Help, i'm clueless about tubes! haha

[Clockwork_Orange]

So it's time to change the tubes in the 50watt beast of mine. I bought the amp preowned so I'm assuming the tubes have been changed before (but I guess I shouldn't assume anything). Anyways, I've never changed them. Do I need to have somebody do it or are they pretty much plug-and-play? I know the preamp tubes are Mesa 6L6's. I've heard good things about EL34's but I'm not sure? I do know my amp has the nifty bias switch though. Basically when it comes do it, I'm clueless. What do I buy? Where do I buy them? How much are we talkin'? Andddd can I put'em in myself?

Thanks buds.

 

[Clockwork_Orange]

Re: Help, i'm clueless about tubes! haha

Sorry, I assumed everybody would look at my signature to see what amp I have but again I shouldn't assume. It's a Mesa/Boogie Single Rectifier Solo 50 head.

 

[Woodcutter]

Re: Help, i'm clueless about tubes! haha

I use Fender 6L6's in my fender Blues DeVille and love the sound. I havent played around with other kinds of tubes so I cant really tell you whats better. I payed $35 for a macthed pair of 6L6's. You can easly chage them. you just pull the old ones out and put the new ones in.

Good Luck

 

[54stratlover]

Re: Help, i'm clueless about tubes! haha

actually the 6l6s are your power tubes. i think on mesa amps you don't need to bias them if you buy mesa 6l6 power tubes. i may be wrong, so you may want to check on teh mesa web site. I am sure you will find re-tubing info there. Also there are the pre amp tubes. they should be 12ax7s and maybe 12 at7s, I am not sure which. They are plug and play. Power amp tubes on many amps need to be re-biased when changed, but I don't think that is the case with newer mesa amps

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Help, i'm clueless about tubes! haha

If you are willing to shell out a bit more cash you can take your amp to have a bias pot installed so you could try other tubes besides the ones in the mesa line of products.

Do you like the growl or crunch/thump type sound you only get when the amp is cranked? If so, I recommend a standard 6L6GC. If you're out for more headroom and a flatter power amp EQ, the KT66 would give you that (stands for kinkless triode). JJ 6l6GC's get plenty of headroom i hear.

 

[gordon_39422]

Re: Help, i'm clueless about tubes! haha

Never played 'em through a Mesa, but I SWEAR by JJ 6L6GC's. I have a pair rated for normal breakup which give great cleans yet still attainable bluesy sound without pedals, and then a pair of late breakups that can be cranked wide open and still get a perfect Fender Chime!!!! I use the latter with pedals when playing live, and the previous at home for practice volumes. Did I mention that was playing through a Hot Rod Deluxe 112?!?!

Try the tube depot.com. I had an order where higher quality Orange Drop Caps than I ordered where shipped. I called the company to report it, and they apologized, and sent me some stuff, even though the mistake was in my favor!!

I got JJ's for $28/matched pair. Neve found em for less....

Good Luck, and keep us posted,
Allen

 

[matt99camero]

Re: Help, i'm clueless about tubes! haha

Well I'm no amp gurue but here is basically the deal in a nutshell as I know it. Usually when people change there tubes they like to have the amp biased. Sometimes if your replacing them with the exact same tubes you don't have to bias but if your changing to another brand or a different type of tubes it should probably be biased. Reason is that tubes have a "sweet spot"(or bias point) in them where they need to be set to operate efficiently at depending on what amp they are being used in. One tubes "sweet spot" is different from another in different amps. The bias point for EL34s in a Marshall will not be the same as the bias point for EL34s in a Fender. Just as 6L6s in a Fender will not have the same bias as EL34s in a Fender. If the bias(which adjusts where the tubes operate) is set to cold/low, you'll be sacrificing tone, if they are set to hot/high you are shortening the life of the tubes. You can't just throw any tubes in any amp. Tubes can only take so many volts on the plates inside the tubes. You don't want to put tubes that can't handle the voltage in an amp because your risking damage to the amp. You need to get tubes that match or exceed the rating of the amp.

I don't know Mesas but I'm guessing buy an earlier post you don't have a bias pot so that means you can't adjust it. Since different tubes need a different bias point then your kinda stuck using the same tubes if you want the best possible efficientcy out of the tubes. If you had a bias pot installed then you could play around with different tubes in the amp.

I'd call or e-mail Bob at Eurotubes and tell him what your looking for tone wise and I'm sure he will hook you up. He is very helpful to tube noobies. I hope most of this info I gave is correct, it's 4 am and I've been drinking so who knows? Please correct me if I'm wrong here.

 

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: Help, i'm clueless about tubes! haha

i have a single recto and i've re-tubed it several times.
for your power tubes, you have two choices: 6L6 or EL34. if you like your tone how it is now, i'd stay with the 6L6's, but if you want more of a mid-rangy/crunchy/marshally tone, then you should look into EL34's. you can put either of these tubes in yourself without having to make any further adjustments. just go to guitar center or any other mesa/boogie dealer and get the mesa tubes, unless of course you want to go out of your way to get better tubes (but IMO i think the mesa tubes sound fine). just plug in and play, but first make sure the bias switch on the back of your amp matches whichever tubes you're using.

your preamp tubes are the smaller ones with the metal covering over them. these are even more simple to swap out than power tubes, because even with different types of pre tubes you won't need to make any other adjustments to the amp.