There is a lot of confusion. Here is an example of the confusion on one typical forum. We all know as valves get older they get duller sounding. The amp looses its attack and the high frequencies start to turn mushy.
Ever wondered why valves tubes this happens? Ok, so just bear with me and read this physics bit. There is no exam at the end! It is worth knowing so read on.. A valve works with electrons passing through a vacuum The anode has a high positive volts and attracts the electrons. This creates the current going through the valve. But where do the electrons come from?
There is a heater inside the valve. That lovely orange glow that you see. It heats up a metal plate called the cathode. It gets it really hot. The cathode is coated in a special material which gives off electrons when it is heated. Keep in mind that there is a fixed amount of this special coating on the cathode so there is limit to how many electrons it can produce over the lifetime of the valve. As the valve ages, fewer and fewer electrons are given off.
This is called the valve or tube emission dropping. I was thinking about changing the stock tubes in my Tubemeister What preamp 12ax7 tubes would fit best in my amp? I am a versatile player but i usually lean to the clean side. Im looking for more headroom to help me with my live gigs when I perform in smaller venues and when I dont have the luck of having a PA system.
Hi Dominik. After all, tone is purely personal. However, if you want the amp to stay clean longer, they could be right up your street! Great info! Could you help me a bit? My 6-month-old Tubemeister deluxe 40 is acting out.
It makes a similar sound to a broken potentiometer but it makes it all the time. So the problem is in the amp. I read somewhere that it could be because of the tubes. What should I do? Will it go under warranty? Various brands available. I have an old Fisher.
When I got it the right tube was missing. Should I replace them as a match set? Hi Lenny. Thanks for the great article on tube lifespans. Thanks again. Interesting about the tube choices. We do know a lot of guys who have changed the tubes out, and JJs are a popular choice. We also had to think about cost when choosing components, of course. In this situation, the best thing you can do is actually go to a tech, and have them show you the different types available.
That way, you get to hear the differences in person because only you can decide what sounds good to your ears! This a great article. It does show there is an awful lot of snake oil talked about valves on forums. Just to confirm, if you did want to change the valves on a TM 18 for a different voicing, you could do this yourself, because the TSC module re biases them, or would you recommend a tech?
Hi Craig, and thanks for the kind words! One key reason for this is that as soon as you open up the amp, the warranty is voided. Hi, my name is Patrick. I have a tm 18 head and wanted to switch the preamp tubes but cannot find an answer anywhere online on where the v1 and v2 tube is located at. Is the v1 more toward the power on and stand by switch, or is the v1 closest to the imput jack? Thank you.
Hi Patrick — V1 is the one on the right hand side as you look at the amp from front on. Hi Alejandro. Hmm, how many flashes did you get? Will you please let me know if you know of any such studies that have been conducted?
Thanks for the article. It was very informative. Hi Jeffrey, and thanks for your question and kind words on the article. Hi Rich. Hmm, getting into the combos is simple in theory — just unscrew the back panel and take it off.
Hi good article. Just one question though. Cheers Ian. Hi Ian, and thanks for the kind words! By contrast, preamp tubes do not need biasing. I changed the tubes of my Grandmeister for 2 pairs of Sovtek El And after one year and a half of use I was playing, heard a weird sound and saw a light in the amp. I checked the TSC and I had the first tube to be replaced. I wonder what could have happened…. In the first instalment of a new column, Rift Amps mainman Chris Fantana dispenses expert advice on all things amplification.
Kicking things off is a question relating to those oft-misunderstood glass bottles we hold so dear. It should be straightforward, but in reality, it rarely is. Any discolouration of the screen printing indicates that the valve has been running hot and may need replacing. Gently remove the valve from its socket and give it a little shake.
Can you hear a rattle? This too might indicate a worn valve. Some amplifiers require the bias to be checked and adjusted when replacing the power valves. Your local tech will be able to advise if this is needed and carry out the work for a small fee. OTOH, I've seen amps that were 40 years old that are still running the same set of tubes that they came with, and that still sound great. It all comes down to the specifics As Phil pointed out, tubes will be your biggest issue.
Playing in your house for 20 minutes a day, you may never need to change the tubes. I have a 25 year old Peavey Classic 50 2x12 that I bought new in I've changed the tubes twice. I do 30 gigs a year plus rehearsals, jams, recording, etc. Current tubes JJ's have been in there for 6 years. I have a couple of spare tubes with me at all times and can change one in 5 minutes if I need to. They recommend changing the tubes when they fail. I don't know what's right or wrong here, but I've been following Peavey's advice with no issues.
I recall that once, when I was gigging a lot with a Twin Reverb, I changed the entire set of tubes after the third night of a six night club gig. Because of the cost of the tubes, I had been putting the purchase off for a while so the old tubes had been in there for a while - although the amplifier still worked well with the occasional fist bump.
Everything else being equal on night four, the change in the Twin was so drastic it felt like my guitar strings were made out of different material. The thing about tubes and the associated gradual decline in performance is that we don't notice the degradation in tone until it is quite far gone. When I made the switch to a Yamaha modelling amplifier one of the major things I noticed was the consistency in the quality of the sound.
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