube fail completely. I've had some microphonic tubes, and I hang on to those just in case I need to swap one for troubleshooting.

I've replaced some dead ones in repair jobs, but those always go with the customer.

I straight up blew one in my rockerverb and took out the HT fuse

 

[PapaBear]

Years ago, I had a preamp tube in a Peavey Delta Blues go microphonic, only tube I've every replaced

 

[Fingolfen]

I'm working on a steampunk topper for my wife's computer...

 

[vigilante398]

I've used bad tubes to make decorations a couple times, but more often than not I just throw them away.

 

[HamishR]

You might wanna be a bit careful with pulling old tubes apart. There are some nasty heavy metals and things inside.

I love NOS rectifier tubes because they last a lot longer than new rectifier tubes. I never buy old power tubes because you never know their past and whenever people have given me "NOS" power tubes they're toast. But I have had good results with old preamp tubes.

When i build an amp I generally try to tune it for JJ tubes. That way when it sounds good it only sounds better if I can get some good NOS preamp tubes. I'm impressed that so many of you guys get away without changing tubes for so long. Power tubes wear out! I usually say to my friends whose amps are making strange noises that if it's a tube amp, then 99% of the problems will be tubes. If you hear a rustling/rushing noise that's usually a tube on the way out. Strange crackles? Usually tubes.