do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

[ex-250]

so lately ive been noticing some stuff with my amp.....most of which is a big drop in the volume. also a few weeks ago i noticed the clarity to be not as good, but ive just left it for so long that i cant tell much of a difference by now. but the main thing is the volume. now, with the master volume at 5, i get a pretty good bedroom playing volume, a bit loud, but reasonable. now before, with the master vol. on 5, it would shake the hell out of all the windows and knock things off shelves and stuff like that. so whats the deal? do you think i just need new tubes, or is it something else

 

[BigBazz]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

Power Valves/Tubes for definate, their dead so get some new ones in there, i recommend JJ's, i have them in my 5150 and it sounds mean as ****.

 

[aleclee]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

Sounds like dead power tubes.

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

You didn't mention what kind of amp and how old? Have you looked at
the tubes to see if they are all on (Glowing the same color?) Tubes
are the 1st place to look in the process of elemination. Hope you don't
need to go further.

 

[ex-250]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

its a peavey XXX combo (its in my sig, i figured everybody would just look there). ive had it for 2 years, but i dont know how long it was in the store before i bought it

 

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

almost definitely 100% for sure needs power tubes. and if you've had it for two years, you should probably throw in new preamp tubes too, if you haven't already done so. you will notice a huge improvement.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

Yep, new power tubes.

Disagree on the new preamp tubes call by mutton. Unless one is microphonic, there should be no need to replace the pres unless you're wanting to do a little tone tweaking.

 

[ex-250]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

ok, i thought it was just a power tube problem. thats good then. now i still gotta decide if i wanna put in another set of 6L6's or try EL34's (see my other thread......)

 

[veil]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

ok, i thought it was just a power tube problem. thats good then. now i still gotta decide if i wanna put in another set of 6L6's or try EL34's (see my other thread......)

Make sure you rebias if you're going to change the tube type! :dance:

 

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

Yep, new power tubes.

Disagree on the new preamp tubes call by mutton. Unless one is microphonic, there should be no need to replace the pres unless you're wanting to do a little tone tweaking.

i'm not saying the problem is due to the preamp tubes. i'm just saying, if the amp is 2+ years old and the preamp tubes haven't been replaced in that entire time span, then there is probably a significant tonal improvement to be had by putting new preamp tubes in, even if they aren't squealing. but of course the amp would function just as well with the current preamp tubes.

 

[aleclee]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

i'm not saying the problem is due to the preamp tubes. i'm just saying, if the amp is 2+ years old and the preamp tubes haven't been replaced in that entire time span, then there is probably a significant tonal improvement to be had by putting new preamp tubes in, even if they aren't squealing. but of course the amp would function just as well with the current preamp tubes.

I'm with Hot_Grits on this one. Two years ain't squat in the life of a preamp tube--the tonal degradation at this point would be minimal.

 

[ex-250]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

Make sure you rebias if you're going to change the tube type! :dance:

the XXX takes both, you just flip a little switch in the back

 

[Mephis]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

the XXX takes both, you just flip a little switch in the back

thats badass!

 

[ex-250]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

ok, so i unscrewed the back panel and took some pics. as you can see, 2 tubes are glowing, and the other 2 just plain arent glowing at all......

and even the ones that are glowing, is it supposed to have that weird spotty pattern?

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

Yeah, you def need to replace all four power tubes. Leave the preamp tubes alone.

 

[Dirtyking]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

Mine did the same thing(volume drop). But I'll tell ya bro, new tubes brought a new breath of life and motivation after I replaced them. I had a tech check my preamp tubes also when I replaced the power tubes. One was shot so I just replaced the whole run. Which was a headache on its own.

I went with some 6L6's in the power section. I was gonna go with Ruby's, but my Tech had these power tubes from a new Mesa Road King he pulled the week before for another customer that had never been really used. $80 for the set sounded pretty good to me and now my amp sounds HUGE. I'm talking massive headroom. So much that I think I'm gonna pull 2 of them and drop some power for my ears sake.

 

[veil]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

the XXX takes both, you just flip a little switch in the back

Score!

 

[ex-250]

Re: do i need new tubes or is my amp just f**ked

yeah, ive been thinking of trying the EL34s lately. i love how the old 6L6's sounded, so new ones would be even better, but it never hurts to try a new tone possibility. plus, ive been listening to loads of priest & maiden lately (and i saw maiden 2 days ago), so an EL34 tone seems even better considering that