tubes advice

[gypsyblues73]

With just changing, say, the V2 tube in the pre-amp though, you don't need to re-bias, right? You only need to re-bias when changing the power-amp tubes, right?

[KKND]

Yes you are right...i got a call from the courier service, my tubes arrived...i will swap em tomorrow and let you guys know

[KKND]

Tube amps tend to "expose" a player compared to a SS amp. You can't hide behind it as well since tubes tend to accent things more clearly (for my lack of a better description). If that is the case, you will get use to it and it tends to make one a better player.

I completely agree with the harshness or grainy sound with the stock tubes. Swapping out the preamp tubes should help that a lot. I know it did for me. As for TungSols sounding darker, I dunno. Maybe there is something to that but I prefer a darker tone anyway. I can't put up with thin and/or fizzy tone. Maybe that's why I prefer the TungSols and just didn't know why.

After the total retube and bias adjustment, the final piece to the puzzle for me was to run an MXR 10 band EQ in the loop. Not only is it a great tool to emphasize the frequencies I like and minimize the ones I don't, it also makes a good make-shift "choke", per say. I can literally dime the power and all (but the clean) channel volumes and play at a level roughly equal to a light hitting drummer or so. If I need more volume or gain I can just raise the volume or gain slider on the EQ pedal to suit. The amp now roars like a big dog with that cranked tube sound at almost any level. I don't NEED any dirt pedals to push it more. It sounds very good as is. But I do sometimes use an OD for fun. I more frequently use a clean boost for leads.

Back on the OT: Retube + Bias + EQ in the loop = Bliss! I am happy with the amp now. Before it was more like.... "meh, it's OK I guess."

God bless you my MXR 10 band EQ is on its way as well, and my pre amp tubes are already here....i would love to re tube my power section, but no experience what so ever, i will eventually have to experiment with biasing my self, when the time is right i am sure i will get all the help i need from this awesome forum ....

On a side note, i started a thread for tubes, i guess its redundant now

[gypsyblues73]

Yeah, I posted on there too, trying to figure out what the V1/V2 deal was, and which ones I need to switch out, since I don't really care to change the clean sound, just OD1 and OD2. Not sure which ones to replace though, V1, or V2, or both, and will it also change the clean?

[gypsyblues73]

A couple of more questions: if I'm looking to replace the tubes for OD1/OD2 do I need to get a matched pair? And should I just leave the ECC82 alone since it's the phase inverter? Like, changing it wouldn't affect the tone anyway, right? Have you tried out your tubes KKND?

[KKND]

A couple of more questions: if I'm looking to replace the tubes for OD1/OD2 do I need to get a matched pair? And should I just leave the ECC82 alone since it's the phase inverter? Like, changing it wouldn't affect the tone anyway, right? Have you tried out your tubes KKND?

Sorry pal, been crazy busy....hopefully i will swap em tonight will let you know!

[KKND]

Okay, i finally had the time to swap the tubes, but i must warn you, there is nothing much i can say yet, only initial impressions....

So opened the back, wiggled the old tubes down, they were sovetek ECC83 in position 1 and 2 (V1 and V2?) and TAD ECC82 in position 3 (closest to power amp tubes) and slid in my new tubes, 2 ECC83S ( although i ordered ECC83 ) and ECC82 all from JJ

it was late, i had obligations and didn't have much time. the amp was in the middle of the empty room, with the back opened and guitar directly into amp....so its not my regular set up or amp location...just saying it might effect

turned the amp on, flipped the stand by switch, plugged my Epiphone and strummed a cord.....sparkly cleans quite nice actually, remeber i use to complain about the cleans and had to plug in a compressor to get the best out of it, but now its is actually great....

OD1, sounded more like a crunch now, it has character

OD2, still harsh but more gainy i believe i dialed in a rhythm metal tone that i liked but needed more time on eq, oh speaking of which i could turn up the bass past 12 now, but need to place the back cover, plug in my pedals and play more so i can finally decide...i will post detailed update in NEW STAGE 60 OWNER thread...hoping the eq pedal will be here soon but looks like delays due to bad weather in shipments

So yeah its different and somehow better, cant fully say until i spend more time....thanks

[gypsyblues73]

Awesome! At least you could tell the difference right off the bat, I was wondering how much of a difference it would make (since I'm new to all this), if it would be minuscule or no. Okay, that's it, I'm ordering a set of Tung-Sol's, EH's, and JJ's to try out in mine

[KKND]

just let me know what you think i will post a detailed update as promised

[gypsyblues73]

I FINALLY got my JJ's and put them in. I only got to play around on it for a little while tonight, but OD1 is much warmer-sounding and OD2 isn't nearly as harsh anymore. It still has a bit of that "grainy-ness" you mentioned, but I think that's just because it seems to have much more mids than OD1 due to it being mainly for a lead channel. I may try to scoop it a bit more with my EQ and see how that sounds since I use it as my main channel though. Overall, a big improvement, I'm very happy with the new tubes. I think I'm still going to order some Tung-Sols and EHX tubes and compare them all though.