Connor's Corner: Summer Of Sound

When you hit the road, whether it be for a long haul across the country or a handful of dive-bar gigs, you want to ensure that your gear is reliable and performing consistently. Here is a handful of tips that can be helpful for the working musician on the road.

By Ruby TubesAug 17, 2026

When you hit the road, whether it be for a long haul across the country or a handful of dive-bar gigs, you want to ensure that your gear is reliable and performing consistently. Many issues that players encounter with their gear can be solved with some preparation and some simple servicing. Here is a handful of tips that can be helpful for the working musician on the road.

1) Contact Cleaner

A good contact cleaner such as DeOxit D5 can get you out of a pickle if you are experiencing unwanted noise. Having this on hand is a good idea, especially when your gear is ridden hard and put away wet. Spraying some contact cleaner into your potentiometers can help resolve issues such as noisy pots or loss of signal. Some issues that users may experience with tube amplifiers can be addressed through a good cleaning of their input jacks and tube sockets as well.

2) Spare Tubes

Last year I embarked on a month-long tour of the Pacific Northwest playing alongside my brother with the Gill Brothers Band. I was loading in my 1970's Fender Musicmaster Bass amp into a recording session when I noticed one of the power tubes had lost its vacuum. It can be difficult to source proper replacement tubes on the road, especially when traveling through more rural areas. Luckily, I had a matched pair of JJ 6V6 squirreled away in the van for this very occasion. I always recommend having a few backups should you ever encounter such a tragedy yourself!

3) Proper Tools

This may seem simple enough, however you don't want to have to rely on a venue for the proper wrench, screwdriver, wire cutters, etc. Perhaps your input jack has come loose on your guitar, or you notice loose hardware on your amplifier. This is important to prepare for, as many amplifiers (vintage Fenders come to mind) require the hardware to be tight and secure for proper grounding within the circuit.

4) Backup Amplifier

If you are getting ready to hit the road, I highly recommend bringing some sort of small backup amplifier that can get the job done. Personally, I have a vintage Peavey XR-600B powered mixer that can easily be used as a PA, bass, keyboard, or guitar amplifier. It is utilitarian workhorse I can always count on. Nothing stops a show like an amplifier that quits working.

In short,

A well designed tube amplifier that has been serviced by a qualified technician should be extremely reliable on the road. In an age where digital modeling has become so popular, I hear many of my peers' tout that they prefer their modeling rigs for ease of use and reliability. While these rigs may serve a purpose for many touring acts, a working musician should not fear traveling with their beloved tube amplifier. With a little bit of preparation and forethought you'll be able to tackle small servicing issues, ensuring you deliver a stellar performance.