Feel free to ask Myles

[Jamesian]

Myles,

 

Thanks for your reply to my Boogie power-tube

question. One more question about this Mark3 amp.

It is a 3-channel amp; Clean,Crunch, and Lead. Is V1 active in all 3 channels or do the Crunch and Lead channels have a different 1st gain stage? Thanks Jim.

[KARL FISHER]

Myles, I posted to see if anyone knows anything about a RHYTHMLINE six string electric guitar. Could you check my post and possibly help me out? Thanks again, Karl Fisher (skynfan).

[Blue Note]

Myles,

 

I ordered a quartet of the GT-KT66HP's and duet of the coke bottle Chinese 6L6's to try in some of my Fender amps. You said to make sure the 5751's I got from Tube World were not new, the box says "JAN 5751" on the end and on the side it says "Date packed 9-80" the tube itself has green writing "Jan 5751 Sylvania USA 34167", I hope these are not considered new type.

 

I also wanted to ask about the matched 12AT7's I got from Tube World the box is labeled "Brimar NOS 1950's A", and the tube is written in red "BRIMAR MADE IN ENGLAND 12AT7" it also has small print in white "1L5/565". Are these quality tubes I have never heard of Brimar?

 

I have read about another mod for Fender amps to increase distortion by increasing the value of the feedback loop resistor. Do you recommend this mod for Blues and the KT-66HP's?

 

Thanks for your help.

[sgguitarzz]

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.

[DanYmaL X]

Originally posted by myles111:

Originally posted by danymal_x:

Myles:

I heard a rumor about Acoustic being back in business... have you heard anything to that effect, or was the person who told me that maybe thinking of Acoustic Image? I'd really like to find some more information about my B-3 head. I have been unable to locate any specs or technical data on it. I have found several identical or similar amps on eBay, but no-one seems to have ant specs...

 

Danymal

Danymal ........

 

I do not know if this is true, but will probably know more after the NAMM show.

Just checking if you heard anything... I desperately need to find some info on my amp, as it has been acting very odd lately... is it common for an amp to suddenly only work when there is something hooked through the effects loop? All of a sudden last thursday it just stopped working, and while messing around with things I found that while I was using my FX chain (Zoom 506II and a Crybaby) through the loop it would work fine, but when I tried it with the FX chain out it would do nothing... powers on, and the speaker pops when turned off, but other than that its dead. I tried a 12" jumper to bypass the loop and that works as well...

DX

[Dylan]

I just purchased a Crate VC2110 tube amp for $157.00 on e-bay. I guess this amp is Class A, 15 watts, has a single 10 inch speaker, and has 2 EL84 and 2 12AX7 tubes. I am not expecting any 'holy grail' tone but I figured it would be a welcome addition to my amp collection. It will certainly be nice to around for when my Fender Evil Twin is too much. Myles, can you recommend a good tube upgrade for this amp? Also, I plan on adding some type of extension cabinet in the future provided that I like the tone of the amp. Thanks!

 

-Dylan

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by Jamesian:

Myles,

 

Thanks for your reply to my Boogie power-tube

question. One more question about this Mark3 amp.

It is a 3-channel amp; Clean,Crunch, and Lead. Is V1 active in all 3 channels or do the Crunch and Lead channels have a different 1st gain stage? Thanks Jim.

Jamesian ( Jim )

 

V1 is used in every aspect of your amp, the first gain stage.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by KARL FISHER:

Myles, I posted to see if anyone knows anything about a RHYTHMLINE six string electric guitar. Could you check my post and possibly help me out? Thanks again, Karl Fisher (skynfan).

Karl,

 

I know nothing about this guitar. I think a new post on this alone, may get you some feedback

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by Blue Note:

Myles,

 

I ordered a quartet of the GT-KT66HP's and duet of the coke bottle Chinese 6L6's to try in some of my Fender amps. You said to make sure the 5751's I got from Tube World were not new, the box says "JAN 5751" on the end and on the side it says "Date packed 9-80" the tube itself has green writing "Jan 5751 Sylvania USA 34167", I hope these are not considered new type.

 

I also wanted to ask about the matched 12AT7's I got from Tube World the box is labeled "Brimar NOS 1950's A", and the tube is written in red "BRIMAR MADE IN ENGLAND 12AT7" it also has small print in white "1L5/565". Are these quality tubes I have never heard of Brimar?

 

I have read about another mod for Fender amps to increase distortion by increasing the value of the feedback loop resistor. Do you recommend this mod for Blues and the KT-66HP's?

 

Thanks for your help.

Blue Note ....

 

The JAN 5751's are what you want. They are great.

The "new" ones are the ones made in Russia by folks like Reflector (Sovtek and EH).

 

Brimar are fantastic tubes of very high quality and they last forever. You got lucky with these if they were not too pricy.

 

I dislike the feedback mod very very very much.

 

The HP's work super in your amp with no mod at all, so play them a while in your stock amp first, I think you will be very happy.

[iceberg]

Hey Myles, I finally got my pre-amp tubes situated and I'm lovin' it!

 

Anyway, I'm now thinking about changing out the stock Blue Marvel speaker in my Peavey Classic 30. I play a lot of blues(clean and dirty), rock, hard rock, and some pop, etc. Basically something versatile.

 

What speaker would you recommend me?? I'm not looking to pay a fortune for a speaker either.

 

Thanks,

Kevin

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by sgguitarzz:

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.

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.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by danymal_x:

Originally posted by myles111:

Originally posted by danymal_x:

Myles:

I heard a rumor about Acoustic being back in business... have you heard anything to that effect, or was the person who told me that maybe thinking of Acoustic Image? I'd really like to find some more information about my B-3 head. I have been unable to locate any specs or technical data on it. I have found several identical or similar amps on eBay, but no-one seems to have ant specs...

 

Danymal

Danymal ........

 

I do not know if this is true, but will probably know more after the NAMM show.

Just checking if you heard anything... I desperately need to find some info on my amp, as it has been acting very odd lately... is it common for an amp to suddenly only work when there is something hooked through the effects loop? All of a sudden last thursday it just stopped working, and while messing around with things I found that while I was using my FX chain (Zoom 506II and a Crybaby) through the loop it would work fine, but when I tried it with the FX chain out it would do nothing... powers on, and the speaker pops when turned off, but other than that its dead. I tried a 12" jumper to bypass the loop and that works as well...

DX

DX ....

 

I still don't have anything, give me a week .... we just wrapped up NAMM and are now unpacking back at home.

[ManInTheBox]

Myles, what would cause a power tube to burn out prematurely. In the past seven months, I have had to swap power tubes on my BlueVoodoo 6212. both times, the power tube on the right side of the cab(facing the back if it makes a difference) was bad. The manual said to use MesaBoogie matched sets, and I always have (I think that is because of the auto bias feature). but anyway, any ideas?

[soulman]

Hi Miles,

 

It is time for me to retube my Fender DeVille and was hoping you could point me in the right direction. At present, I have Svetlana 6L6GC which I have been OK but one died after only about 4 months of only moderate playing. How do Groove Tubes rate compared to the Svetlana's? I want something that I can find relatively easy. I play mostly rock, blues, and some alternative country. I also would like to get this amp to overdrive a little easier as it is powerful and I really don't turn it up past 3 or 4, which doesn't get me there. I prefer the bright tone of a blackface and have 7024 ( I think) in V1. Also, have you had the chance to check out the Reverend Hellound 40/60? I am actually considering getting one because the DeVille is so heavy. Hey, thanks for all your help. You deserve some sort of medal or something.

[sgguitarzz]

Thanks Myles. I actually was more interested in one of the reissues than one of the old 60's models because I want to use it for gigging and do not know if such an old amp, even one seemingly in good condition, can really be relied upon. Am I wrong?

[sgguitarzz]

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.

[sgguitarzz]

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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by Dr. Flaven:

I just purchased a Crate VC2110 tube amp for $157.00 on e-bay. I guess this amp is Class A, 15 watts, has a single 10 inch speaker, and has 2 EL84 and 2 12AX7 tubes. I am not expecting any 'holy grail' tone but I figured it would be a welcome addition to my amp collection. It will certainly be nice to around for when my Fender Evil Twin is too much. Myles, can you recommend a good tube upgrade for this amp? Also, I plan on adding some type of extension cabinet in the future provided that I like the tone of the amp. Thanks!

 

-Dylan

Dylan,

 

I use 2 12AX7C9's and a duet of EL-84S in a #5 rating personally.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by iceberg:

Hey Myles, I finally got my pre-amp tubes situated and I'm lovin' it!

 

Anyway, I'm now thinking about changing out the stock Blue Marvel speaker in my Peavey Classic 30. I play a lot of blues(clean and dirty), rock, hard rock, and some pop, etc. Basically something versatile.

 

What speaker would you recommend me?? I'm not looking to pay a fortune for a speaker either.

 

Thanks,

Kevin

Kevin,

 

I like a Jensen C12N or Celestion V30 in the Classic 30's a lot, but speakers are really a personal preference deal for the most part.

 

Classic 30's are pretty cool amps, and I even like the stock speakers. The main change I make to them are 12AX7C's in V1 and EL-84S's in a #5 rating for the output tubes. That alone give a pretty big change. I also like V1 with an ECC83S if you want more of the Vox AC-30 sort of sound.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by tundrkys:

Myles, what would cause a power tube to burn out prematurely. In the past seven months, I have had to swap power tubes on my BlueVoodoo 6212. both times, the power tube on the right side of the cab(facing the back if it makes a difference) was bad. The manual said to use MesaBoogie matched sets, and I always have (I think that is because of the auto bias feature). but anyway, any ideas?

tundrkys ....

 

If this has happend in the same tube position, you may have a screen resistor bad or out of spec. Get a bias tool and let me know your idle dissapation on each tube position in milliamps. That is about all I can suggest without seeing the amp on a bench as a first step.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by soulman:

Hi Miles,

 

It is time for me to retube my Fender DeVille and was hoping you could point me in the right direction. At present, I have Svetlana 6L6GC which I have been OK but one died after only about 4 months of only moderate playing. How do Groove Tubes rate compared to the Svetlana's? I want something that I can find relatively easy. I play mostly rock, blues, and some alternative country. I also would like to get this amp to overdrive a little easier as it is powerful and I really don't turn it up past 3 or 4, which doesn't get me there. I prefer the bright tone of a blackface and have 7024 ( I think) in V1. Also, have you had the chance to check out the Reverend Hellound 40/60? I am actually considering getting one because the DeVille is so heavy. Hey, thanks for all your help. You deserve some sort of medal or something.

soulman ....

 

The current Svets (2002 - 2003) are low in vacuum and prone to low power and very short life.

 

The GT 6L6R2 is the GT Svetlana, and at least these are tested for low vacuum annd other factors: http://www.groovetubes.com/tubes.cfm explains a bit on this.

 

I use the GE's currently, for most 6L6 applications. These are the http://www.groovetubes.com/product.cfm?Product_ID=1713 and are reviewed in the Feb 03 Guitar Player issue.

 

The tube in V1 is probably a 7025, a long plate member of the 12AX7 family. It is a very bright tube.

 

On the Hellhound, I have talked about this in many other posts in here.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by sgguitarzz:

Thanks Myles. I actually was more interested in one of the reissues than one of the old 60's models because I want to use it for gigging and do not know if such an old amp, even one seemingly in good condition, can really be relied upon. Am I wrong?

sgguitarzz .........

 

Nope ... you are right. The new Ampeg reissues are really nicely done. Their B-15 is also just killer.

 

The reissues will work great, and be more reliable than most vintage amps that have been trashed a bit.

[snoz65]

Hi Miles,

I have been doing the rounds looking for a pair of 6L6's for my Marshall 30th aniversary. I like the Svetlana's that I have in there currently but after a couple of years they are sounding a bit thin.

I have found some NOS Philips 7581's that are apparently equivalent to 6L6's. I have not heard of 7581's before and I understand that they are a more rugged version of the 6L6 with a higher plate dissipation of 35 Watts. Apparently similar to a KT66.

The fellow in the store told me that they do not need to be matched since they are NOS and made to a high tollerance so they should all have the same rating! Does this ring true to you?

My second question to you is, are these a good tube in comparison to the Svet's?

Thanks in advance and for other replies in the past.

Shaun.

[pancho]

Hi Myles.Well I bought my first guitar few weeks ago and I bought Fender Frontman 15R amp,so I'm asking your opinion bout the amp.Thanks

[soundoholic]

Hi. Help. I play the bass. I'm looking at getting a new gk amp and cabinet. How many watts do I need to power so many rms cabinet handiling?

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by snoz65:

Hi Miles,

I have been doing the rounds looking for a pair of 6L6's for my Marshall 30th aniversary. I like the Svetlana's that I have in there currently but after a couple of years they are sounding a bit thin.

I have found some NOS Philips 7581's that are apparently equivalent to 6L6's. I have not heard of 7581's before and I understand that they are a more rugged version of the 6L6 with a higher plate dissipation of 35 Watts. Apparently similar to a KT66.

The fellow in the store told me that they do not need to be matched since they are NOS and made to a high tollerance so they should all have the same rating! Does this ring true to you?

My second question to you is, are these a good tube in comparison to the Svet's?

Thanks in advance and for other replies in the past.

Shaun.

Shaun,

 

A few things ....

 

The 7581 is similar to a 6L6, but in many amps it will cause problems due to screen resistors not being of a correct value. They are nothing at all like a KT-66, the curves are very different.

 

Current Svetlana's (made anytime in 2002, 2003, are low in vacuum, and are showing a very low service life, prone to premature failure, and the bias should be checked after only 10 hours of use. The GT version of this tube is the GT-6L6R2, and they are checked for low vacuum. If you buy Svet 6L6's make sure you know and trust your vendor. There is a popular internet tube vendor that has some pretty awful examples of these.

 

NOS tubes DO need to me matched. They were closer than today's tubes, but over the years of handling, I have found that in regard to power tubes, they are even more inconsistent than new made power tubes with less travel time on them. A lot of NOS folks with a limited supply, group tubes that are far from being matched into what they term as matched sets, as single tubes do not do a lot of folks much good, unless you own something like a THD Univalve or GT Solo Single type of amp.

 

Most any 6L6 is much better than the current production runs of the Svetlana 6L6. Hopefully this will change, as it seems to every now and then from that particular factory.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by pancho:

Hi Myles.Well I bought my first guitar few weeks ago and I bought Fender Frontman 15R amp,so I'm asking your opinion bout the amp.Thanks

pancho ....

 

It's a fun little amp that is easy to carry around. It has more features than any amps had back when I was just starting out, for sure! When you get ready to move up to bigger or more expensive amps, don't sell it .... they are fun and easy, and low in upkeep.

 

They are very cost effective, nice features, and well made in their target market range.

 

Fender in general, gives the consumer, a lot of watts/features per dollar.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by soundoholic:

Hi. Help. I play the bass. I'm looking at getting a new gk amp and cabinet. How many watts do I need to power so many rms cabinet handiling?

You did not give me nearly enough basic information here to start to answer this.

 

Size Venue?

 

In any case .... match your amp to the cab rating for a start.

[snoz65]

Originally posted by myles111:

Shaun,

 

A few things ....

 

The 7581 is similar to a 6L6, but in many amps it will cause problems due to screen resistors not being of a correct value. They are nothing at all like a KT-66, the curves are very different.

 

Current Svetlana's (made anytime in 2002, 2003, are low in vacuum, and are showing a very low service life, prone to premature failure, and the bias should be checked after only 10 hours of use. The GT version of this tube is the GT-6L6R2, and they are checked for low vacuum. If you buy Svet 6L6's make sure you know and trust your vendor. There is a popular internet tube vendor that has some pretty awful examples of these.

 

NOS tubes DO need to me matched. They were closer than today's tubes, but over the years of handling, I have found that in regard to power tubes, they are even more inconsistent than new made power tubes with less travel time on them. A lot of NOS folks with a limited supply, group tubes that are far from being matched into what they term as matched sets, as single tubes do not do a lot of folks much good, unless you own something like a THD Univalve or GT Solo Single type of amp.

 

Most any 6L6 is much better than the current production runs of the Svetlana 6L6. Hopefully this will change, as it seems to every now and then from that particular factory.[/QB]

 

Thanks Miles, That's very dissapointing about the Svet's. They have done me well in the past to last as long as they have with a fairly hot bias. I don't think I trust this vendor that much, he is ordering in some more 6L6's in for me and hopefully they will be in today as I want to retube and use the amp tonight. I'll see what he gets in.

Cheers,

Shaun.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by snoz65:

Originally posted by myles111:

Shaun,

 

A few things ....

 

The 7581 is similar to a 6L6, but in many amps it will cause problems due to screen resistors not being of a correct value. They are nothing at all like a KT-66, the curves are very different.

 

Current Svetlana's (made anytime in 2002, 2003, are low in vacuum, and are showing a very low service life, prone to premature failure, and the bias should be checked after only 10 hours of use. The GT version of this tube is the GT-6L6R2, and they are checked for low vacuum. If you buy Svet 6L6's make sure you know and trust your vendor. There is a popular internet tube vendor that has some pretty awful examples of these.

 

NOS tubes DO need to me matched. They were closer than today's tubes, but over the years of handling, I have found that in regard to power tubes, they are even more inconsistent than new made power tubes with less travel time on them. A lot of NOS folks with a limited supply, group tubes that are far from being matched into what they term as matched sets, as single tubes do not do a lot of folks much good, unless you own something like a THD Univalve or GT Solo Single type of amp.

 

Most any 6L6 is much better than the current production runs of the Svetlana 6L6. Hopefully this will change, as it seems to every now and then from that particular factory.

Thanks Miles, That's very dissapointing about the Svet's. They have done me well in the past to last as long as they have with a fairly hot bias. I don't think I trust this vendor that much, he is ordering in some more 6L6's in for me and hopefully they will be in today as I want to retube and use the amp tonight. I'll see what he gets in.

Cheers,

Shaun.[/QB]

 

Shaun,

 

It is sort of depressing on the current Svetlana situation. This happens every few years when they go through what they call a "reorg". Their EL-34's are worse than the 6L6's, and their new 12AX7 has a 90%+ reject rate at GT, so they are one of the few 12AX7 tubes that GT will not even carry, even though they carry the power tubes. At least on the power tubes, you can find the low vacuum, grid leakage, and gas leakage tubes and toss those and still end up with 50% decent ones.

 

If you are ever in my area, feel free to bring in any tubes from your vendor that you may or may not trust, or just frankly do not know about. As long as it is only 1/2 a dozen tubes or so, I will be more than happy to trace them and spec them for you, so at least you will know for sure what you have, and learn whether your vendor is a good one or a bad one.