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Post by goldtop79 on Mar 25, 2010 20:44:03 GMT -7
i am looking to possibly upgrade tubes in my maz jr NR. V1 and V2 are NOS rca tubes which i'm pretty happy with but would be open to suggestions.
the phase inverter is a sovtek 12ax7LPS.
i have 2 rectifiers on hand. one is a mesa engineering 5AR4 and the other is an rca 5V4G. i am using the mesa now because i like the snap, and response when this rectifier is being used. however, from what i have read, the mesa will not last nearly as long as the nos rca.
for power tubes (el84) i have a pair from electro harmonix and a pair of groove tubes (6 rating). i have the eh in at the moment because to my ears they sound a little fatter, but it is not a huge difference. i also tried a pair of tad tubes. i must have recieved a bad set because the amp makes alot of static when they are in and i dont have this problem with other tubes.
anyhow, with a budget of 100 bucks what would you do in tube upgrades to improve on the tone of the amp. i am thinking nos phase inverter and nos 5ar4 rectifier but i have no idea what brands to consider. all of the nos stuff is so expensive and i want to see if i can find something good for a reasonable price. any suggestions are welcome.
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Post by Eddie on Mar 26, 2010 0:06:29 GMT -7
Wow, that's a good question! You may want to copy your original post to Mike K at KCA NOS tubes. He knows the MAZ and will give you some good suggestions on NOS stuff. He's a tube vendor you can trust.
For me, I'd stock up on JJ EL84 pairs and maybe another balanced Sovtek LPS for a PI spare. I realize neither of those choices is NOS. Also, I find the reissue Tung-Sol 12ax7's to sound great in V1 of my MAZ even after comparing the tone with some more "hi-brow" tubes.
Best of luck and let us know what you get to try out.
Peace, Eddie
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Post by goldtop79 on Mar 26, 2010 13:24:01 GMT -7
that is a good point. from what i hear, the nos tubes do sound better and last longer, but does it justify the cost? the cheapest nos 5AR4 i have found is the japanese one listed for 65.00. i guess the question is... will the sound and quality be good enough to justify buying 1 japanese 5AR4 as opposed to three new JJ 5AR4 tubes?
i think i will email mike to see if he has any recommendtions.
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Post by Ed M. on Mar 26, 2010 14:05:27 GMT -7
Gotta agree with eddie.
The new Tung-Sol is a very nice tube and the Sovtek LPS works great in the PI slot. I don't really like it anywhere else but is works great in PI slot. A NOS rectifier doesn't change the sound a whole bunch but usually make the amp respond better and once you get one you won't have to worry about changing it for many many years most likely. I think the general consensus is you shouldn't spend your money on NOS el84 as they don't last all that long and it's not cost effective. You already have the 2 NOS in v1 and v2 so if were me I'd get the rectifier.
-ed
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Post by goldtop79 on Mar 26, 2010 15:07:32 GMT -7
mike basically told me that the ge rectifier at 95.00 is the cheapest rectifier he would recommend and the ge el84 tubes (at $110/pair) are the cheapest power tubes he would recommend. he also said...
"Sorry, you may be able to make improvements on the low end of the prices scale, but the only way to find out is trial and error. No matter what anyone else tells you, they’re only guessing."
looks like the ge rectifier might be my best best bet from the standpoint that it should be more reliable than the mesa and still have the snap and response of a 5AR4.
i will have to check out the tung sol 12ax7. definitely worth a shot at that price.
also thinking of trying out a mullard 12ax7. has anyone used one of those?
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Post by hymns on Mar 26, 2010 17:45:55 GMT -7
I did the 2 GE set up Mike recommended and it does sound good .I can't complain.
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Post by BritInvasion on Mar 26, 2010 18:29:10 GMT -7
I put the GE NOS rectifier in my Maz18Jr head, and I'm very happy with it. Gave the amp a better "feel". But I really like the peace of mind , reliability-wise.
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Post by brayks on Apr 8, 2010 20:33:16 GMT -7
Maybe I'm crazy (check that; I am crazy), but I recently spent a whole lot of time and money changing out all the tubes in my maz 18 jr. and couldn't find anything I liked better than what she was born with.
All sort of combination's in all positions, except the rectifier. 12AX7, 12AT7, 5751, LP's. GE, RCA, Sylvania, EH, Mullard, Telam, Polam, etc., etc.
I know everyone's tastes are different and it was a pretty interesting albeit expensive and time consuming exercise but in the end I have to say I still prefer the stock tubes the Doc picked out.
I found a lot differences between the various tube types and manufactures but to me the biggest change in the amp came when I tried various phase inverter tubes. Those LP's the Doc uses rock.
I was really very surprised. I actually talked to the Doc during the process do discuss my project and thoughts. He kinda of laughed and basically said; yep.....smart man.
Of course that's just me and ymmv etc, etc.....
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Post by Rik on Apr 18, 2010 12:12:46 GMT -7
Maybe I'm crazy (check that; I am crazy), but I recently spent a whole lot of time and money changing out all the tubes in my maz 18 jr. and couldn't find anything I liked better than what she was born with. All sort of combination's in all positions, except the rectifier. 12AX7, 12AT7, 5751, LP's. GE, RCA, Sylvania, EH, Mullard, Telam, Polam, etc., etc. I know everyone's tastes are different and it was a pretty interesting albeit expensive and time consuming exercise but in the end I have to say I still prefer the stock tubes the Doc picked out. I found a lot differences between the various tube types and manufactures but to me the biggest change in the amp came when I tried various phase inverter tubes. Those LP's the Doc uses rock. I was really very surprised. I actually talked to the Doc during the process do discuss my project and thoughts. He kinda of laughed and basically said; yep.....smart man. Of course that's just me and ymmv etc, etc..... The Doc is pretty good at putting these amps together. I did the same thing and agree. Changed the rec tube but that was it.
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Craigo87
Junior Member
"These go to 11."
Posts: 98
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Post by Craigo87 on Apr 30, 2010 9:43:20 GMT -7
For me, I'd stock up on JJ EL84 pairs and maybe another balanced Sovtek LPS for a PI spare. I realize neither of those choices is NOS. Also, I find the reissue Tung-Sol 12ax7's to sound great in V1 of my MAZ even after comparing the tone with some more "hi-brow" tubes. Best of luck and let us know what you get to try out. Peace, Eddie Eddie, Do you use the Tung-Sol in V1 only, and then JJ's in V2? How about the V3 location? I don't recall and am pretty sure the answer is no, but do V1 and V2 require matched pairs in the Maz 18 Jr.? Would a person be wasting money buying matched/balanced tubes for V1 and V2 application? Thinking about getting a small batch of those Tung-Sol 12AX7/ECC803-S gold. How are the Tung-Sol for reliability? Duds? If anybody else has used the Tung-Sol 12AX7's and wants to comment, please chime in. Thanks, Craigo
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Post by Scott on Apr 30, 2010 15:28:25 GMT -7
V1 and V2 do not have to be balanced. They are just gain stages so having them balanced would offer no advantage.
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