Standby REALLY necessary???

Sticky question for you tube amp guys -

Is it really necessary to use the standby switch on your tube amp?

REALLY?

I’ve heard the debate on this for 30 years, heard a lot of bullshit in the meantime, and seen some pretty knowledgeable people shrug their shoulders and say “I don’t really know.”

A lot of tube amps don’t even have them.

The general consensus I gather is that Leo Fender did it way back when due to tech manuals from RCA.
Leo used lots of RCA tubes, which were also used in radio transmitters that operated at much higher voltages.
Standby switch was the norm on this very expensive gear, and it trickled down into Leo’s guitar amplifiers.

Fender was building amps in great numbers, so everyone watched what they were doing. Hey, if Fender is doing it …

Surfing the web and reading several different sources, it’s become more apparent that the standby switch is still used just because everyone expects it to be there.

Is this really the case?

Nope.
It is nice to reduce thermal cycling on the amp between sets at a gig... keep the amp warm when not in use rather than shutting it off.
Normal day to day use for a practice session or a single set, there is no need.

ESPECIALLY with an amp with a tube rectifier.
I can see the argument against hitting the plates with full voltage when they are cold from a solid state rectifier (but still disagree that it causes any harm)
A tube rectifier won't begin to conduct until it is up to temperature... and by that time, the power tubes are warm.

I have two kinds of amps - those that have no standby switch, and those that have an unused standby switch.

Interesting thread! I'm all ears.

Interesting thread!
I'm standing by to be switched on.

I'm not an amp tech. I thought of becoming one. I've built an amp, and I've attended an amp schematic analysis class. The class was with Bruce Egnater. This subject came up. I wish I had videos him discussing it, so I could provide the details. He explained that the switch is very useful. Tubes need to warm up, capacitors need to fill. Something along those lines. I don't recall the exact details anymore. He explained that some components that prevent excess amounts of current to pass through them can, in fact, allow too much current get past them if not warmed up. Either damaging, or at the very least, shortening the life of components downstream. He suggested, if you have a tube amp with a Standby switch, use it. Wait 15 to 20 seconds after powering the amp to turn it off Standby.

I forgot all the details, but I'll listen to the creator of a successful amp company. So I use my Standby switch every time I turn on a tube amp.

I quickly grabbed a description of the class from his FB page.

Seems like I have always read that it is not only completely unnecessary, it shortens the life of tubes. I don’t really know for sure, though.

I like the concept of a standby switch for letting the tubes warm up before throwing the juice through the amp components.
And it helps during breaks to keep the tubes ready to go, without everything else getting heat soaked.

When I built my 5E3, I added a standby switch and circuit.

It comes down to preference I reckon.

To further complicate the matter, my Orange OR30 has a "warmdown" switch instead of standby. It's specific to the design of this amp (being tube-rectified).


2. Warmdown/Play switch
When this switch is in the up position, the amp is in “warmdown” mode, during which no sound will be produced, but the valves are heated so that the amp is ready to play when the switch is then flicked down to the “play” position. When turning on the amp for the beginning of a session, there’s no need to warm it up first — you can throw both switches at once and the amp will gradually ramp up to full power. When turning off the amp, first flick the warmdown switch to the up position for a short while before turning off the power switch.

Leee said:

Sticky question for you tube amp guys -

Is it really necessary to use the standby switch on your tube amp?

REALLY?

I’ve heard the debate on this for 30 years, heard a lot of bullshit in the meantime, and seen some pretty knowledgeable people shrug their shoulders and say “I don’t really know.”

A lot of tube amps don’t even have them.

The general consensus I gather is that Leo Fender did it way back when due to tech manuals from RCA.
Leo used lots of RCA tubes, which were also used in radio transmitters that operated at much higher voltages.
Standby switch was the norm on this very expensive gear, and it trickled down into Leo’s guitar amplifiers.

Fender was building amps in great numbers, so everyone watched what they were doing. Hey, if Fender is doing it …

Surfing the web and reading several different sources, it’s become more apparent that the standby switch is still used just because everyone expects it to be there.

Is this really the case?

Click to expand...

Well, my Mesa amp definitely sounds better if I let it warm up in standby for a few minutes before I start playing compared to letting it warm up for 30 seconds in standby like the manual states. So necessary... I don't know, but preferable in my experience for sure.

Not knowing for sure, but wanting to treat my gear with care, I got in the STANDBY habit powering up and shutting down.
And I mean from my very first tube amp.

Always power my amp up first thing, before I even pick up a guitar.
Give it time to warm up and be stable.
And when I go ON, I ease into the guitar volume at first.

In other words, I always wade into the pool instead of doing a cannonball like so many guitar players I’ve witnessed.

A few power chords ring to make sure everything’s kosher, then roll on the jams.

Same idea when shutting down, probably taken from my diesel days years ago.
Go easy, let it idle quietly for a few minutes, then a drama-free shutdown.

Me personally?
I’m over-cautious in this regard.
Always have been.
Even owning relatively inexpensive amps.

Part of my OCD character.
But I want my gear to last.

But is it all completely unnecessary?

Leee said:

Not knowing for sure, but wanting to treat my gear with care, I got in the STANDBY habit powering up and shutting down.
And I mean from my very first tube amp.

Always power my amp up first thing, before I even pick up a guitar.
Give it time to warm up and be stable.
And when I go ON, I ease into the guitar volume at first.

In other words, I always wade into the pool instead of doing a cannonball like so many guitar players I’ve witnessed.

A few power chords ring to make sure everything’s kosher, then roll on the jams.

Same idea when shutting down, probably taken from my diesel days years ago.
Go easy, let it idle quietly for a few minutes, then a drama-free shutdown.

Me personally?
I’m over-cautious in this regard.
Always have been.
Even owning relatively inexpensive amps.

Part of my OCD character.
But I want my gear to last.

Click to expand...

This is my process as well.

It seems like after all these years of tube amp circuit design and redesign, cost cutting, etc, the standby would have gone the way of the dodo by now if it truly serves no beneficial purpose. Yet all my tube amps still have them.

rxbandit said:

To further complicate the matter, my Orange OR30 has a "warmdown" switch instead of standby. It's specific to the design of this amp (being tube-rectified).


2. Warmdown/Play switch
When this switch is in the up position, the amp is in “warmdown” mode, during which no sound will be produced, but the valves are heated so that the amp is ready to play when the switch is then flicked down to the “play” position. When turning on the amp for the beginning of a session, there’s no need to warm it up first — you can throw both switches at once and the amp will gradually ramp up to full power. When turning off the amp, first flick the warmdown switch to the up position for a short while before turning off the power switch.

Click to expand...

Interesting…my Orange RV 100 MKIII (SS rec) has a standby switch and the owners manual basically says to power the amp on in standby and after two minutes switch to on.

brysonsdad said:

This is my process as well.

It seems like after all these years of tube amp circuit design and redesign, cost cutting, etc, the standby would have gone the way of the dodo by now if it truly serves no beneficial purpose. Yet all my tube amps still have them.

Click to expand...

Fender still makes a bunch of amps without them.
Blues Junior, Pro Junior, Tweed and Black/Silverface Champs...

The Deluxe Reverb reissue, as well as the Pro and Twin have one (like the originals), the Princeton and Vibro-Champ do not (like the originals)

They did add them to the current tweed amps, starting with the 5E3.. looks like (except for the 5E3) anything over 20 watts has it.
Funny that on the tweed Champ, it has a power switch instead of incorporating it into the volume control like the original.


There are a lot of things on (and missing from) guitars and amps simply because the customers expect or reject it.

brysonsdad said:

Interesting…my Orange RV 100 MKIII (SS rec) has a standby switch and the owners manual basically says to power the amp on in standby and after two minutes switch to on.

Click to expand...

Yup, I used to own a Rockerverb as well (great amp!) - the OR30 is the first time I had come across the "reverse" instructions

Just got off the phone with a revered amp guy in Dallas, who has done work for me.

He explained that only amps with a tube rectifier are exempt from the standby requirement on start up.

Solid state rectifiers require it.
Pretty much any tube amp without a tube rectifier should utilize STANDBY.

For my Bassman, he recommends a five minute standby warm-up - minimum.
Same for my Twin.
But especially the Bassman, since it’s ancient and deserves the respect.

The Bad Cat?
Says it doesn’t matter at all.

So there’s how it affects me specifically.
My habits won’t change.

As an aside, the amp guy gave the Chinese-made AC-30s as an example where he actually recommends people do not use the standby switch.

Causes more problems than it solves.

Leee said:

Just got off the phone with a revered amp guy in Dallas, who has done work for me.

He explained that only amps with a tube rectifier are exempt from the standby requirement on start up.

Solid state rectifiers require it.
Pretty much any tube amp without a tube rectifier should utilize STANDBY.

Click to expand...

Despite the fact that the Blues Jr and Pro Jr do not have the switch?

I wish Lyle from Psionic were still active on the forum.

Leee said:

As an aside, the amp guy gave the Chinese-made AC-30s as an example where he actually recommends people do not use the standby switch.

Causes more problems than it solves.

Click to expand...

Makes you wonder if using standby on that amp is not recommended, what OTHER solid state rectified amps would qualify for an exception? This is why this subject is like who’s on first sometimes

I’m with you, I’ll keep using mine since the amp manufacturer saw fit to put it there. I don’t have an ac30 btw.