Butler Audio TDB 3150 User Manual

 

9 

Tube Reliability: 

It's interesting to note that until the 1960's, tubes were used in 

every area of electronics including aviation.  When people flew on a 

commercial airliner, they literally trusted their lives on tube-powered 

avionics.  So, aside from a common-sense warning to take care not 
to break the glass, there is very little reason to be concerned about 

the 6SL7GC tubes within your amplifier.  Without them, the 

musicality of your amp would greatly diminish! 

 

Butler's design has reduced the electronic stress on the tubes to 
less than 5% of rated value and NO dangerously high voltages are 

needed for operation.  Therefore, heat production from the tubes is 

minimal.   BK Butler has been a pioneer in the use of low-voltage 

vacuum tubes and time has proven him correct in his long assertion 

that correctly employed, vacuum tubes don't need lethal voltages 

to be highly musical.  (Just ask Eric Johnson - repeatedly voted by 
Guitar Player Magazine as the world's best guitarist, Billy Gibbons 

of ZZ Top, or Pink Floyd's David Gilmour if BK Butler's low voltage 

tube guitar pedals aren't the most reliable and best sounding ever 

made!)  

 

What this means to you is that the tubes installed in your new Butler 
amplifier should last as long as the other high quality electronic 

components in the design.  No special tube care, replacement, 

matching, biasing or maintenance is usually necessary.  In the 

unlikely event a tube becomes faulty,* each tube is connected to 

the power module via a high-reliability multi-pin connector so 

replacement is simplified. 
 

Finally, the most likely reason you invested in your new Butler Audio 

amplifier was to enjoy the sonic superiority vacuum tubes create.  

Please enjoy this revolutionary design BK Butler worked so long to 

produce.  We're confident you'll have many trouble-free years of 

listening pleasure! 
 

- Everyone at Butler Audio, Inc