Troubleshooting an amp? Read this before you post your ques

[mezcalhead]

*rips off length of tape*

Is now a sticky, thanks Brad!

[dug]

Do you know anything about solid state amps?

[øøøøøøø]

Do you know anything about solid state amps?

not much! 

[Maggieo]

Dan Torres once told me that tube amps are something you repair and solid state amps are something you replace.

[SonOfJazzmasterE]

Remember when you would go to the supermarket and you could just USE a tube tester>>??? That was cool!

[mezcalhead]

Dan Torres once told me that tube amps are something you repair and solid state amps are something you replace.

Probably nearly always true, as Brad says .. but not always!

[Maggieo]

Dan Torres once told me that tube amps are something you repair and solid state amps are something you replace.

Probably nearly always true, as Brad says .. but not always!

I gotta get me one of those!

[Fiddy]

Remember when you would go to the supermarket and you could just USE a tube tester>>??? That was cool!

That must have been way before my time... 

[RumorsOFsurF]

Remember when you would go to the supermarket and you could just USE a tube tester>>??? That was cool!

Hell yes!  I'm only 25, and I remember Radio Shack had one. You could bring your tubes in to see if they were any good. 

[øøøøøøø]

Remember when you would go to the supermarket and you could just USE a tube tester>>??? That was cool!

Hell yes!  I'm only 25, and I remember Radio Shack had one. You could bring your tubes in to see if they were any good. 

I just turned 28 a couple weeks ago and I have vague memories of a tube tester at the drug store around the corner from my house as a kid.  I remember being about 5 years old wondering "what's that thing with all the checkers on it?" because it had red and black phenolic tube sockets like so:





The funny thing is, those tube testers were barely testing anything.  They would register "good" or "bad."  They tested for emissions and shorts only.  You can't match tubes or anything on an old tester like that.

[SonOfJazzmasterE]

I remember see those... I was really young myself... but I always thought they waz COOL!

[Jay]

The local electronics shop I use for the occasional need it quick part has a giant tube tester in the store that you can use still.  Pretty cool...  I also used to have an old Elenco (?) unit I bought at a Goodwill but I don't know what happened to it.    Of course not being able to match tubes makes them sort of pointless to a degree but you can sort out bad tubes with them I guess.  In any case, they're cool looking things that's for sure.

[Fiddy]

There's a small local antique electronics store in town. They got 2 tube testers, they even offered if I wanted to buy the spare one. They both look like the smaller one tho' (First pic in Brad's post)

[terminalvertigo]

good guide 

[knathan]

Great info-thanks.