Members pinkjimiphoton Posted July 28, 2010 Members Share Posted July 28, 2010 usually the blue is from leaking air into the tube in really old ones. i'd consider replacing them if they're long in the tooth. but some tubes to glow blue, and that doesn't mean they're bad...other than the orange glow of the heaters, most tubes do kinda glow blue anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pinkzep52 Posted July 28, 2010 Members Share Posted July 28, 2010 I heard that this indicates poor performance of the crystal lattice. Those loose electrons are the weak ones carrying inferior frequencies that can't pass through, and they'll contribute to a buildup of bad tone in your amp until everything sounds like ass.Bottom line: you needs a Dumble. [YOUTUBE]iVTj08qTwGw[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SirBlend12 Posted July 28, 2010 Members Share Posted July 28, 2010 My 2 cents: Most everything I've ever read regarding a blue glow attributes such to air leaks or improper sealing/vacuuming. Usually a result of tiny amounts of inert gases getting into the tube. Nothing major to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GreaserMatt Posted July 29, 2010 Members Share Posted July 29, 2010 Sometimes handling them (with bare hands) will make them glow blue. My mate used to do it on purpose because you could see them through the front of his head and he thought it looked cool. I always try to wipe them off when I put them (back) in an amp... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GreaserMatt Posted July 29, 2010 Members Share Posted July 29, 2010 I heard that this indicates poor performance of the crystal lattice. Those loose electrons are the weak ones carrying inferior frequencies that can't pass through, and they'll contribute to a buildup of bad tone in your amp until everything sounds like ass.Bottom line: you needs a Dumble. Damn those crystal lattice's, LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mitchell? Posted July 29, 2010 Members Share Posted July 29, 2010 Power tubes glowing blue/purple usually result from the amp being turned on with out a load attached, ie your amp may have been used without speakers which is NOT a good thing to do.I'm not sure but it might be able to be cause by an impedance mismatch as well (?).It is also possible that you have a bad connection somewhere with your speaker cable/jacks or even somewhere in the output stage of the amp.I'm no amp tech but I believe the blue/purple colour results from a build up of charge feeding back into the power stage of the amp then oxidising something within the tubes.The strange colour in and of itself does not necessarily mean the tubes are bad, but operating an amp under these conditions can is very unhealthy for your gear and can result in some nasty issues.I would strongly suggest getting it looked at by a tech before using it again just to be on the safe side - you never know what other components might be having issues and what consequences you get if you keep using it.tl;dr - take it to a tech. No. It's flourescence, or trace bits of gas left in the tube perhaps. It's totally fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IamBurnout Posted July 29, 2010 Members Share Posted July 29, 2010 turning me on without plugging me into something causes me to turn bluesaved for later'd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lolque? Posted July 29, 2010 Members Share Posted July 29, 2010 taken from http://eurotubes.com/euro-i.htmA blue glow that pulses under load is normal. A strong purple glow that shows up when a tube is not under load at idle means the tube is "gassy" due to cathode stripping and is on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ronsonic B Posted July 30, 2010 Members Share Posted July 30, 2010 Ah ok. Thanks Phil. Like I said, the amp runs fine. The blue glow might have always been there and I just never noticed.Is it possible for tubes to suddenly get a blue glow? Some dancing blue lights is normal and very healthy. It has probably always been there. Solid blue and you will see the difference is bad, very bad. The horrible buzzing noise and blowing fuses will leave no question about it. That isn't what you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Destructobot Posted July 30, 2010 Members Share Posted July 30, 2010 Power tubes glowing blue/purple usually result from the amp being turned on with out a load attached, ie your amp may have been used without speakers which is NOT a good thing to do.I'm not sure but it might be able to be cause by an impedance mismatch as well (?).It is also possible that you have a bad connection somewhere with your speaker cable/jacks or even somewhere in the output stage of the amp.I'm no amp tech but I believe the blue/purple colour results from a build up of charge feeding back into the power stage of the amp then oxidising something within the tubes.The strange colour in and of itself does not necessarily mean the tubes are bad, but operating an amp under these conditions can is very unhealthy for your gear and can result in some nasty issues.I would strongly suggest getting it looked at by a tech before using it again just to be on the safe side - you never know what other components might be having issues and what consequences you get if you keep using it.tl;dr - take it to a tech. This is all BS. Don't listen to this guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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