bad place for a switch on an amp

[johnrea_77]

So - I was checking out the new Boogie Mark V and noticed it had a BIAS switch for EL34/6L6 tube selection. This is on the back panel near the footswitch jack and fan switch. There is a note about not changing the switch while in operation and to be careful about hitting the switch while transporting the amp. I'm thinking you could accidentally hit this while pluggin in the footswitch cable.

Years ago I owned a Kitty Hawk M1 that had a Class A/Class AB switch on the front panel. Since it was right next to the power and standby switch I didn't think this was a great idea either.

Shouldn't these types of switches be less accessible? Some manufacturers place them near the tube sockets away from the panels.

 

[gtrnstuff]

That amp is packed with switches and knobs. I guess he did good to find any free space for it.

 

[ohmslaw]

That is wierd...I wonder what the consequences of switching it to the opposite tubeset when the amp is on would be. Best call the manufacturer and get some more info.

I sure like my Rebel 20, which has pairs of both the EL84 and 6V6, and you can pan between the tubesets with the knob on the front while you are playing. It works great. You can even blend the two tubesets equally by setting the knob at 12:00.

 

[GearHeadFred]

That's a little scary.. You could roast a set of output tubes (or worse) with an accidental flip of that switch. I think I would have recessed that switch, or placed it inside the chassis.