sgguitarzz

May 9, 2013

Sorry about the lack of detail in my question. Right now I believe they are the original Ei chinese tubes. I play a 60's Gibson SG and Epi Les Paul through it. I play in a cover band that does a wide range of styles from early 60's , Beatles and pop stuff to country to Green Day but I get my distortion and effects out of a MFX Zoom G5. What I need is a good solid nice clean sound as my base. I hope this is more helpful. Thanks for your time.

May 7, 2013

Any suggestions for tubes for a Vox AC30C2? I bought it used about a year ago and it still has the original tubes in it so I was thinking maybe it may be time to replace/upgrade them. I love the amp so far.

July 15, 2007

Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated. I just tried it out and while it really sounds good I imagine with better tubes it will be at another level.

July 15, 2007

The Svet EL34's are not the new SED Winged C's. They are the old type. All the Sovteks are 7025/12AX7WA. I couldn't tell you the bias as I am not that knowledgeable in that area.

July 15, 2007

Myles -

I just picked up a Rivera R55. It has 2 Svetlana EL34's and 5 crappy Sovteks. I believe the Svetlanas were recently put in but I am sure I can do better than the Sovteks for V1-V5. Here is the layout:

V1 Input buffer and tone control driver for Channel 2, and also the first preamp stage of Channel 1

V2 Tone control follower for Channel 2 and an additional gain stage for Channel 1

V3 Final stages for both channels before the mixer stage

V4 Reverb follower and the mixer stage, provides gain to the reverb pan

V5 Phase inverter driver tube for the power amp section

Any recommendations? I play a wide variety of music from classic rock, blues to oldies and a little harder stuff here and there. I need a good clean, nice reverb and good OD/distortion and that is why I bought this amp because I have heard it can do all that. Thanks in advance for your help.

March 26, 2007

Myles -

I am hoping you can be of help. I have a Sunn T50C amp. It has 2 6L6's, 7 12 AX7's and 1 12AT7. I am looking to retube. I presently have JJ's. Lately the amp has lost some life to its sound and has gotten noisier. I was thinking of getting the SED Winged C's for the power tubes, the new Tung Sol 12AX7 for V1, the Mullard 4024 for the 12AT7. The rest I am not too sure. Also, Fender recommends biasing at 30mVDC. What would be your suggestions on the tubes and the biasing? Would there be any advantage to biasing any hotter and how far is safe? The amp has bias points on the outside so I can do it easily with a miultimeter. Thanks for your help.

Bias too hot and the amp sounds harsh. Bias too low and it is grainy and does not develop full power.

The real Svets are great tubes and the preamp tubes ... that is personal taste.

I prefer a Brimar or RFT in V1 over a Tung Sol reissue ... the TS is a bit thin for my tastes and they do not provide spec current output unless hand selected by a great tube vendor rather than a good one.

The RFT and Brimars can be found at www.kcanostubes.com and considering preamp tubes last decades (good ones) they are a bargain.

Thanks Myles. Any thoughts on KT66's vs 6L6's for this amp? Also, there are so many preamp tubes in this amp. Any idea as to the functions of each. I know (or think) V1 is for first gain stage channel 1, V5 is the reverb driver and V8 is the phase inverter. I am guessing V2 is for first gain stage channel 2. Not sure about V3, V4, V6 and V7.

March 25, 2007

Myles -

I am hoping you can be of help. I have a Sunn T50C amp. It has 2 6L6's, 7 12 AX7's and 1 12AT7. I am looking to retube. I presently have JJ's. Lately the amp has lost some life to its sound and has gotten noisier. I was thinking of getting the SED Winged C's for the power tubes, the new Tung Sol 12AX7 for V1, the Mullard 4024 for the 12AT7. The rest I am not too sure. Also, Fender recommends biasing at 30mVDC. What would be your suggestions on the tubes and the biasing? Would there be any advantage to biasing any hotter and how far is safe? The amp has bias points on the outside so I can do it easily with a miultimeter. Thanks for your help.

April 9, 2004

I was just curious what the difference was between the KT66HP's and 6L6's in general and if I were to get a set of KT66HP's what should the tubes be rated at (4,5,6, etc).

Also, I had the amp all set and sounding pretty nice. I put in some Svetlana 6L6's I had and biased them at 30mA. I then tried throwing in some Yellowjackets just to see how they would sound and something must have blown because the power tube trouble light stays lit red all the time now even with other power tubes in there and there is extremely low distorted output. Fender was no help so I took it in to a tech to check out. I guess sometimes a little knowledge can be dangerous . Hopefully it won't be too bad. I have no luck sometimes.

Originally posted by myles111:

Originally posted by sgguitarzz:
Thanks.
This sounds like the JJs are pretty weak.

I prefer GEs or KT66HPs in the amp at 30mA.

V1 I use a 12AX7C or the new 12AX7M, V2 a 12AY7 actually. Matched phase inverter too.

The JJ's are brand new. Maybe I should send them back if possible and exchange them for other power tubes. I just received the 12AX7M and will try it in V1. I also put in a balanced PI as well. I put in a Mullard CV4024 for the reverb driver. Definitely better than the GT 12AT7 that was there before.I put JJ's in V4,V6 and V7.

Thanks very much for the suggestions.[/QB]

You are more than welcome.[/QB]

April 8, 2004

Thanks.[/qb]

This sounds like the JJs are pretty weak.

I prefer GEs or KT66HPs in the amp at 30mA.

V1 I use a 12AX7C or the new 12AX7M, V2 a 12AY7 actually. Matched phase inverter too.[/QB]

The JJ's are brand new. Maybe I should send them back if possible and exchange them for other power tubes. I just received the 12AX7M and will try it in V1. I also put in a balanced PI as well. I put in a Mullard CV4024 for the reverb driver. Definitely better than the GT 12AT7 that was there before.I put JJ's in V4,V6 and V7.

Thanks very much for the suggestions.

April 7, 2004

I am not sure if you saw my question Myles so I will try again. I just picked up a Sunn T50C off of Ebay and it has all the original crappy stock Sovteks. Any recommendations for tubes in these amps. I know there are some similarities between these and the Fender Pro Reverb Tubes series. It has a nice clean but the OD channel is very gainy. I think this amp has alot of potential with a few changes. I was also thinking of changing out the Celestion speaker to a Reverend Alltone 1250 which might be a little smoother. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Also, I just put in a pair of JJ 6L6GC's and cannot adjust the bias above 24mVDC. The Sovteks were running at 41mVDC. The Sunn manual says to set the bias for 30mVDC. There are bias and balance controls on the back of the amp. I bought a Craftsman multimeter and this is the first time I have tried this. Seems pretty simple. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Thanks.

April 6, 2004

In the short time I have fooled with it this speaker is kind of harsh and brittle sounding. I need a warmer more versatile speaker as I play a wide variety of music and not just raunchy rock.

April 5, 2004

Thanks for the info. I planned on changing the V1 to a 5751. These are always nice in V1. The speaker is a Celestion G12T-75.

April 5, 2004

Hey Myles, I just picked up a Sunn T50C off of Ebay and it has all the original crappy stock Sovteks. Any recommendations for tubes in these amps. I know there are some similarities between these and the Fender Pro Reverb Tubes series. It has a nice clean but the OD channel is very gainy. I think this amp has alot of potential with a few changes. I was also thinking of changing out the Celestion speaker to a Reverend Alltone 1250 which might be a little smoother. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

March 5, 2004

Just to clarify it was the heater filament running a whitish color and not the metal plates.

March 5, 2004

Thank you Myles. I will get someone to check this for me as I do not have the tools nor do I know how to do this myself. I have taken out the Tung Sols and put back the JJ's for now. I need to get a bias tool and learn.

March 5, 2004

I just put in a pair of Tung Sol 5881's. They run very hot and glow almost white in color. The JJ's I had in previously run a nice orangey color and do not seem to run as hot. Is there any problem with the tube running like this?

February 24, 2004

Hey Myles. I was thinking of trying of trying the GT 6L6 GE's in my Ampeg Reverberocket reissue. They will be replacing the JJ's I have in their now which are pretty nice as well. I am not sure of the exact hardness rating of the JJ's but was thinking of ordering something like a 6 as I need decent cleans and reasonable headroom. What do you think? Thanks.

February 15, 2004

Myles -

Hi. About a year ago you gave me some recommendations for my Ampeg Reverberocket reissue (R212R). I went with some of your recommendations and the amp sounds very good. This is the best sounding $400 amp out there . I was wondering if you could give me some updated recommendations for tubes. The amp has 3 preamp tubes and 2 6L6 power tubes. Thanks.

Dennis

February 7, 2003

Myles -

I received the Ampeg Reverberocket R212 I told you about and ordered all of the tubes you recommended (except the RCA 12AX7 NOS for V1- KCA had the same tube in a ANOS for a lot less so I took a shot). I have received some of the tubes so far and want to put them in. I just want to check with you about the tubes slots. Is V1 on this amp, looking from the back, the slot furthest to the right and V3 the tube closest to the power tubes? The amp came with all Sovteks which I assume were the original tubes. Doesn't sound too bad and I hope the new tubes will be even better. My KCA order arrived but I am waiting on my GT order (I ordered them both at the same time - tell your guys to get with it :-) ). Thanks.

January 29, 2003

sgguitarzz ........

Of the current EL-84's, the JJ's are the best made today.

If you want a dynamically matched set of these rather than a statically matched set, they are at:

http://www.groovetubes.com/product.cfm?Product_ID=1216

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Hey Myles, I checked out the link but there were different rating systems for the EL-84 tubes (1-2, 4-6, etc). Which should I pick and what is the difference. Also, all the other tubes you recommended were from VTV. I saw some of the same tubes at KCA for less. Is there any difference? Thanks.

Hi Myles. I was hoping you could help me with my question above on the difference in the numerical ratings on these tubes and which would be best to use with Yellowjackets in an Ampeg Reverberocket reissue. Thanks.

January 27, 2003

sgguitarzz ........

Of the current EL-84's, the JJ's are the best made today.

If you want a dynamically matched set of these rather than a statically matched set, they are at:

http://www.groovetubes.com/product.cfm?Product_ID=1216

Hey Myles, I checked out the link but there were different rating systems for the EL-84 tubes (1-2, 4-6, etc). Which should I pick and what is the difference. Also, all the other tubes you recommended were from VTV. I saw some of the same tubes at KCA for less. Is there any difference? Thanks.

January 25, 2003

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sgguitarzz ....

First off, great amps. The originals or the reissues.

These are loud amps, very strong. Get rid of the stock preamp tubes in V1 at the least, and go for a good tube there. Bob at Eurotubes is a super guy, and I send a lot of my clients to him, but he is a JJ dealer, and the JJ ECC83 or 12AX7 is not the best choice in your amp, and the 6L6S is way to mid-range pushed.

The THD yellow jackets would work great in this amp, and tone it down so you could play smaller venues and make studio mics happier.

If this were my amp:

V1 -

I'd call Charlie Kittleson at Vacuum Tube Valley and see if he has any of these left in stock. He is at www.vacuumtube.com

From his website: RCA 12AX7 NOS 1950s-60s NIB For excellent tone and reliability in guitar amps, the RCA 12AX7 is awesome. These are tested for extremely low noise and balanced sections. Very hard to find now and these are in original boxes. $85 each

These may seem pricy, but they will last over 20,000 hours easy, and sound better each and every hour.

This is also a great tube from VTV in that amp - RCA 7025/12AX7 NOS 1960s The tube originally used in Black Face Fenders and other guitar amps in the 1960s. Low noise and low microphonic 12AX7 type. Excellent tone and reliability. One of the very best for guitar amps or hifi applications calling for a sweet-sounding and quiet 12AX7. Super selected Platinum low noise. $75 each

(these are both very quiet, and in the reissue with the board layout, drop the background noise a lot).

V2 - also from VTV -
JAN/Philips 12AX7WA A great sounding audio and guitar tube for a bargain price. These tubes are well made and have a smooth, musical sound. Don't wait too long, these are disappearing fast! $25.00 each

V3 - the phase inverter / driver. I also use MPI's, and have written a ton on this subject (some of it on my website still). To keep the same gain structure as stock: http://www.groovetubes.com/product.cfm?Product_ID=1723 If you want less gain, more clean headroom, and more clarity, then the AT7 version at http://www.groovetubes.com/product.cfm?Product_ID=1722

These MPI's are matched on a curve tracer, more involved than a current match or static idle match. They are swept from 0-250 plate volts for their risetime component data to match.

Output tubes -

If you have a TON of money - from VTV - RCA/Tung Sol 5881 1960s-70s Actually a Tung-Sol with an RCA label and box. The ultimate for Fender tweed amps and other vintage amps as well as original equipment in many 1950s tube hi-fi amps. $75 each or $200 matched pairs

(magic in your amp) Very long life.

For less but great for 6L6's too - GE 5881 1960s NOS Excellent for guitar amps, especially Tweed and boutique amps. Sweet, rich and punchy for awesome tone. $125/matched pair

For new 6L6's but still not cheap, our own USA 6L6GE - http://www.groovetubes.com/product.cfm?Product_ID=1713 -- lots of happy folks at NAMM on this tube. Some reviews and production shots (bad ones I did) are from the links at the bottom of the website.

Hope this helped some.

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Thanks for the great info. I am happy you like the amp as that makes me more confident I made the right decision. I got it for $400 + shipping so I think I got a good deal. I am not sure I can do all you recommended right away but I will try. I do think I will try the YJ as I like that sound, it will be better in the small places we play, and I will not have to worry about biasing (right?).
I have JJ EL-84's for the YJ now. I know they make good EL-84's so maybe I can use what I have or get new ones from Bob at Eurotubes or do you have a better suggestion?
I really do appreciate your help. Thank you.

January 24, 2003

Myles -

I finally made my decision and had the winning bid on an Ampeg Reverberocket reissue with 2 12" speakers, 2x 6L6 and 3 12AX7's. I hope I made a good choice.

I figure I will need to change the tubes to a new set. I was wondering if you had some recommendations. I might also consider trying the yellowjackets I have after I hear how it sounds with the regular tubes (I like the EL-84's). Finally, I was also thinking of calling Bob at Eurotubes who I have dealt with before and has excellent service, prices and tubes. WHat do you think?

January 21, 2003

My quest for a good, reasonably priced amp continues. In addition to the Sunn T50C and Reverend Hellhound I am also now looking into the Ampeg Reverborocket. I prefer the 2x12 model if I can find one. I remember the old models sounding great and have read nice things on the reissues. I have always felt that Ampeg was such an underrated amp. I have never heard a bad sounding Ampeg. Great clean tones and reverb.
I am curious as to your comments on these and what tubes would work best. Thanks.
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sgguitarzz ........

The reason Ampegs were un-rated for the most part, as Fender was sort of the "Chevy" of amps in the "old days" and Ampegs were more pricy, so less of them were out there. Musicians even back then did not have a lot of spare cash

But .... they were not just more money, they were more expensively built. The "classic" Fender reverb sound ... listen to most Ampeg reverbs ... even nicer.

Tube choices can be more limited as many of the Ampeg amps used 7027,s 7591's, 6146's etc. When you get the amp, call me, we can talk about some ideas based on your playing tastes and style.

Anyway, this was my original question and your response. Sorry for the mixups.

January 21, 2003

sgguitarzz ........

I hope this comes out right. This was your response to me. I was really thinking of one of the reissue Reverborockets because i am concerned one of the old models would not stand up to regular gigging. Am I wrong? Also, what is the power of the old models? Thanks again.

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