Combo vs Head - truth or myth?

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BeexterBeexter Frets: 597
I often see comments suggesting that heads are more reliable than combos as the valves don't get rattled around as much by the speaker doing its thing. 
Is there any evidence to support this or is it just a theory / folklore? 

Also,  does the orientation of the valves have any impact on reliability as heads generally have them sticking straight up whereas combo's generally point down (with a few mounting them horizontally.)? 

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Comments

  • RocknRollDaveRocknRollDave Frets: 6435
    Never had that problem with my combo.





    ....although the fact it is solid state probably accounts for that

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  • CabicularCabicular Frets: 2214
    Beexter said:
    I often see comments suggesting that heads are more reliable than combos as the valves don't get rattled around as much by the speaker doing its thing. 
    Is there any evidence to support this or is it just a theory / folklore? 

    Also,  does the orientation of the valves have any impact on reliability as heads generally have them sticking straight up whereas combo's generally point down (with a few mounting them horizontally.)? 

    I would say truth to an extent. (i.e. you are bothered by rattly valves) At gigging volume its rarely noticeable but at home volumes it can be annoying 
    The antithesis to this argument is that Combos (generally) have better airflow 
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  • FelineGuitarsFelineGuitars Frets: 11497
    tFB Trader
    A head will let you try a variety of cabs ranging from open bck to closed back to ported.
    Use a bigger cab for live and smaller for rehearsal 

    Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    Beexter said:
    I often see comments suggesting that heads are more reliable than combos as the valves don't get rattled around as much by the speaker doing its thing. 
    Is there any evidence to support this or is it just a theory / folklore?
    Evidence. In fact if I remember correctly that's the reason Leo Fender created the first amp head - a Tweed Bassman. The other reason being the ability to then use a closed cabinet came later.

    Beexter said:

    Also,  does the orientation of the valves have any impact on reliability as heads generally have them sticking straight up whereas combo's generally point down (with a few mounting them horizontally.)? 
    Yes. Having the valves upright above the chassis improves cooling of the valves and more importantly doesn't put the heat from them straight onto the chassis, where it heats up the internal components. Some - especially electrolytic caps and LDR opto-couplers - are quite heat-sensitive and the failure rate is increased if they get too hot.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    One of the reasons this semi myth took hold is because of the likes of AC30s which are prone to all sorts of problems when humped about for live work. Don't forget back in the early touring days a flight case was a luxury afforded some guitars and PA gear, the guitar amps and cabs were banged about in the back of a transit with maybe a blanket over them to preserve the tolex.
    Like so many things this was the basis of folklore. It's like the first transistor amps made by Fender were a disaster and because they were mass produced the reputaion of transistor amps was in the toiler for many pros for years and even lingers in folklore today (other opinions are available).
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  • digitalkettledigitalkettle Frets: 3127
    A push/pull pot on my J40 combo used to vibrate 'distortion' into the audio path at certain volumes/frequencies...modded it out of existence in the end!
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