Should I Turn My Amp Off or Leave It On? Vacuum tubes are like incandescent light bulbs, the filament inside is heated and has a finite life. Two things make them wear out; the initial stress of the current surge when turning them on (that is usually when a light bulb burns out), and the time that they are left on.

Alpha amps reduce the initial current surge stress by using a small resistor in series with the tube filaments.

It is a balance between turning the tube filaments on off on off, or letting them run for hours on end. If you will be using the amp again on the air within an hour or so, leave it on. If it will be 2 hours or longer, turn it off between operating sessions.