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Post by carlmaton on Jul 15, 2019 5:10:56 GMT -7
Hi, I bought a NOS Maz 38 reverb head and Dr Z 1x12 cab a year ago in the UK and it sounds awesome. Very happy:-) Over that period it has been gigged at least once a week at clubs/pubs at moderate volume levels. My only concern/niggle is that the Sovtek 5AR4 has died twice over this period. Both times I have: From cold, switched power on and left standby on. Waited two or three mins. Switched standby off ready to start playing only to find there is no sound due to a fried 5AR4.
Are these valves prone to lasting 6 months or is there something else going on e.g. passive component out of tolerance?
Any help would be appreciated.
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Post by "Z" Steve on Jul 15, 2019 6:09:53 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum Carl! Any new production rectifiers (or tubes in general) can be a crapshoot. It would appear that since the tubes failed after 6 months that your amp is fine - just bad tubes. If you can afford one, I would search for a NOS 5AR4, 5V4, 5U4, and drop that in. Re a back up, you can also get a solid state rectifier as an emergency back, such as the Weber Copper Cap. Just verify you get the correct one for the Maz 38 - plug and play! ztalk.proboards.com/thread/6263/on-tube-rectifiers?page=1
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jul 15, 2019 6:14:53 GMT -7
First, welcome to Z-Talk. Lots of good people here and the best atmosphere on the web! Regarding the Sovtek, I've had problems with them too, so I bought a couple of NOS Raytheons and never looked back.
NOS rectifiers are really well built and last many times longer than current production ones. They are expensive now but even if you bought a used one it would very likely outlast new rectifier tubes. I've never had a vintage 5AR4 fail me.
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Post by digs57 on Jul 15, 2019 6:41:25 GMT -7
I switched fuse at same time new rectifier (had sovteks go bad as well)...have'nt gotten new nos recti but yeah...im a believer that they are worth it.
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Post by DRZ on Jul 15, 2019 7:25:40 GMT -7
Carl welcome . You are getting great advice from the above posts. New production rectifiers are a crap shoot, and I would look out for a Mullard 5AR4 even a used one, a pull Mullard will a 100 times better then a new Sovtek.
DR.Z
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Post by carlmaton on Jul 15, 2019 7:28:04 GMT -7
Wow! Fast replies and really useful feedback guys, thank you. Good to know its not the amp:-) I need to have a search around the UK for NOS rectifiers....and will check out the solid state one too.
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Jul 15, 2019 9:00:30 GMT -7
That’s how this forum rolls! Very knowledgeable folks who like to share their experience. Welcome!
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Post by carlmaton on Jul 16, 2019 15:44:50 GMT -7
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Post by "Z" Steve on Jul 16, 2019 16:06:49 GMT -7
That appears to be the right one!
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Post by carlmaton on Jul 16, 2019 16:08:31 GMT -7
Brill, thanks Steve.
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Post by LT on Jul 24, 2019 18:55:33 GMT -7
I too had a Sovtek fail and take out a fuse in my Ghia. I just found a decent deal on a Mullard NOS for my Cure, which is my main gig amp. Thanks Doc for the tip....and Carl for the thread! Welcome aboard Carl!
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Post by mickey on Jul 24, 2019 23:04:29 GMT -7
I now have Mullard 5AR4 rectifiers in all three of my amps, expensive at the time but I no longer have to worry and they sound fine.
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Post by digs57 on Jul 30, 2019 17:40:02 GMT -7
I just put one (amperex/mullard) in maz 18 played sunday night...dam that thing sounded good...
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Post by Rockerfeller on Jul 31, 2019 9:24:20 GMT -7
Carl welcome . You are getting great advice from the above posts. New production rectifiers are a crap shoot, and I would look out for a Mullard 5AR4 even a used one, a pull Mullard will a 100 times better then a new Sovtek. DR.Z Hey Doc,
I know you design your amps with the particular tubes in mind. I also readily admit that I don't know much about tubes. I just usually put whatever brand and style of tube in your amps that you built them for. When it comes to the Rectifier tubes in my Wreck and DB4, would you say that a NOS Mullard would be better than the 5AR4's that come stock?
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Post by DRZ on Jul 31, 2019 9:31:42 GMT -7
Carl welcome . You are getting great advice from the above posts. New production rectifiers are a crap shoot, and I would look out for a Mullard 5AR4 even a used one, a pull Mullard will a 100 times better then a new Sovtek. DR.Z Hey Doc,
I know you design your amps with the particular tubes in mind. I also readily admit that I don't know much about tubes. I just usually put whatever brand and style of tube in your amps that you built them for. When it comes to the Rectifier tubes in my Wreck and DB4, would you say that a NOS Mullard would be better than the 5AR4's that come stock?
Though the stock 5AR4's are good, and if your lucky enough to get a real GOOD one you'll be fine. A original Mullard 5AR4 ( used pull ) is heads and shoulders better. Z
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Post by mickey on Aug 2, 2019 0:18:05 GMT -7
I've put original Mullard 5AR4's in all three of my Z amps now, expensive at the time, but that's soon forgotten and I have no more worries about them failing. They sound good and are much more reliable.
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Post by Rockerfeller on Aug 2, 2019 7:43:26 GMT -7
I see that the Mullard brand is back, and Russia is making the Mullard 5AR4 reissue. So now you can buy a new Mullard Rect tube for $30. I suspect these are not nearly the quality as the NOS. Anyone tried these?
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Post by LT on Aug 3, 2019 7:34:51 GMT -7
I haven't tried the reissue.
I also see Japanese NOS ones that are under the Matsushita brand. Much less expensive than the "real" Mullards. I wonder if they are good?
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Post by digs57 on Aug 3, 2019 14:56:12 GMT -7
I just picked up another amperex orange label...after seeing what tube store wanted ...guy took off 15 bucks... "splash" goes the dive
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Post by Rockerfeller on Aug 5, 2019 20:00:36 GMT -7
On the advice of the Doctor, I ordered a NOS Mullard 5AR4 from a reputable guy on Ebay. It had a tiny blemish on the bottle, but it's just cosmetic. Because of that, I got it for $85. I figured they are just going to get harder to find so I should pull the trigger now.
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Post by LT on Aug 7, 2019 10:41:34 GMT -7
On the advice of the Doctor, I ordered a NOS Mullard 5AR4 from a reputable guy on Ebay. It had a tiny blemish on the bottle, but it's just cosmetic. Because of that, I got it for $85. I figured they are just going to get harder to find so I should pull the trigger now. Me too. I bought two, one for the Cure and one for the Z Master. Each one was less than $100 including shipping (and they both survived the trip!)
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Post by digs57 on Aug 7, 2019 11:22:03 GMT -7
That's were all these things are going?...just took delivery of a double myself (ampere/bugles)...guy took $50 bucks less...oh what the hell...ouch is temporary.
Guy included a print out saying that these tubes are very old and sometimes tubes need as much as 40hrs before they wake up...ive heard this before and...ok if it get's better kool...also been using jan GE 12ax7wa v1 as well and its tasty...big notes served up!
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Post by Don A on Aug 8, 2019 11:14:39 GMT -7
The Mullard 5AR4 in my '66 Vibrolux Reverb was old when I bought the amp in 1990. It's still going strong! They're not that expensive when you consider that.
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Post by digs57 on Aug 8, 2019 11:34:20 GMT -7
The Mullard 5AR4 in my '66 Vibrolux Reverb was old when I bought the amp in 1990. It's still going strong! They're not that expensive when you consider that.
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