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Post by david62 on Apr 14, 2015 5:08:12 GMT -7
Hi all just bought a used Maz 18 head and 1 X 12 cab with a Vintage 30 in it. This is my first Dr Z amp. It sounds good, but is a little dark and lifeless. I checked the pre amp tubes and in V1 was JJ and in V2 was Ruby high gain. I switched out the Ruby high gain with a Tungsol and it opened up some. I thinking that maybe the power tubes are worn and need to be replaced. It has JJ's in there now. I was wondering what you guys are using and why ? I was thinking new JJ's, EH's or Tads. Thanks for the help.
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Post by digs57 on Apr 14, 2015 7:44:04 GMT -7
I have tried the jj,tad's...I think for balance of tone the eh's are the ones for me...neutral across da board.
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Post by daydream on Apr 14, 2015 8:06:18 GMT -7
Groove Tubes EL84-S are the best for me
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Post by david62 on Apr 14, 2015 8:11:07 GMT -7
What do you like about them from a tone stand point ?
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Post by digs57 on Apr 14, 2015 16:40:09 GMT -7
Its a try and buy thing brudda...you might not prefer them to someone elses great favor.
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Post by BritInvasion on Apr 14, 2015 16:47:11 GMT -7
I always used TAD EL84-STR's in my 18. Mainly because they took the edge off the high end , yet were ballsy at gig volume. My 2 cents , FWIW.
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Post by KeithA on Apr 14, 2015 17:14:55 GMT -7
Groove Tubes EL84-S are the best for me Those are simply relabelled JJ tubes.
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Post by KeithA on Apr 14, 2015 17:22:39 GMT -7
What do you like about them from a tone stand point ? Here's an excerpt from a recent interview with Dr Z where he's asked about tube preferences..... As far as 12AX7s are concerned, I use current production tubes and some of the NOS (New Old Stock or vintage) tubes sound great, but you can’t build a company from NOS tubes. The Tung-Sol reissue 12AX7 is a really, really fine sounding 12AX7, one of my favorites of current production tubes. As far as EL84 tubes, I use old Russian military tubes in my Z-Wreck and I have close to 800 in house. I bought 600 in the last three or four months, since they are reasonably priced. As far as current production, the EHX EL-84 tubes are close to that. They sound a lot like the Russian NOS and hardly have any tube rattle.
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Post by scottc on Apr 20, 2015 6:22:10 GMT -7
I like the Mullard reissues. Really nice tone and they seem to last quite longer than some of the previous ones I have used.
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Post by 1juicy1 on Apr 21, 2015 18:37:11 GMT -7
Love the new Mullard reissues!
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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on Apr 21, 2015 19:57:30 GMT -7
David, have you tried swapping that JJ 12AX7 out of the V1 spot and trying something like the Tung Sol in there? The V1 tube position is often (if not always) the most sensitive tone-generating spot in any tube amp, and the JJ 12AX7 is definitely not universally liked by everyone. I'm not saying that's your culprit for sure, but V1 is almost always more important for tone than V2.
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Post by deadstring on Apr 22, 2015 8:25:34 GMT -7
I'm using TAD EL84-strs and Tung Sol pre amp tubes with good results. Smoother sound and the Cut control now has a more usable sweep.
I've always used JJs 84's but the last few pairs were pissing me off, they had a very hard/harsh tone I couldnt dial out and sounded like they were wrung out within a couple of hours use..
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Post by david62 on Apr 22, 2015 18:55:53 GMT -7
Hey Mark I going to try that. I plan on trying a couple different tubes in the V1 spot. I have another Tung-sol, a Groove tube, a EH and plan on getting a Mullard. Also been reading that you should change out your PI tube when you change out the power tubes. Going to get a new one for that spot also. I tried a new set of JJ el-84,s I liked how they sound. Might get a new set of Mullard EL-84,S and try them also.
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slypig
New Member
Green 1x10 Monza
Posts: 47
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Post by slypig on Apr 22, 2015 20:02:24 GMT -7
JJs rattle for me every time. But no one ever complains and I don't like spending money so I'm using them up.
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slypig
New Member
Green 1x10 Monza
Posts: 47
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Post by slypig on Apr 22, 2015 20:04:17 GMT -7
I've been checking out Russian nos but how do I know I'm not gonna get crap from some eBay seller in the Ukraine?
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Post by dergit (Markus) on Apr 23, 2015 4:05:33 GMT -7
Find reputable sellers from forums... I have one but he's located in Germany, I don't know how much help that is to you but feel free to PM me if it is. 6p14ps are "the ****" in my MAZ if you ask me... but I like it a bit tamer than most people, I think.
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Post by llew on Apr 24, 2015 13:02:03 GMT -7
I like tung sols They're great.
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Post by KeithA on Apr 24, 2015 13:08:38 GMT -7
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Post by drzdevotee on May 16, 2015 10:00:09 GMT -7
I used jj's for a while...they were ok but a bit harsh. I bought and installed some Genalex gold lion and holy ****!! They are wwaaarrrrmmmm. No harshness and a bell like, but smooth top end. I've put TAD's in too and they are great, but I don't find them to be as harmonically rich as the Genalex. For the pre's, I'm running tungsol. I tried Preferred series tubes there, and although they were really nice, I preferred the others.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2015 12:05:03 GMT -7
The answer to this could be different every couple years. I really like the current EH el84's
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Post by Eddie on May 16, 2015 17:42:29 GMT -7
The answer to this could be different every couple years. I really like the current EH el84's Brent from Guitar Riot recommended and sold me some EHX el84 tubes a month or two back. I like them a lot in the MAZ. Very warm with a nice breakup. I bought a matched quad so I'll have the same tone at next tube change. I almost want to buy another quad right now because these recent ones sound that good. Who knows if that will last. Eddie
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Post by digs57 on May 16, 2015 19:52:23 GMT -7
siberan shop?..a little iffy?...done it...they all differ a little.
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Post by daveyk on May 17, 2015 22:30:05 GMT -7
I used jj's for a while...they were ok but a bit harsh. I bought and installed some Genalex gold lion and holy ****!! They are wwaaarrrrmmmm. No harshness and a bell like, but smooth top end. I've put TAD's in too and they are great, but I don't find them to be as harmonically rich as the Genalex. For the pre's, I'm running tungsol. I tried Preferred series tubes there, and although they were really nice, I preferred the others. Are your Gold Lion's still working out for you? You sparked my interest in these so I looked some up on tubedepot.com and read this statement, "Due to excessive current demands found in cathode biased amps (such as Vox AC30 and others), we do not recommend these tubes for use in these types of amps."I'm guessing for them to make a statement like this that people must have been having a lot of problems with these tubes in cathode biased amps. Is the current demand really that much higher in cathode biased amps? Here's the link.
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Post by scottc on May 18, 2015 6:15:00 GMT -7
I used jj's for a while...they were ok but a bit harsh. I bought and installed some Genalex gold lion and holy ****!! They are wwaaarrrrmmmm. No harshness and a bell like, but smooth top end. I've put TAD's in too and they are great, but I don't find them to be as harmonically rich as the Genalex. For the pre's, I'm running tungsol. I tried Preferred series tubes there, and although they were really nice, I preferred the others. I tried the Genalex Gold Lion's as well and can echo the sentiment-Awesome tone. With that said, mine failed about 1/2 hour in to the first gig I played with them...Total bummer! The store that I bought them from replaced them with Mullard reissues and they have performed flawlessly ever since; the Mullards are great, but it is a shame though, as I think the Lions sounded a touch better!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2015 6:36:59 GMT -7
Tried the Mullards when they first came out and had one go bad on me within hours. Back to the EHX, which sound fine and so far have been reliable.
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Post by drzdevotee on Jul 5, 2015 11:50:46 GMT -7
I used jj's for a while...they were ok but a bit harsh. I bought and installed some Genalex gold lion and holy ****!! They are wwaaarrrrmmmm. No harshness and a bell like, but smooth top end. I've put TAD's in too and they are great, but I don't find them to be as harmonically rich as the Genalex. For the pre's, I'm running tungsol. I tried Preferred series tubes there, and although they were really nice, I preferred the others. I tried the Genalex Gold Lion's as well and can echo the sentiment-Awesome tone. With that said, mine failed about 1/2 hour in to the first gig I played with them...Total bummer! The store that I bought them from replaced them with Mullard reissues and they have performed flawlessly ever since; the Mullards are great, but it is a shame though, as I think the Lions sounded a touch better! Honestly, mine lasted about a year before they died. One red plated pretty hard, but it was an outdoor gig and the temp was 30c. So, yeah they were good to me. I usually set the MV at 6-7 and then add preamp for overall volume. But having said that, I only play loud enough to mix in with the drummer, not to compete. Im surprised yours failed so quickly, maybe a bad tube? Im on my third set now and havent had any problems as of yet. Theyre not a really expensive tube, so maybe try another set?
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Post by drzdevotee on Jul 5, 2015 12:03:32 GMT -7
I used jj's for a while...they were ok but a bit harsh. I bought and installed some Genalex gold lion and holy ****!! They are wwaaarrrrmmmm. No harshness and a bell like, but smooth top end. I've put TAD's in too and they are great, but I don't find them to be as harmonically rich as the Genalex. For the pre's, I'm running tungsol. I tried Preferred series tubes there, and although they were really nice, I preferred the others. Are your Gold Lion's still working out for you? You sparked my interest in these so I looked some up on tubedepot.com and read this statement, "Due to excessive current demands found in cathode biased amps (such as Vox AC30 and others), we do not recommend these tubes for use in these types of amps."I'm guessing for them to make a statement like this that people must have been having a lot of problems with these tubes in cathode biased amps. Is the current demand really that much higher in cathode biased amps? Here's the link. Yes theyre still working out for me. I had one red plate at an outdoor show, but the temp was 30c out. This was after they'd been in for about a year or so. Im on my third set now (2nd set didnt fail, but they're my back up tubes now.) I have a MAZ18 so a smaller wattage amp. Not real "techy" but if you have a higher wattage amplifier, maybe it pulls too much current through the tube? Not sure...but having said that, I LOVE these gold lions and will continue to use them in that amp. GREAT sound.
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Post by Eddie on Jul 5, 2015 12:05:57 GMT -7
I still like the EHX El84 of late. The QC must be pretty good. At the moment.
Eddie
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Post by ericatunc on Jul 5, 2015 15:26:36 GMT -7
+1 on the Mullards. I really like them.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2015 15:39:11 GMT -7
Anybody tried the JJ EL844s?
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