Tube Guitar Amps - Are Tubes Prone to Damage During Transport?

[BeBob]

tube retainers. duh.

[Hammertone]

Please....tube bras.

[docbop]

I don't remember what tour I was working but we had a nice Twin Reverb, in brand new Anvil Case, with wheels and handles in all the places that make airport baggage handles smile. We flew our gear as baggage to avoid cargo hassles. We get to the destination and they roll out the cart with our gear and I go get it. Humm a rattling sound in the Twin's Anvil case. I have a truck waiting so we load up and head to the club. I open up the Twin case and almost every tube had been bounced out of their sockets and are laying in the bottom of the case. So even a heavy Twin in a Anvil case that probably adding another thirty pounds and all the tubes got bounced out. Crazy

But being a Fender I put the tubes back in and he amp worked perfectly and no problems the rest of the tour. That's why I like Fenders well before the PCB days.

[cosmic gumbo]

I don’t know how is the ”upside down” that Fender ships its amps but the old rule of thumb is that combos and speaker cabinets should travel ”face down” because of the speaker. That way the mechanical stress that affects the voice coil is more speaker friendly.

Fender says that's the best option only if you can't transport it in it's normal upright playing position.

Transporting Your Amp | Fender Tech Talk

[Robertkoa]

I have a Marshall JTM-45 Bluesbreaker amp that was in the back of my hatchback. It had shifted in a way that,
unbeknownst to me, caused it to be leaning against the hatch when I opened it on my slightly sloping driveway. I should have checked it from inside the car, but I didn’t. When I pulled the latch, the amp thrust the hatch open, hit my thigh while flipping over and landed on my concrete driveway upside down. Miraculously, it ended up with no more than a small tear in the tolex and a few scratches on the handle stays. It continues to work perfectly with the same tubes. However, as for my leg, while the amp didn’t live up to the breaker part of the name it did cause several shades of blue.

But- "Several Shades of Blue " is a great name for a Song .

[whiskey02]

The most likely time that could possibly cause any knd of damage to your tubes would be after you’ve played, they are hot and more prone to damage from being jostled and bounced around. Also, when they’re hot from being on for hours and then you step outside in February into 15 degree cold - that hot to immediate cold takes the life out of them. Same reason you notice so many cars with burned out headlights in areas with freezing temps in winter.

[Hep To The Jive]

The most likely time that could possibly cause any knd of damage to your tubes would be after you’ve played, they are hot and more prone to damage from being jostled and bounced around. Also, when they’re hot from being on for hours and then you step outside in February into 15 degree cold - that hot to immediate cold takes the life out of them. Same reason you notice so many cars with burned out headlights in areas with freezing temps in winter.

Oh, that's good to know, thanks! Usually I'm not the guy to rush anywhere after a gig, there's always drinks, food, and mingling, but occasionally I have 2 gigs in one night, then it might be a problem....

[Jimmy Mack]

The OP is not wrong to wonder and worry. I do the same with a handcart here in NYC.

My first question though, is: how do today's production tubes hold up vs. NOS?

Guys worry about tube rattle, and tubes being too close to a speaker, but sidewalk travel has to be one of the worst punishments for tubes. Even if the amp is built like a tank!

I liked John A's response. Foam, foam, foam, and always check that the tubes are seated. Those buggers like to wander.

[BeBob]

I can see how city sidewalks could be bad. Really bad.

I'd do three things:

1. Put in tube retainers if your amp doesn't already have them.
2. Foam padding in a hard case
3. Pneumatic tires.

you might be amazed by how much better the ride is on a hand cart with pneumatic tires compared to solid tires. they help to stop the vibrations at their source. the largest diameter that is practical is always best. small wheels always tend to get stuck somewhere.

[Hep To The Jive]

That's my transportation setup. Good enough? It's pretty snug on the cart.

[SkipBurz]

You've received some good advice above (although some, I have to say, is a bit bizarre! "Tubes were obsolete long ago"...Did I read that correctly?!)

Tube amps have been shlepped from gig-to-gig for decades. I do it myself regularly...usually twice a week. One problem I have run into is with new tube amps that have cheaply made printed circuit boards. Some of the Fenders (like my Deluxe blackface reissue) has very flimsy traces on the PCB. I have had to repair it a couple of times. However, my amps that are soldered point-to-point are very hearty and can take a beating. As mentioned above, really watch the condensation when you come in from the cold. Try to get to the gig in time to let the amp warm up and "dry up" before turning it on. I definitely would not removed the tubes. The safest place for them is in the amp. Popping them in and out is sure to bring problems (a broken stem, bent pin, messing up the socket, etc.)

If you do want to look into something solid state, you were given some excellent suggestions above. If you want a very nice tone in a lightweight package, I have been using a Quilter 101 Reverb with a lightweight 1x12" cabinet. I can put my 335 or 175 on my back in a Reunion Blue heavy gig bag, carry the speaker cabinet in a large soft bag on one shoulder and carry the Quilter, and a small pedal board in a carrying case in my hand. No cart needed. I'm 53-years-old and can walk a good mile or so before I need to shift things around a bit. Good luck.

Skip B.

[docbop]

I'll just throw this out and leave it.

In the GuitarWank interview awhile back with one of the big CE somethings at Fender an excellent interview and unlike Gibson exec's he is a guitarist and worked from the parts room up to the CE something. At one point in the two part interview tubes were brought up. He was saying getting good tubes is getting harder and harder. The the Russians appear to be starting to get out of the tube business and pretty soon The Chinese maybe the only place still making tube.

To me sounds like tubes could be nearing their last decade with the shrinking of guitar in pop culture, the tube market will shrink and not enough money to make it worthwhile. Something to ponder in the wee hours of the morning driving home from a gig.

[Hep To The Jive]

When it's over it's over, but I'm sure for my lifetime there will be enough. Plus they just came up with micro tubes, that Vox mini amp head sounds pretty good... I'm not worried.

I also have a couple ss amps, and I dig them. What I don't dig is the digital amps. I had Fender Mustang for a short while, I really hated it. To each their own, like it's been said, I didn't start this thread to discuss tubes vs non tubes anyway, I know what I like.

One funny thing, I got all-American amp that reflects the deep history of American guitar sound, but it runs on Russian tubes! I take a bit of pride in that