New Tubes Day

[SlyFoxx]

It's been I think 15 years or so since my Fender got some new glass. So a trip through Doug's Tubes soon had a few new bottles coming my way. I screwed up the order somehow and ended up with 4 6L6's but what the heck...that should be a lifetime supply or close to it at the rate I use the amp. Everything came quickly and was packed really well. Right out of the box the amp sounds great but I'll have it to the shop soon just make sure bias is good and have the whole thing given the once over.

 

[jeremy]

Re: New Tubes Day

nice. i like those tad's. got a pair in my tweed bandmaster thing

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: New Tubes Day

He made a mistake and sent you JJs.

 

[Demanic]

Re: New Tubes Day

Why the hate for JJ's?

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[GilmourD]

Re: New Tubes Day

I can't see too clearly (not sure if it's the picture or my eyes at 1:47am). Do any of those JJ preamp tubes say 803 instead of 83?

 

[Demanic]

Re: New Tubes Day

Can't quite tell. One of them looked like it was an MG.

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[beaubrummels]

Re: New Tubes Day

I can't see too clearly (not sure if it's the picture or my eyes at 1:47am). Do any of those JJ preamp tubes say 803 instead of 83?

Don't need to read the label, must be 803 based on the long plate. Will sound much better though. Could be potentially microphonic in a high-gain amp, but for a Fender should be just fine.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: New Tubes Day

Don't need to read the label, must be 803 based on the long plate. Will sound much better though. Could be potentially microphonic in a high-gain amp, but for a Fender should be just fine.

Oh, yeah... LOL Like I said, 1:47am. I posted that, turned off my monitor, and crawled into bed.

I haven't had a chance to swap them in, but I bought a few 803s last month to put into my Bugera 1960 in V1 and V3. At some point when I'm not injured (I sprained my ankle and I'm laying about a lot when I'm not at work) or tied up with everything else I'll swap the tubes and turn 'er up.

 

[dystrust]

Re: New Tubes Day

Why the hate for JJ's?

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IME they have a very distinctive sound that you either like or dislike. I tried a set of JJ 12AX7s in my Marshall Jubilee and it sounded like bland crap.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: New Tubes Day

IME they have a very distinctive sound that you either like or dislike. I tried a set of JJ 12AX7s in my Marshall Jubilee and it sounded like bland crap.

The ECC83S tubes are somewhat dark sounding. In a bright amp they have a lot of harmonic content but in an amp that's voiced on the darker end they'll just make it darker. I like them in blackface Fenders and post-'73 Marshall NMV amps and all the Marshall master volume amps, since they're inherently more aggressive in the treble.

The ECC803S is a whole different thing with more treble response and tons of harmonic content. They're long-plate tubes so they're more prone to having issues with being microphonic. Long-plate tubes tend not to do well in combo amps where they're hanging right behind the speaker.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: New Tubes Day

Why the hate for JJ's?

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Their short-plate preamp tubes muffle the treble and kill my tone.

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: New Tubes Day

three 83's and two 81's...the 81's go in third and sixth positions...reverb driver and PI. I don't use channel one so it just stays empty.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: New Tubes Day

three 83's and two 81's...the 81's go in third and sixth positions...reverb driver and PI. I don't use channel one so it just stays empty.

Completely removing those tubes does actually change the voltages in the rest of the amp since those positions aren't acting as a load on the PT. The voltages are a tad higher on the other channel and the power section. That'll give you more clean headroom overall and a tiny bit more output power.

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: New Tubes Day

Yeah, technically you can pull all the odd tubes and the amp will still run...you just won't get any reverb or tremolo...but who doesn't love to bathe in surf drenched chop while fingering your favorite woody? :dance:

 

[GilmourD]

Re: New Tubes Day

Yeah, technically you can pull all the odd tubes and the amp will still run...you just won't get any reverb or tremolo...but who doesn't love to bathe in surf drenched chop while fingering your favorite woody? :dance:

Well, yes, it'll run.

I did see something once about pulling the tubes out of one of the channels in a Fender amp to run EL34s because the missing preamp tubes free up enough heater current to allow for the additional current draw from the EL34s... But I never did the math to see if the PT would still survive that.