I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

[Mr 9finger]

The problem with having a lot of tube amps is tube replacement. I'm a huge procrastinator when it comes to this because the available selection drives me nuts. Kinda like shopping for dirt pedals. Alas, my Mesa Dual Rectifier Tremoverb has briefly turned into a Dual Rectumfrier Tremoterd. The reverb is almost non existent, and the trem circuit is very weak. After a phone call to Mesa, they're saying to replace the preamp tubes. I knew this, but wanted to double check. Instead of replacing a couple tubes, I'm going to replace them all. So I turn to you my fellow bro's that know more about preamp tubes than I. Let's liven this female dog back up!

Here's is the tube layout from the manual

V1 A=1st input/Gain stage
V1 B= Reverb Return

V2 A= 2nd Gain Stage
V2 B= 3rd Gain Stage

V3 A= 4th Gain Stage
V3 B= 5th Gain BUFFER

V4 A= FX Return Amp
V4 B= FX Send Buffer

V5 A= Reverb Driver
V5 B= Reverb Mixer Amp

V6 A= Phase Splitter
V6 B= Output V6 A and B are combined according to the manual.

On your mark. Get set. Go.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

One word of advise...DO NOT CHANGE ALL THE PRE'S AT ONCE UNTIL YOU GET IT FIXED...

It makes is MEGA hard to track down issues if the tubes for some reason do NOT fix the reverb.

That said...are the all 12AX7's or what??

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

One word of advise...DO NOT CHANGE ALL THE PRE'S AT ONCE UNTIL YOU GET IT FIXED...

It makes is MEGA hard to track down issues if the tubes for some reason do NOT fix the reverb.

That said...are the all 12AX7's or what??

I knew that much bro lol! Change a tube, turn it on, play with it for a bit. Lather, Rinse, Repeat....

The manual says they're all 12AX7's.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

Well, I hate the way they decided to join various functions together but in your case I'd go with reissue Tung Sols in V1, V2 and V3...EH 12AX7's in V4 and V5 for sure and V6...maybe the EH, maybe the Tung Sol...

This is where I'd start for new tubes...

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

Well, I hate the way they decided to join various functions together but in your case I'd go with reissue Tung Sols in V1, V2 and V3...EH 12AX7's in V4 and V5 for sure and V6...maybe the EH, maybe the Tung Sol...

This is where I'd start for new tubes...

I noticed that to. It doesn't seem very ideal to have part of the reverb circuit running off the same tube as the first gain stage. I don't know a lot about the workings of a tube amp, but I'm guessing that's probably inviting noise into the first gain stage to be amplified through the rest of the stages. All the tube amps I've played with tube reverb, when the reverb is on, they tend to get a little noisy or hissy I should say.

OK, Tung Sol for 1,2,3 EH for 4,5 Either or for 6.

Any special testing I should be looking into for any certain spots in the chain? I'll most likely be ordering from Tube Depot.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

Some guys like "matched triodes" for drivers, I do not care...

I might pay for low noise if it's an option...

 

[Van Noord]

Re: I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

I personally like Sovtek and Chinese tubes in my Recto over the stock Mesa branded EH's.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

I like EH for cascading and high gain applications cos they have the least amount of noise - especially good for trem circuits cos they have the faintest "click" sound that goes with trem circuits. Go for all EH except for V1 - that's the one that will give you the most noticeable change in your basic tonality. Try EH, but also tung sol for clarity and jj's for fatness and keep the one you like best. Whatever you dont end up using will still be great as a spare.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

I noticed that to. It doesn't seem very ideal to have part of the reverb circuit running off the same tube as the first gain stage. I don't know a lot about the workings of a tube amp, but I'm guessing that's probably inviting noise into the first gain stage to be amplified through the rest of the stages. All the tube amps I've played with tube reverb, when the reverb is on, they tend to get a little noisy or hissy I should say.

I'm not 100% certain about this, but I am about 95% sure. A 12AX7 is two INDEPENDENT amplification devices housed in the same tube. So one does not really affect the other. They should act the same, but they are independent. In any tube amp, you're going to use both sides of as many 12AX7s as you can to keep the tube count down. Why would you put a tube in there and leave half of it unused?

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

I'm not 100% certain about this, but I am about 95% sure. A 12AX7 is two INDEPENDENT amplification devices housed in the same tube. So one does not really affect the other. They should act the same, but they are independent. In any tube amp, you're going to use both sides of as many 12AX7s as you can to keep the tube count down. Why would you put a tube in there and leave half of it unused?

Hell I don't know lol! I just know that reverb is a little noisy and when my amp sounds crappy, it's time for new tubes. That's my knowledge of how and why tube amps work. I probably knew more at one time, but I've slept since then.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

V1...TS 12AX7
V2...EH 12AX7
V3...EH 12AX7
V4...5751, or TS 12 AX7, or 12 AY7
V5...5751, or TS12AX7
V6...12AT7

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: I need some tone jockey preamp tube help!

I spent $200 and some change on preamp tubes. I got everything TGWIF suggested and then some. What I have leftover, I'll try in my other amps. Although, I've gotten attached to this Nomad 55 pretty quickly. It's the exact opposite of a high gain amp than the Tremoverb. It's definitely got a lot of Mark series characteristic to it.