@tattooedtrackman , on bias and red plating,
a few years ago (I think it may have been some time in '20, I had a coupling cap fail on one side of my Cary V12.. I won't try to explain the science or theory of whatever happened within the circuit, because that kind of stuff is beyond me, but the result that I saw was the bias on that side running away high regardless of the position of the bias pot. (I could back the bias pot all the way off, but shortly after turning the amp 'on' the bias would start climbing out of control on that side. The tubes on that side got very hot--red plated--and were never the same sounding after I replaced the cap. I felt the tubes were getting tired anyway, but that event was the last straw and I bought new tubes.