Roccaforte Amplifiers are built to the highest industry standards. Even though you can tour with a Roccaforte product and play night after night shows with no problems, there is still a level of care required to maintain this level of reliability. The following is a list of rules that, if kept unbroken, will insure the warranty stays valid.

Power Attenuators
 

Using a "dummy load" or "power attenuator" will damage your Roccaforte product, and void its warranty. These type of products wear out tubes at an accelerated rate, and in some cases cause RF to be generated in the output, which can destroy an output transformer.
 

Pulling Power Tubes to Lower Output
 

Your Roccaforte amplifier produces more output than its' advertised specs. Removing output tubes on the 80+100 watt models to lower their power ratings will not reduce overall volume. Because these amplifiers have higher current power supplies, damage may occur if two tubes are removed, and this will void your amplifier warranty.
 

Variacs
 

Do not use a variac to lower voltages below the amplifier's rated input. Running vacuum tube "heaters" at a lower than rated voltages causes premature tube wear. There is only person in the world who has ever been able to get great tone using a variac, and he has to change his tubes every night. Tubes that show any "cathode stripping" will not be covered by warranty. Depending on where you live and how close you are to a powergrid, you might be over powering your amplifier. I know people here in the US that have as high as 130V coming from their wall outlets. Its good to know where you stand here, so check it or have it checked. It could also be low too. This is one area where the variac is acceptable to use, you can adjust it to the proper amplifier input voltage. Make sure your variac is grounded.
 

Power & Standby Switches
 

The purpose of the "standby" switch is to allow the output tubes to heat up fully before they see any high voltage. The tube's "cathodes" can be worn out prematurely if not fully heated and the tube is conducting. The power switch should be turned on first with the amplifier in the standby mode. I recommend the amp be turned on in standby mode for at least 3 minutes before switching from standby to full power. When powering down, the amplifier should be first put on standby, then the power switch turned off. This practice will give your set of tubes a much longer life.
 

Speaker & Instrument Cables
 

Here's what I use: ProCo or any MI gear cable manufacturer that uses American made Beldon wire, or an equal equivalent. I like to see Switchcraft cables ends, which have been an industry standard for many quality musical equipment products. Be warned that many other high end cable manufacturers use low cost low quality overseas made parts that fail very early, sometimes even right out of the box!
 

Speaker cable does not need to be the size of your finger around. Going from a guitar amplifier to a cabinet (3-4ft), 18ga will never go bad. Don't be fooled by "audiophile" type speaker cable reviews, you will only hear a difference if you think you will, not because you actually can.
 

Transporting Amplifiers

 
OK, this where some major common sense comes into play. Your amplifier has vacuum tubes in it, and they are made of glass. Never set your amplifier down hard, bang it against anything, drop it or roll it across rough terrain.
 

Biasing

 

Running any Roccaforte product at a higher than rated bias spec for the tube type and plate dissipation ratings will void your warranty.
 

Cleaning
 

Amplifier and speaker cabinets can be cleaned with a damp cloth using a mild soap and warm water. Never use any plastic or tire shine products that coat with an "armor" type liquid. These type of products over time will cause discoloration of the vinyl and cause your amplifier to become a dust magnet.

Tube Replacements
 

OK, the Internet is a great place to ask about tube types, right? Wrong! Many people giving advice have less experience than the person asking for it. I recommend you ask the manufacturer what to use and what to stay away from. Never assume a vacuum tube is good and install it into your amplifier.
 

Fuses
 

A fuse is a protection device that's designed and rated to blow if any related circuitry gets shorted. This keeps you from having major damage or a fire. Never replace a fuse with anything but the proper replacement. It's not too common that fuses just get old and fail. If a fuse fails, replace it and, if it blows again, stop. The amplifier has a problem and needs to be seen by a qualified tech.
 

Your Amplifier is Not a Coaster
 

Never set any drinks on top of your amplifier. Find a table and use a coaster!
 

Doug Roccaforte