Tubes smell (good)

[Pacopico]

I have noticed that when my old Sherwood S-5500III gets fired up and running smoothly it gives off a odor.

Now I am not talking anything unpleasent, just a nice vintage smell if that makes sense. Typically I can smell it after it has been playing for a few hours in my listening closet (room).

I didn't think anyone else would ever get nostalgic over this, but a friend who was over last night mentioned that reminded her of her fathers "work shop" (he's a movie sound man).

Well, I was pretty much floored...somebody else did notice.

So my question is does anyone else notice this?

Attached is my listening closet.

[Haoleb]

i doubt it as much the smell of tubes, because i dont think they smell, hot or not. but the smell of other stuff inside there warming up.

I particularly like the new speakers smell... probbly because everytime ive smelled it, i got new speakers!;)

[Celt]

My favorite smell is a vintage Fender guitar amp when the Tolex, glue and old Pine planks get good and warm! :)

[gonefishin]

ok...this may sound strange...when i was a little kid I could remember opening a piece of electronic equipment (transistor radio, or whatever) and it had this new electronics smell...not only the component...but also the packing material. Oh...I used to love that smell!
Go figure, those days of the new electronics smell are long gone :( But recently, two years ago, the wife had bought a seasonal (Christmas) flower for a friend of ours having a party. It was a small extremely white flower...and it had a peculiar fragrance...yep, you guessed it...it smelled like new electronics in the 70's!

[Pacopico]

...And I thought I was wierd:D

[Thatch_Ear]

Dust on hot tubes........its not as good a smell as rain hitting hot dry ground and having the dust rise just a bit before it starts raining hard, but yea, I know what you are talking about.

Flint and ozone

[bolly]

Soon as I fired up my S-5000II, I noticed the exact same smell.

Greg

[Butuz]

Well with any luck boys ill be lookin to start a sniffin' that sweet tube goodness once my OPT's arive :)

Is it only old valve amps that smell or would a new one with no PCB smell too?

Cheers

Butuz

[Thatch_Ear]

I think it is the dust getting hot on the tubes. The one that I keep dusted and change the tubes in a few times a week doesn't smell that way. The Fisher with the 7591s and a 5AR4, that amp cooks some dirt.

[Pacopico]

I dunno Thatch, ut the tubes in this amp are clean...

Maybe it is something else - Transformers???

I guess it really doesn't matter to the cause as I find that I like the smell!

[Tullman]

Originally posted by CELT
My favorite smell is a vintage Fender guitar amp when the Tolex, glue and old Pine planks get good and warm! :)

I was thinking the same thing. The odor is somewhat addictive.

http://img4.photobucket.com/albums/v29/bostonjim46/gear_002.jpg

[dstarr]

My Sherwood S-5500II has the same smell. It's kinda like an old musty/ozone smell. Plus it doubles as a heater along with my computer that has 3 fans in it.
-Dave

[heathkit tv]

I too noticed and love the smell of toob equipment. How about the ozone smell from Lionel trains? Or even the smoke from them?

Anthony

[Celt]

Yup...the Lionel train smell is another childhood smell I like. Kinda pungent and oily...but a good smell nonetheless. BTW, I mentioned old Fender amps...I got the same smell from my tube table radio and tube record player when I was a kid too. Has to be the cloth covering, the glue and all that pine getting warm!

[jt1stcav]

Just like with all my wooden antique tube radios from Emerson and Crosley. The bakelite Philcos and Zenith radios also have a unique smell when all fired up, but it's different from the woodies!

Not tube gear, natch, but I also like the smell of old cedar chests and other antique wooden hutches and cabinets...it's a very unique aroma not found from modern furniture IMO.