Forgot to plug speaker into tube amp.

  • Thread starter Thread starter VC4Ever
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VC4Ever

VC4Ever

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Turned on the amp let it warm up for a couple minutes on standby. Switched it on and no sound, checked back and realized I didn't connect the speaker cause it was in another amp I was playing earlier in the day.

Once I got it back in and played it worked but the OD channel went out. I swapped a pre-amp tube and everything seems a-o-k. Whats the least and the worst that happened?
 
If you only strummed for a few seconds before realizing it was not connected you are fine. The real problem exists when people play the guitar (at all) and do so for minutes on end, or repeatedly do it.

IMHO just strike of luck the preamp tube happen to go as well unless there is something else you're leaving out. But from the description given you're fine and no harm has been done.
 
thanks. well the clean channel worked, then when I switched to OD no sound. I figured since V2 was for OD I would swap it out and that worked.
 
Theoretically you never want to have a tube amplifier with an open load - no impedances are being reflected and it can cause serious damage to the OT especially when the amplifier is turned off and the magnetic field collapses. Impedance reflection is no joke and nothing to toy with.

Realistically you have a good 30 seconds give or take, strumming your guitar with the volume up on the amp, before it can become a bad problem. If it makes sound you're fine. Preamp tubes are like lightbulbes, they go whenever they want.
 
truth is I have done it to other amps and nothing bad came of it. I was just worried because this amp was newer. thanks for the help.
 
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