who here plays Mesa boogie dual rectifiers? i need tube help

[Farview]

I believe this is a matter of taste. And for some a cost issue. I like the tone of the boogie tubes. I've tried jj, gt, sovtek. None compare to the boogie tubes.

I haven't experinced the euro, i may be wrong. I may be missing out.

If I recall, boogie tubes are rebranded Sovteks. They might be EH. There are only 4 factories that make tubes. GT doesn't own one, neither does Boogie. In both cases, they are just tested, sorted and re-branded tubes from one of the manufacturers. The case with GT is that they buy tubes from all the manufacturers, depending on the tube and the price they get.

GT and Boogie are not manufacturers.

 

[Keiffer]

I have run JJ6l6 and JJEl34L in my SOLO. Right now I have EH EL34s.

I do have JJ 6L6 or 34s in most of my other hi-gainers.

 

[donkeystyle]

If I recall, boogie tubes are rebranded Sovteks. They might be EH. There are only 4 factories that make tubes. GT doesn't own one, neither does Boogie. In both cases, they are just tested, sorted and re-branded tubes from one of the manufacturers. The case with GT is that they buy tubes from all the manufacturers, depending on the tube and the price they get.

GT and Boogie are not manufacturers.

groove tubes does manufacture in or they're going to........They do or are going to do 1 or 2 tubes in the usa. a few years ago they bought tube factory. I can't remember if they sell them now and I can't look I'm at work.

don't mesa and groovetubes get the bulk of their tubes from the same manufacturers? minus the one or 2 that groovetubes actually manufactures.

 

[gcapel]

If I recall, boogie tubes are rebranded Sovteks. They might be EH. There are only 4 factories that make tubes. GT doesn't own one, neither does Boogie. In both cases, they are just tested, sorted and re-branded tubes from one of the manufacturers. The case with GT is that they buy tubes from all the manufacturers, depending on the tube and the price they get.

GT and Boogie are not manufacturers.

Buy what you want. I know what i'm gonna get. I've played boogies amps for years and the boogie tubes sound the best in my DC-5 heads to me. I don't care who made them.

 

[Farview]

Buy what you want. I know what i'm gonna get. I've played boogies amps for years and the boogie tubes sound the best in my DC-5 heads to me. I don't care who made them.

That's fine. You just seemed like you were under the impression that boogie tubes were special. They aren't any different than any of the other tubes coming off the same assembly line. If you feel safer buying them from boogie, by all means, do it.

 

[timthetortoise]

Actually I\'d dare to say that Boogie tubes probably are different than the other tubes coming off the same assembly line. Taking grades into account, it\'s likely that Boogie looks for a specific grade. Not every tube is going to come out with the same quality and that\'s where the companies who rebrand the tubes figure out which ones they want. This is why you can buy a GT that sounds amazing and one from the same line that sounds like a $2 Sovtek.

 

[gcapel]

That's fine. You just seemed like you were under the impression that boogie tubes were special. They aren't any different than any of the other tubes coming off the same assembly line. If you feel safer buying them from boogie, by all means, do it.

They are special. To me they are. And by all means I will buy from boogie sir. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. lol... just kiddn. I get your point. I don't know what the difference is, but there is one. I don't know if it is the rating on the tubes or what.

 

[Farview]

Actually I\'d dare to say that Boogie tubes probably are different than the other tubes coming off the same assembly line. Taking grades into account, it\'s likely that Boogie looks for a specific grade. Not every tube is going to come out with the same quality and that\'s where the companies who rebrand the tubes figure out which ones they want. This is why you can buy a GT that sounds amazing and one from the same line that sounds like a $2 Sovtek.

Boogie does only take the ones that are looking for a certain bias voltage. If you knew how to cross-reference that to the ratings that GT uses, they would be completely interchangable. If you have a tube tester, you could pick them out yourself.
That's whay I go to eurotubes. He sells JJ/tesla's but if you tell him what you are using them for, he will hand pick a quad for you that meets the specs. If you are interested in experimenting a little bit or if you describe to him what you would like your amp to do, he can recomend maybe something different. There are more than one el34 and 6l6 design. I can turn my main amp into a completely different beast by changing the el34's. But both sets of el34's take the same bias voltage, so I don't have to rebias all the time.

 

[Lt. Bob]

I use Boogie tubes in mine but actually because they were the cheapest.
Basically ..... everyone's tubes are made in the same few factories so as long as you trust their grading process, it doesn't matter where you get them. I also buy a lot of my stuff from Antique Radio Labs .... usually JJ but they have a bunch of NOS stuff too.

 

[StudioMxpx]

i rather use Mesa tubes..i paid about two grand for my rect head and im going to be damned if im going to put in diffrent tubes other then Mesa..i know Mesa doesnt make tubes..but still..i feel more secure using the right tubes..

 

[donkeystyle]

groove tubes does manufacture in or they're going to........They do or are going to do 1 or 2 tubes in the usa. a few years ago they bought tube factory. I can't remember if they sell them now and I can't look I'm at work.

don't mesa and groovetubes get the bulk of their tubes from the same manufacturers? minus the one or 2 that groovetubes actually manufactures.

holy crap. I sound like English is my second language in that post. I waited too long to edit it too. oh well.

here's the info from the groove tubes website that I was referring to.

"Groove Tubes bought it’s present building in August of 2000. The new GT home has close to 12,000 feet of office, lab, and manufacturing space and is located in the small town of San Fernando, California. The new building has allowed expansion into actual tube production, and Aspen was blessed to be able to acquire the entire production line from the old G.E. company upon it’s closing. This line will produce the original GE 6L6 and 6CA7 power tubes to the original specs and sound. Actually, at NAMM 2002 in Anaheim GT proudly introduced the first effort from this adventure, showing the new GT6L6-GE to rave reviews...it was generally confirmed this new GT tube is the exact equal of the famous 6L6. Jimi Hendrix recorded may of his hits with this tube in his Fender Twin Reverb."

 

[StudioMxpx]

so 6l6'6 are more of a fender sound and el-34s are more of a Marshall sound? i thought Mesa rects had there own sound? i mean shit if i wanted a Marshall i coulda spent maybe 800 bucks on a used Jcm 900! so am i pretty much just paying more for the Mesa because of the options i have from raw,vitage and Modern and changing out the 6l6s with the el-34s? i havnt yet compared My dual rectifier to a Fender or a Marshall so i wouldnt really know..

 

[flamin-gitaur]

http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/file.php?fid=4269

Sounds like you have plenty of gain going on, but it may be more of an issue with response of your guitar pickups than your amp.

 

[Farview]

so 6l6'6 are more of a fender sound and el-34s are more of a Marshall sound? i thought Mesa rects had there own sound? i mean shit if i wanted a Marshall i coulda spent maybe 800 bucks on a used Jcm 900! so am i pretty much just paying more for the Mesa because of the options i have from raw,vitage and Modern and changing out the 6l6s with the el-34s? i havnt yet compared My dual rectifier to a Fender or a Marshall so i wouldnt really know..

6l6's and EL34s break up differently. I was trying to describe the breakup by pointing you toward amps that break up the same way. The mesa will not sound like a Marshall with EL34s any more than it sounds like a Fender now with the 6l6's.

EL34's tend to be smoother, 6L6's tend to be grainier.

 

[Bill E. Boy]

I've found that managing good Hi Gain tone is more about the EQ than about twisting the Gain to 11. In the 80's we were all about more gain more gain. Sounded good in shredder solos, but it fell apart if you played more than a two string powerchord. Ever noticed how some grungers (Alice In Chains) has super gain and you can still hear the chord voicings? It's all about EQ. Unfortunately I have to fiddle with the EQ everywhere we play or pull back on my gain if I cant get it just right. Sounds like a wall of mush. I love my Roadster Dual Rec, but this kind of power will let you hang yourself if you're not careful. That explains the rope burns around my neck. I live I learn.