Recommended Tubes for Replacement?
HotchkissTrio
would most recommend for replacing the stock tubes in a Fender Pro
Jr.?
The default tubes are Fender branded Groove Tubes:
2 EL84's
and some 12AX7's
Anyone got a favorite tube or a good deal they know of?
I'm looking for a nice jazz tone, not too much distortion, warm and
bassy.
Thanks,
Paul Hotchkiss
Flibbert Goosty
How much money do you have to spend??
There are a million opinions on what brand of tubes to use and none
of them are wrong or right for that matter. First thing I would do
is test all your tubes before changing them. Replace the ones that
dont
meet industry standards. Make sure the output tubes arent grossly
mismatched. Of course any shorted, gassy or high G.E. tubes go
in the garbage. From there you can experiment. Start off with some
chinese
or russian replacements(cheap) and see how you like the sound. If the
amp sounds still crappy you can think about getting some more
expensive NOS
tubes. But realize that alot of times it is not the tubes but the
components
in the amp that contribute to a bad sound. Resistors drift way out of
value,
and caps short, leak or open. This does all kinds of bad stuff like
throw your bias off and under/overvoltage your plates. Before you put
an expensive set of tubes in your amp, make sure all the voltages
(including bias) are right or you will shorten the life of the tubes.
Hope this helps
Flibberoni
John Dahlstedt
in there...Amperex made great tubes too. You can search ebay for NOS (new
old stock tubes being sold) or tubes that are used but still good. A good
tube tester can measure the life left in a tube and many of the sellers
rate their used tubes. Good Luck! (these are not inexpensive, but are a
benchmark IMO)
Jim Kaznosky
HotchkissTrio wrote:
Paul,
I use JJ Electronics tubes from Eurotubes. They are a bit darker and
you have to order the tubes over the phone. Bob questions you throughly
and finds the right tube with the right output for your style.
www.eurotubes.com
You might want to get an idea of whats out there in tube types. Take a
look at this page. It was the start of a serious education on tubes for
me.
http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/
These guys sell some great NOS tubes, if you have the cash for them:
www.kcanostubes.com
Jim
Sideways Jaye
12AX7's but the Electroharmonix aren't bad. I'd recommend you order
from Lord Valve at NBI Electronics. Very opinionated, but he'll steer
you right. A Fender Pro Junior is such a simple amp, you shouldn't
even need a rebias, just stick 'em in and go. Order the EL-84's a
half dozen at a time, as you probably won't get more than 6-8 good
months out of them. No EL-84 is noted for long life.
HotchkissTrio
anything wrong with the current tubes. They sound fine. I have heard
that the Pro Junior can sound even better with new tubes since the
stock ones tend to be el-cheapos. So I was thinking of getting new
power tubes and keeping the old ones for backups.
Any thoughts on the best sounding and warmest EL84's on the market?
money is not an issue.
Thanks,
Paul
goo...@angelfire.com (Flibbert Goosty) wrote in message news:<5ef8cf1b.03011...@posting.google.com>...
Jim Kaznosky
Jim
Greg D
news:a6bf1bf8.03011...@posting.google.com:
And let's not forget NOS US/EU tubes that are still readily available.
LV is good to talk to as is "Uncle" Ned Carlson of Triodeel.com. Another
vaulable resource is http://www.thetubestore.com lots of good info on
tubes. They sell them.
Greg
Greg D
news:be1c2bf6.03011...@posting.google.com:
> Thanks for the advice. I should have specified this, but there is not
> anything wrong with the current tubes. They sound fine. I have heard
> that the Pro Junior can sound even better with new tubes since the
> stock ones tend to be el-cheapos. So I was thinking of getting new
> power tubes and keeping the old ones for backups.
>
> Any thoughts on the best sounding and warmest EL84's on the market?
> money is not an issue.
>
> Thanks,
> Paul
Paul, the choices are so vast: NOS US tubes, NOS English/German tubes.
And then you've got the speaker which accounts for much of the tone
irrespective of tube maker. And let's not forget the amp's circuitry
which counts most of all towards the tone you'll get.
I really don't think tubes can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear - not
that your BJ is a sow's ear. My point is that EL-84 based amps are
inherently bright, which is why I have moved away from them. And as a low
wattage amp, your BJ is made to be overdriven.
In order of precedence of those things that affect tone most: amp
circuitry, speaker, and tubes.
Yes, bad tubes can make a good amp sound bad, but I've never heard good
tubes make a bad amp sound good. Same for a speaker swap.
http://www.thetubestore.com has lots of background info on tubes and is a
good place to start looking. Just don't expect miracles on tubes alone.
And at 15 watts, distortion above 5 on the volume dial is a reality. Also
keep in mind that 40's and 50's players played through low wattage tube
amps and a little distortion didn't seem to hamper them much.
GReg
Bob Agnew
instead of 100, and quiets down the amp a bit with a somewhat warmer tone.
"HotchkissTrio" <paulyho...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:be1c2bf6.03011...@posting.google.com...
JMK
news:3E241A5F...@columbia.edu:
>
> Paul,
>
> I use JJ Electronics tubes from Eurotubes. They are a bit darker and
> you have to order the tubes over the phone. Bob questions you throughly
> and finds the right tube with the right output for your style.
> www.eurotubes.com
I'll second this. When I ordered mine, Bob asked a lot of questions on
what I wanted the amp to sound like, and what it was sounding like
now. I was really after a warmer, smoother clean sound, and a distorted
sound that was more than just a grainy mask over the clean. I got
all the tubes I needed (four EL84s, three ECC83s) for ~$50 shipped.
Very friendly, helpful service, too.
JMK