6gun
New member
any suggestions?
thanks.
thanks.
bongolation
New member
Yeah, don't go crazy with this. I wouldn't replace them if they tested OK. I firmly believe people grossly overestimate the effects of tube changes between good tubes, most of the time. I have a bunch of tubes and I couldn't tell the differences between them in A/B blindfold tests in most cases. Some, yeah, but not most.6gun said:
If these are shot, I'd say replace with JJs. They're about the best tube for the buck for this amp and are short-plate, which you want in a combo amp. I've done a bunch of switching between JJs and Sovteks and don't see a great deal of difference at the volumes I use, but JJs are about the same price and have a better rep, earned or unearned.
Good luck.
B
Bighand
New member
K
Kelby
New member
Visit www.thetubestore.com and send them an e-mail or call them. They are very knowledgeable and helpful, and their prices are extremely fair. I've been very happy with them.
I have to disagree with the notion that tubes can't make a big difference. It depends on what tubes you currently have in your amp, but there are a lot of very good amps that come with very mediocre tubes.
I have to disagree with the notion that tubes can't make a big difference. It depends on what tubes you currently have in your amp, but there are a lot of very good amps that come with very mediocre tubes.
bongolation
New member
> I have to disagree with the notion that tubes can't make a big difference.
Note that I never made that assertion.
They can in some cases, and do - but usually don't between good examples of current tubes of the same types, and probably not in this particular amp.
A lot of the reason OEM tubes in new amps sound bad is that they were damaged in shipping. Shipping amps with the tubes in is positively crazy to my way of thinking, but it explains - for example - the prevalence of the Sovtek 12AX7WA in OEM applications, as it is a pretty rugged shortplate tube. Not fantastic sounding, but good enough. Still, even these get damaged, and frequently.
I have cured a lot of amp problems with tube substitutions, but I think that most tube "upgrades" into amps without problems produce little more than imaginary improvements or, at best, just create small differences that are only matters of taste anyway.
Note that I never made that assertion.
They can in some cases, and do - but usually don't between good examples of current tubes of the same types, and probably not in this particular amp.
A lot of the reason OEM tubes in new amps sound bad is that they were damaged in shipping. Shipping amps with the tubes in is positively crazy to my way of thinking, but it explains - for example - the prevalence of the Sovtek 12AX7WA in OEM applications, as it is a pretty rugged shortplate tube. Not fantastic sounding, but good enough. Still, even these get damaged, and frequently.
I have cured a lot of amp problems with tube substitutions, but I think that most tube "upgrades" into amps without problems produce little more than imaginary improvements or, at best, just create small differences that are only matters of taste anyway.
lesterpaul
New member
i have a classic 50 peavey ...
i love ot but i have read some on th GROOVE TUBES now mines new but and i never had a tube amp b4 but i was wondering what ya'll thought about GT's ......thanks ,later
i love ot but i have read some on th GROOVE TUBES now mines new but and i never had a tube amp b4 but i was wondering what ya'll thought about GT's ......thanks ,later
bongolation
New member
Re: i have a classic 50 peavey ...
They're just relabeled Sovteks. The Sovtek markings are generally still on them. Presumably they've been culled and burned in, but I know for a fact that burn-in testing (if any) is brief, as the bakelite smell hasn't cooked off of the power tubes with bakelite bases.lesterpaul said:
lesterpaul
New member
uhh ok
cool ,but, aren't th russian ones like real good too
bongolation said:
cool ,but, aren't th russian ones like real good too
bongolation
New member
> cool ,but, aren't th russian ones like real good too
Not especially in the case of Sovteks (the US brand name for tubes from the Russian "Reflektor" plant). The only best-of-breed tube I can think of that Reflektor makes is the Sovtek 12AX7LPS, which is probably the best 12AX7 variant currently made - but raw stock runs up to 40% bad, depending on which tech you're talking to, and as a long-plate tube is not really suitable for a combo amp anyway. As far as I know, Groove Tubes doesn't resell the 12AX7LPS.
All Groove Tubes does is throw out the worst-sounding, noisy and microphonic tubes from raw stock, match power tubes in sets and then relabel them over the original Sovtek label. They make a lot of wildly outrageous advertising claims, but ultimately that's all they really do with these import tubes.
Groove Tubes GT-12AX7 is just Sovtek's cheapest 12AX7 variant, the rather arbitrarily-named 7025/12AX7WA (it's neither a true 7025 nor 12AX7WA). It is widely used in OEM applications because it is cheap and about as rugged as a preamp tube is likely to be. An amp engineer I know who works for one of the major companies likes these tubes a lot, but most people replace them in their amps wanting something with real or imagined "better sound."
Electro-Harmonics also sells Reflektor-made tubes, but these are different from the standard Sovtek items.
Not especially in the case of Sovteks (the US brand name for tubes from the Russian "Reflektor" plant). The only best-of-breed tube I can think of that Reflektor makes is the Sovtek 12AX7LPS, which is probably the best 12AX7 variant currently made - but raw stock runs up to 40% bad, depending on which tech you're talking to, and as a long-plate tube is not really suitable for a combo amp anyway. As far as I know, Groove Tubes doesn't resell the 12AX7LPS.
All Groove Tubes does is throw out the worst-sounding, noisy and microphonic tubes from raw stock, match power tubes in sets and then relabel them over the original Sovtek label. They make a lot of wildly outrageous advertising claims, but ultimately that's all they really do with these import tubes.
Groove Tubes GT-12AX7 is just Sovtek's cheapest 12AX7 variant, the rather arbitrarily-named 7025/12AX7WA (it's neither a true 7025 nor 12AX7WA). It is widely used in OEM applications because it is cheap and about as rugged as a preamp tube is likely to be. An amp engineer I know who works for one of the major companies likes these tubes a lot, but most people replace them in their amps wanting something with real or imagined "better sound."
Electro-Harmonics also sells Reflektor-made tubes, but these are different from the standard Sovtek items.