Internet Nonsense #4 - Proper use of the standby switch

The standby switch was originally intended to be a way to silence the amp without actually turning it off. When it was time for your 15 minute break, using the standby switch would effectively turn the amp completely off, but still allow for instant sound without waiting for the amp to warm up. It works great for this purpose.

Somewhere along the line, someone decided that having your amp on standby every minute that you weren't actually playing would extend the life of the tubes. In reality, it doesn't make a significant difference. The other crazy "rule" I hear concerning the standby switch involves turning the amp on for the first time. Supposedly, when powering up the amp you should wait a certain amount of time before turning on the standby switch to "play" in order to protect your amp and tubes from something terrible....... In reality, waiting more than ten seconds or so before turning the standby switch to "play" causes a BIG surge of current to flow through the amp - you hear it as big "thump" in the speaker. This surge can also cause the fuse to blow or (common in old Fenders) the standby switch itself to arc internally.

Skip Simmons