How to make your AMP'S TUBES last LONGER! Dr. Z amps

Floyd Eye said:
I was looking at Variacs last night. Now last time I was looking they were around 2-3 hundred. Now I see Variac branded units on Amazon for like $50. What’s up with that ? Surely those $50 units aren’t legit, right ?
Click to expand...
Think I paid $30 for the one I use daily years ago.

Note, they don't hold the voltage constant. They will go up and down with your home's voltage, but you can offset it so the amp sees lower or higher.
 
ChuggNorris said:
I think you have more than me overall.

However that pic I posted was just a few I had out testing pairs in a savage 120.

I have never spread my whole collection out, would be interesting to do but most of them are nice and neat in their boxes. I also have a container with a couple hundred loose preamp tubes but they are in there loose because they all have went microphonic at some point. When I was chasing the "nos" rabbit hole. Went through alot of em.

Also have alot in an RCA tube cabinet I found in my grandpa's shed. Mostly radio and television tubes in that one.


LONG LIVE TOOBZ
Click to expand...

That's like box one of ten :ROFLMAO:
We can play this game all day long! ❤️
 
Floyd Eye said:
I was looking at Variacs last night. Now last time I was looking they were around 2-3 hundred. Now I see Variac branded units on Amazon for like $50. What’s up with that ? Surely those $50 units aren’t legit, right ?
Click to expand...
I just found this video and it was interesting. I was blown away by the different tones he was getting at different voltages with his Brown Box. I might have to get one.
 
ChuggNorris said:
Helllllll yeah 🤝
View attachment 390552
Long live big booty b*tches
Click to expand...

20240828_160819.jpg


Mmmmmm 6550As
 
Floyd Eye said:
I was looking at Variacs last night. Now last time I was looking they were around 2-3 hundred. Now I see Variac branded units on Amazon for like $50. What’s up with that ? Surely those $50 units aren’t legit, right ?
Click to expand...

I bought one of the red ones from Amazon a few years ago for like $50; works perfectly. I even bought a cheap digital voltage display for like $5 that I can plug in to it so I have more specific control over the exact voltage with the variac knob


I will say though - don't expect a night and day difference in tone. With most of my amps the difference is so subtle it's barely noticeable. Might be a more dramatic difference with a simple vintage type amp
 
Devin said:
I bought one of the red ones from Amazon a few years ago for like $50; works perfectly. I even bought a cheap digital voltage display for like $5 that I can plug in to it so I have more specific control over the exact voltage with the variac knob


I will say though - don't expect a night and day difference in tone. With most of my amps the difference is so subtle it's barely noticeable. Might be a more dramatic difference with a simple vintage type amp
Click to expand...
My amp(s) are old. And my tubes are old. My purpose isn’t to affect the tone it’s to consistently give the amp and tubes the current they were designed for.
 
glpg80 said:
A variac is not a voltage regulator. A variac just steps down or up voltage with a rated current capability but the rise or fall of the source voltage still causes a rise or fall of voltage on the secondary. A voltage regulator does exactly what it says. Neither are to be confused with power conditioners.
Click to expand...
I have a Furman Voltage regulator that is supposed to hold the output voltage within a certain range.

You are 100% correct about the variac voltage fluctuation with incoming line voltage variances.

Does the Brown box auto regulate or merely step up and step down the voltage to the set amount?
 
Last edited:
My modded JCA20 is going on like 11 years with the same EL84’s. I play the amp daily and quite often it is on for 5+ hours when I play it. Tubes still test good. I do use a brown box though.
 
14 years strong on all the tubes in my Laney IRT120.

Had a GH100L for a while before that, never had to change a tube in that either.

To be quite honest, I don't think I've ever had a tube go bad in 30 years of tube amp use. I usually swap pre amp tubes for personal taste when I get a new amp...then never touch them.

Maybe I am doing something wrong. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
psychodave said:
My modded JCA20 is going on like 11 years with the same EL84’s. I play the amp daily and quite often it is on for 5+ hours when I play it. Tubes still test good. I do use a brown box though.
Click to expand...
Do you notice a change in the tone at your preferred voltage?
 
psychodave said:
My modded JCA20 is going on like 11 years with the same EL84’s. I play the amp daily and quite often it is on for 5+ hours when I play it. Tubes still test good. I do use a brown box though.
Click to expand...
Does the brown Box regulate or just step up or step down the incoming voltage?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top