Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

[mwalluk]

Do I still need to have the amp biased or can I just plug in and play?

 

[CTN]

Re: Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

plug n play with tubes rated for mesa specs (or with mesa tubes).

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

Mesa characterizes all tubes with a number. Do the replacement tubes have to have the same number as the tubes that were in the amp originally, or can any matched set be used?

 

[mwalluk]

Re: Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

I bought mine used, so it came with groove tubes and not mesa tubes

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

As I wrote in another of your threads regarding this amp: buy at the tubestore and tell them the tubes you buy are to be used in a rectoverb... They'll send you tubes that work in there and you won't need to get the amp biased.

Mesa's fixed bias means that in order to bias for tubes that aren't suited for the amp, you have to change a resistor to get the voltage where it needs to be.
Much simpler to either buy mesa tubes or buy from someone who will send you tubes that work with the amp...

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

Go to Mesa's site and find the manual for your amp. They explain everything very clearly.

In one sentence: buy the Mesa tubes that your amp requires and you're 100% good.

 

[Toe-Knee]

Re: Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

Its a pain in the arse that lets valve resellers mark things up.

But yeah buy mesa valves or pay additional fees to use regular valves and you are good to go.

My method is to add £3 worth of parts and use whatever at normal prices.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

Go to Mesa's site and find the manual for your amp. They explain everything very clearly.

In one sentence: buy the Mesa tubes that your amp requires and you're 100% good.

Mesa amps don't require Mesa tubes.

Its a pain in the arse that lets valve resellers mark things up.

But yeah buy mesa valves or pay additional fees to use regular valves and you are good to go.

My method is to add £3 worth of parts and use whatever at normal prices.

The Tube Store didn't charge me any extra fees for selecting the Svetlana EL-34s that now reside in my Mesa.

 

[Toe-Knee]

Re: Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

Mesa amps don't require Mesa tubes.



The Tube Store didn't charge me any extra fees for selecting the Svetlana EL-34s that now reside in my Mesa.

That's because you don't live in the crappy uk.

Most places here have a £20 upcharge.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

Mesa amps don't require Mesa tubes.

No, but they do require tubes that test within Mesa tolerances. The easiest way to be sure of that is to buy Mesa tubes. I don't replace tubes enough for the mark-up to bother me at all, and they're very good tubes.

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Re: Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

I just use Mesa tubes in my 5:50 express and never had to bias. If your amp came with a manual there should be a section on it

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Teach me about Mesa Fixed Bias

That's because you don't live in the crappy uk.

Most places here have a £20 upcharge.

Ouch, that sucks.

No, but they do require tubes that test within Mesa tolerances. The easiest way to be sure of that is to buy Mesa tubes. I don't replace tubes enough for the mark-up to bother me at all, and they're very good tubes.

Yep, and I don't blame you. I just like to have options. Fortunately there are several vendors here in the US that make it easy to get exactly what a guy wants.