What happened to my SET amp?

If it was smoking, a fuse will NOT fix it. A shorted tube can take out a resistor, etc and you have at least done that. The smoke could also indicate an expired capacitor or(hopefully not)shorted power transformer. Don't waste a fuse. Get the amp serviced, if you are not competant at electronic repairs yourself. Should you choose to open the unit and assess the damage- keep in mind there may be some very high voltages stored in the power supply caps.

There was an **8 Amp** fuse in it??!

The fuse was **way** too high a rating. Pack the amp up and send it back for repair.

Yap, the fuse was marked 8A.
I'll be sending it in for service.
Thanks for all your comments!
And...........Good Listening!

The Antique Sound Lab Leyla 845 DT uses a 10 amp, slow-blow fuse and it is spec'd similarly to the Dared VP-845. Am I right in guessing that this amp uses a similarly overrated fuse?

What would be the correct value for this fuse if not in the 8-10 amp range?

I would check with the manufacturer, but IMO the fuse rating with an amplifier like this should be set (not pun intended) to be just slightly above the AC current draw that the amp has after one hour of operation. You'd have to find that out with an AC amp meter so unless you have the equipment, it may not be that easy to sort out.

One fuse controlling two channels complete with filaments might actually be that high. It would not give you a lot more than just fire protection though. I guess I am used to using a few more fuses in the amp to give greater protection.