Post by guitarlightning on Nov 11, 2005 14:44:20 GMT -7
Just wanting to know your experiences with the el-84 tube life. Someone told me to expect around 400 hours of life for the g.t. tubes in my maz jr. Is this true?? I have not owned it long enough to burn through a set, but if 400 is the lucky number then I am right on it and expect the tubes to fail at any moment.
I notice a change after about 300 hours in the amps I support on tour in most amps. The Mazerati and RxES are actually a bit easier on tubes with their split bias than a MAZ 38. A Vox AC-30 or Matchless can be harder on tubes and this is where my 300 figure came from originally.
It is not matter of failing .... this can happen at any point and the tubes generally will "work" much longer in many cases. it is just they will not sound nearly as good.
Post by guitarlightning on Nov 14, 2005 14:22:24 GMT -7
Thanks Myles sounds like it is time since the amp sounds great right now ( not that it ever sounded bad) but it does have a different quality about it, Then when it was new.
just finished placing the order with G.T. thanks for the help!!!
If you order in the future say something in the comment section of the order (which you may have) and then I sort of pick out stuff that I trace and have specific likes for many Z amps. GT normally charges $10 per tube when I do this but for folks here I will do it on my own time.
Post by guitarlightning on Nov 17, 2005 21:26:16 GMT -7
I did by your comment, exactly as you instructed me to. you may have already picked them out for me as I placed the order on tuesday. thanks for the advice and help..... mrsax
I did by your comment, exactly as you instructed me to. you may have already picked them out for me as I placed the order on tuesday. thanks for the advice and help..... mrsax
The folks in the front brought me a few orders earlier this week with comments of "show this to Myles" and I hand traced a few duets and quads of 5's and 6's.
Maybe yours was one of them.
If you were order 15915 you WERE one of the sets I traced.
In another topic (Maz38 - too much midrange-tone) I asked, why my Maz 38 SR seems to be almost boosting the mid-range (making some kind of doooo - sound if you understand?), when playing on the deep E and A strings, like the good old Stones and Berry stuff. In some ways I find the amp has changed tone. I have adjusted along the way, guitar pick-ups on the deep side down, turned bass and middle down, but it does help enough. One guy told me, that was because of my Marshall Tall Vintage cabinet with greenbacks, but I have used that cab since january 2005. My question would be: could my EL84 tubes be loosing there touch - should I change them? I guess playing time is around 300 hours, maybe more??
Dr Z MAZ 38 SR top Stang Ray 1x12 combo Germino Club 40 top Tone-Tools FatCat 112 cab with Weber AlNiCo Blue Dog 50 watt Custom made openback 2x12 cab with 30 watt Weber Alnico Blue Dog and Silver Bell speakers Pierson Tweed Deluxe combo 51 Nocaster NOS Gibson ES 335 John Cruz NOS 50's MVP series Stratocaster Dennis Galuszka NOS 1963 Stratocaster Road Worn Candy Apple Red Mex Telecaster
In another topic (Maz38 - too much midrange-tone) I asked, why my Maz 38 SR seems to be almost boosting the mid-range (making some kind of doooo - sound if you understand?), when playing on the deep E and A strings, like the good old Stones and Berry stuff. In some ways I find the amp has changed tone. I have adjusted along the way, guitar pick-ups on the deep side down, turned bass and middle down, but it does help enough. One guy told me, that was because of my Marshall Tall Vintage cabinet with greenbacks, but I have used that cab since january 2005. My question would be: could my EL84 tubes be loosing there touch - should I change them? I guess playing time is around 300 hours, maybe more??
If your tubes are more than 300 hours old or so with I'd change them. Also change the phase inverter every output tube change or every other change.
Post by guitarboy02451 on Dec 16, 2005 21:40:59 GMT -7
I'm bumping this post cause the topic is appropriate and I didn't want to start a new thread.
Hey Myles, Hope you got my email giving you thanks and praise for all the time you spent with me on the phone on Thursday (12/14). Yeah, it did't turn out to be a tube issue.. despite me running out and buying new ones anyway. Hey, more revenue for GT :-)
Anyway, I trouble shot the issue down to a bad cable in the effects chain. It had a ton of issues, all scratcy and staticy... I swapped it out and all is well. Now I have a bunch of new spare EL84's, 12AX7's and a rectifier! I guess I'm all set for the next gig!
I don't know why I have these darn pedals. Dr.Z is right... just plug the guitar right into the amp and play.. More things to go wrong between the guitar and amp. Having me as the guitar player between the guitar and amp is bad enough!
I'm bumping this post cause the topic is appropriate and I didn't want to start a new thread.
Hey Myles, Hope you got my email giving you thanks and praise for all the time you spent with me on the phone on Thursday (12/14). Yeah, it did't turn out to be a tube issue.. despite me running out and buying new ones anyway. Hey, more revenue for GT :-)
Anyway, I trouble shot the issue down to a bad cable in the effects chain. It had a ton of issues, all scratcy and staticy... I swapped it out and all is well. Now I have a bunch of new spare EL84's, 12AX7's and a rectifier! I guess I'm all set for the next gig!
I don't know why I have these darn pedals. Dr.Z is right... just plug the guitar right into the amp and play.. More things to go wrong between the guitar and amp. Having me as the guitar player between the guitar and amp is bad enough!
Thanks again for your time. Paul G.
Paul,
Before trouble shooting any amp unplug everything and use nothing at all in the amp to start other than the speaker. Look for noise or whatever. The plug in the guitar with no effects or pedals.
In any case, hang onto the EL84s... you can never have enough spares and I replace these in most EL84 amps in any event every 300 hours or so.
Happy playing and yes .... I also prefer nothing between the guitar and amp but if it is this guy ( www.carlverheyen.com ) then a player there is a good thing
Post by joekondziella on Dec 24, 2005 14:01:07 GMT -7
Myles, Thanks so much for the special treatment of my tube order 72174. My Maz18 really opened up with the new el84's and the matched pi. Used on the gig last night and even though it's a ;ow volume gig, my amp was more articulate in the full range of frequencies.
The absolute very best to you and yours in this holiday season and thankyou again.
Red/Wheat Maz18nr head Historic '54 Goldtop w/buckers Tele,Strat,various cabs
Myles, Thanks so much for the special treatment of my tube order 72174. My Maz18 really opened up with the new el84's and the matched pi. Used on the gig last night and even though it's a ;ow volume gig, my amp was more articulate in the full range of frequencies.
The absolute very best to you and yours in this holiday season and thankyou again.
You are quite welcome and I am glad your gig went well.
I appreciate Myles' 300 hours estimate. Does that apply for NOS tubes, as well? I've always had the understanding that NOS tubes last longer than New Production tubes...
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