Tubes, tubes, tubes! Should I swap the tubes in my TSL601?

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Whoopysnorp

Whoopysnorp

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I bought a Marshall TSL601 relatively recently. For those who don't know, this is a three-channel, 60-watt, 1x12 combo. I'm actually using it as a head powering a Hughes & Kettner 4x12 right now, and it's a great amp. First all-tube guitar amp I've owned. I'm wondering whether it might be worth my while to swap out the stock tubes for something of my own choice, and if so, which tubes to go with. I know I've read that certain tube varieties will have very specific effects on the sound of this (or any) amp. It takes 4 12AX7s and 2 EL84s. I'm not sure about the power tubes, but I think the preamp tubes are Eis. If possible, I'd like to get a little brighter sound out of the clean channel. The OD channels have more than enough gain as it is, but maybe the gain could be nicer somehow; I'm not really sure. Suggestions are welcome.

Also, I just ordered a whole mess of tubes for my Ampeg SVT-II (six preamp and six power amp tubes...that was a bill that hurt to pay). I don't know what's in there right now, but I do know that the tubes in that amp have not been changed for ten years at the very least, and they could well be the stock tubes (I'm pretty sure it's an early '90s amp). I ordered six Svetlana 6550s (they have one more fin than most 6550s for more heat dissipation, but I have no idea how this will affect the sound), four Groove Tubes 12AX7s, and a pair of Ei Elite Gold 12AU7s. Can I expect that the tone out of the amp will remain good, growly, and earth-shaking like I'm used to?
 
Whoopysnorp said:
I bought a Marshall TSL601 relatively recently. For those who don't know, this is a three-channel, 60-watt, 1x12 combo. I'm actually using it as a head powering a Hughes & Kettner 4x12 right now, and it's a great amp. First all-tube guitar amp I've owned. I'm wondering whether it might be worth my while to swap out the stock tubes for something of my own choice, and if so, which tubes to go with. I know I've read that certain tube varieties will have very specific effects on the sound of this (or any) amp. It takes 4 12AX7s and 2 EL84s. I'm not sure about the power tubes, but I think the preamp tubes are Eis. If possible, I'd like to get a little brighter sound out of the clean channel. The OD channels have more than enough gain as it is, but maybe the gain could be nicer somehow; I'm not really sure. Suggestions are welcome.
Click to expand...

I always purchase my tubes from www.tubestore.com. They have all the preamp and power tubes rated by sound and I have always been satisfied with my purchases. You might want to
go to their site and browse the tube reviews and choose what works best for you.

Also, I just ordered a whole mess of tubes for my Ampeg SVT-II (six preamp and six power amp tubes...that was a bill that hurt to pay). I don't know what's in there right now, but I do know that the tubes in that amp have not been changed for ten years at the very least, and they could well be the stock tubes (I'm pretty sure it's an early '90s amp). I ordered six Svetlana 6550s (they have one more fin than most 6550s for more heat dissipation, but I have no idea how this will affect the sound), four Groove Tubes 12AX7s, and a pair of Ei Elite Gold 12AU7s. Can I expect that the tone out of the amp will remain good, growly, and earth-shaking like I'm used to?
Click to expand...

In my experience with Groove Tubes, I tend to avoid them like the plague. Your tone will suffer with them. Go with a set of 12AX7's from Tubestore.com. Svetlana makes very good power tubes, just a tad below the Siemens tubes that are no longer produced. (Though I wish they were, they ROCKED!). I use the Sovetek or Svetlana 12AX7s and a pair of chinese "hotter" tubes for the distortion. The Sovtek/Svetlana tubes, to me, tend to give the Marshall a good clean tone. Not quite as good as Fender but pretty good in an of itself.

Make sure that when you change your power tubes that you take the amp in and have the tubes BIASED. It shouldn't cost that much and will ensure that your tubes last as long as they should and aren't running too hot or too cold. They need to run at their optimum temperature to sound their best.
 
I've bought tubes from thetubestore before. Good place. But I think I'll be going to http://www.eurotubes.com/index.htm from now on. I'm pretty sure they have a kit for that amp that has all the tubes you need. Prices seem very good as well.
 
I am a big fan of eurotubes.com as well. The guy is very knowledgeable and will give you the best options for your situation.
I have bought tubes from the tube store and had no problems with them, I just like the guy at eurotubes.
The JJ/tesla tubes are of very high quality. They really do stand up to my NOS tubes that I have been saving for a rainy day.
 
yep, eurotubes is a good hangout ... just tell bob what you got and how you would like to have it afterwards and wait for his mail w/ a recommendation...

he is a very knowledgable guy ... and made my sovtek mig-60 a real firebreather :-) ... but with very nice harmonics

luckily his stuff is not really expensive

bye
alfred
 
correction........

your amp uses EL34 tubes, NOT EL84 tubes. It is impossible to get 60W out of two EL84's!!
 
gusfinley said:
your amp uses EL34 tubes, NOT EL84 tubes. It is impossible to get 60W out of two EL84's!!
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Whoops! Yes, you're right.
 
Damn! I just checked out the Eurotubes site, and that is where I should have gone in the first place! That man looks like he eats, breathes, and sleeps tubes. If I had seen his advice to swap the 6550s in SVTs for KT88s in order to "add some real thunder", I wouldn't have already ordered a replacement sextet of 6550s. Though I'm not sure that amp really needs any more thunder...
 
I go to see bands in bars and when no one is looking I steal all the tubes out of the amps.
 
dragonworks said:
I go to see bands in bars and when no one is looking I steal all the tubes out of the amps.
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Ever burn your hands doing that?
 
SilverSurfer said:
I always purchase my tubes from www.tubestore.com. They have all the preamp and power tubes rated by sound and I have always been satisfied with my purchases. You might want to
go to their site and browse the tube reviews and choose what works best for you.



In my experience with Groove Tubes, I tend to avoid them like the plague. Your tone will suffer with them. Go with a set of 12AX7's from Tubestore.com. Svetlana makes very good power tubes, just a tad below the Siemens tubes that are no longer produced. (Though I wish they were, they ROCKED!). I use the Sovetek or Svetlana 12AX7s and a pair of chinese "hotter" tubes for the distortion. The Sovtek/Svetlana tubes, to me, tend to give the Marshall a good clean tone. Not quite as good as Fender but pretty good in an of itself.

Make sure that when you change your power tubes that you take the amp in and have the tubes BIASED. It shouldn't cost that much and will ensure that your tubes last as long as they should and aren't running too hot or too cold. They need to run at their optimum temperature to sound their best.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tubestore link.

A word about bias:
While you are right, the bias should be checked when changing power tubes, bias is about current draw at idle, not temperature. Any change on operating temp as a result of bias changes is incidental, and does not affect the sound, unless the tube gets so hot it burns up. :) The heater is the thing that sets the operating temp for the tube.
The changes in sound from changing the bias come from the tube's operating characteristics being changed through current and voltage, not temperature.
Tubes and tube amps do sound best and are the most stable when they get warmed up, which can take awhile.
 
SilverSurfer said:
In my experience with Groove Tubes, I tend to avoid them like the plague. Your tone will suffer with them. Go with a set of 12AX7's from Tubestore.com. Svetlana makes very good power tubes, just a tad below the Siemens tubes that are no longer produced. (Though I wish they were, they ROCKED!). I use the Sovetek or Svetlana 12AX7s and a pair of chinese "hotter" tubes for the distortion. The Sovtek/Svetlana tubes, to me, tend to give the Marshall a good clean tone. Not quite as good as Fender but pretty good in an of itself.
Click to expand...

yeah. groove tubes are overrated and overpriced. they just have good marketing is all.
 
-=¤willhaven¤=- said:
yeah. groove tubes are overrated and overpriced. they just have good marketing is all.
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Yeah, I'll agree with you guys on that. I do check them out occasionally, as they sometimes have NOS tubes for sale. I got a bunch of JAN Philips 12AX7s from them two or three years ago.
 
-=¤willhaven¤=- said:
yeah. groove tubes are overrated and overpriced. they just have good marketing is all.
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Groove tubes are just relables sovtek, svetlana, ruby, or what every they can get the cheapest this week. In the early 90's, I started using them because the QC on the tubes that you could get at the time (svetlana, ruby) was so bad that I blew up 3 amps because of a short in one of a brand new set of tubes. The thing that Groove Tubes does do is plug them in first and test the stupid things. Of course now that isn't such a big issue.
 
boingoman said:
Yeah, I'll agree with you guys on that. I do check them out occasionally, as they sometimes have NOS tubes for sale. I got a bunch of JAN Philips 12AX7s from them two or three years ago.
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got NOS phillips output tubes in my mesa :)

cost me an arm a leg and a testicle... but its worth it. i've had them in the head since late 2000 as well. i havent put much mileage on those tubes to be honest, but they still hold up.
 
-=¤willhaven¤=- said:
got NOS phillips output tubes in my mesa :)

cost me an arm a leg and a testicle... but its worth it.
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well at least you are left with an arm and a leg :D :cool: :D
 
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