Guitar Amp Standby Switch

A refresher and reminder to use that standby switch.

Guitar amp standby switch.

Only use the standby switch when warming up of the amp. This is meant to let the heaters warm up before the high voltage is switched on. Three reasons that guitar amps should not require standby switches. A standby switch does not extend the life of the valves in fact it is more likely to reduce their useful life.

Old books called it preheating. It s that switch that silences your guitar amp without actually turning it off which comes in handy when break time rolls around at rehearsal or at a gig. But let s get one thing straight. Standby switches and folklore many guitar amps too many include a standby switch.

Let me say that a standby switch is a convenience supplied to guitar amps. When a tube amp is switched on it should be run in standby for at least 30 seconds preferably a minute the longer the better before applying the dc rail voltage to the power amp tubes. This article will explain what the standby switch does and how to use it. So why do many guitar amps have standby switches.

The use and need of a standby switch is an issue that comes up from time to time. On marshall s fenders and most other tube amps this is achieved by switching on the power at the main switch leaving it for the necessary time then. Low cost low voltage and low power. Right next to the on off switch on many tube amps is a second switch labeled standby.

For short breaks simply turn down the volume control or mute switch if you have one and don t use the standby switch so there is not that nasty pop in the house sound system that could damage speaker drivers. Guitar amps operate at 500v or less most at under 100w. So essential in fact that all of carvin audio s 50 watt or more all tube guitar amp models such as the v3 x100b and belair come loaded with one. What you might not know however is that while that is a conveniently useful function of the standby switch that s not the main reason it s.

When you first turn your amp on you want the switch to be in the standby position in which no sound will be produced while the tubes warm up. Guitar amp power tubes are inexpensive compared to the cost of say a transmitting tube for a radio station. Fortunately the standby switch is very straightforward yet absolutely essential. Now not all guitar amps have standby switches.

Standby switch in tube guitar amplifiers.