[Thepilot]

how about this- sinc you don't crank up, step back to the DSL50- same features, half the wattage, and hence half the power tubes. Run that through a 16 ohm hotplate and you'll have it made. a very controllable sound at a very controlled volume, but you could still peel the paint off the walls when needed. or for a little less dough you could even be lookin' at a Dr. Z 18 watt combo or something- boutique tone for not a whole lotta dough....just a thought

FWIW i have a JCM2000DSL50 that i run through a 1960AV cab with a hotplate in between. i love it.

[dnl88]

Na I want a really good amp that can get loud if I want but that won't be a pain in the neck getting to church every 2 weeks. So thats why the dsl401 seems cool for me. Anyway If I ever have to get bigger it'l mean I'll be playing big gigs an I'll have enough money to get a stack. .

Do hardshell amp covers exist? stupid question isn't it but since its gonna be something on the move alot I don't want the tubes breaking.

[nate95366]

To try and answer your original question:

Tubes are fragile. Pre-amp tubes (don't handle a lot of current) will last years and years if kept in a gentle environment. Hauling the amp around will definitely shorten their life. I know, because I haul my Boogie Studio .22 around a lot and my preamp tubes are good for two years tops before they go microphonic (start amplifying wierd vibrations). Power tubes are subject to the same handling problems, but they tend to "burn out" from current-handling before they go microphonic from careful transport. I change my power tubes every 8-10 months or so. I use JJ/Tesla power tubes and have had good luck with them.

Anyway, my point was that hauling, even careful hauling, is hard on tubes. There are tubes that are made for the abuse (Sovtek has a line and Ei-Yugo has a line), but even more than handling excess vibration, they're made to handle high heats. They tend to cost a little more, and there's still no guarantee they're going to sound as good as their more fragile cousins. My best guess is that moving around a lot reduces tube life for preamp tubes by about half and for power amp tubes by less than that because they tend to "burn out" first.

Nate

[dnl88]

2 years?!!!! thats how long they last when u hall them around?

Well I went to try out the dsl401 at the shop. At low volumes sound OK. But I decided to have one little go with it cranked up to half way. I didn't need more than a little touch on the strings to know that that was the amp I needed. I would just love to have somewhere big to try it out loud.

ps: If they last 2 years thats more that enough. I was thinking it was about 6 months

[dnl88]

I have a feeling I'm going to be inventing the highly padded hard shell amp cover for tours.

actually it doesn't seem that tubes will cost much more than strings yearly

[nate95366]

Originally Posted by dnl88

2 years?!!!! thats how long they last when u hall them around?

Yep. That's been my experience. I'm pretty careful with my gear when I "haul it around" though... ( I don't let anybody else carry it).

Remember that 2 years is about it for the pre-amp tubes when they're getting hauled around. Power amp tube life will be significantly shorter.

Nate

[dnl88]

I've got 4 of themm to replace but the marshall tubes don't seem too expensive

[dnl88]

I've got 4 of themm to replace but the marshall tubes don't seem too expensive