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Post by markT on Dec 28, 2011 12:50:34 GMT -7
Myles?? or Dr Z himself..Please shed some light on NOS tubes in the Remedy.  |
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Post by roknfnrol on Dec 29, 2011 11:00:04 GMT -7
Electronics, Mathematics, and OCD aside - how do those 6V6s sound? |
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Post by Albert on Dec 29, 2011 14:31:10 GMT -7
Electronics, Mathematics, and OCD aside - how do those 6V6s sound? I love them sweet and fantastic sounding ...wish my RCA quad was better matched  but my Jan Phillips are ;D and they also sound fantastic...my GE's also sound really good ... |
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Post by fishman on Dec 29, 2011 14:56:58 GMT -7
Remedy, I have found, LOVES NOS tubes.....HA...
bit of a dent on the wallet but...the sound, the sound......
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Post by Eddie on Dec 29, 2011 20:39:50 GMT -7
Dear Myles,
I like to run my MAZ Jr. Reverb with a 12AX7 in V1 and a 12AT7 in V2. To my ears, the tone becomes more detailed and the notes are better defined from one another when playing chords, but the amp still has punch. What's going on inside the amp with these tubes in V1 and V2 that causes this?
Just curious,
Eddie
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Post by myles on Dec 30, 2011 10:53:55 GMT -7
These are quite nice and will work great. Just get a midrange set |
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Post by myles on Dec 30, 2011 10:55:07 GMT -7
Myles, how would you compare the KT45 to the Victoria Sovereign, they seem very similair on paper. These two amps are about as different as two amps can be. The only thing they share is output tube type. Front end design and tube compliment is as different as night and day. |
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Post by myles on Dec 30, 2011 10:57:51 GMT -7
Hi Myles, I just picked up a 6545 built in 2002. It has GT "6" rated EL34s in it. They're in OK shape, but it's time for a new set. I'm not clear on which version of the EL34 I should be looking at for this amp; I understand there are 25-watt and 30-watt alternatives. As always any recommendation on particular brands to seek out or avoid would be most welcome. I'd consider buying a regular pair and / or a NOS set. Thanks in advance. Sorry I did not reply sooner. I have not seen any notifications in my email on posts here. What you want to get from my personal point of view are some real winged C EL34 tubes in a mid rating. =C= or SED, not Svetlana. The real =C= are made in St. Petersburg. Or, go with some nice NOS Siemens which are not too pricey. |
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Post by myles on Dec 30, 2011 10:58:26 GMT -7
On the Z site it appears Doc is using the JJ E34L's in the KT and the SRZ. I believe those are both 25 watt tubes. The GT EL34's are 25 watt and the GT E34L's are 30 watt. Hope this helps a little. Looking forward to Myles' suggestion also rp Correct-o-mundo |
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Post by myles on Dec 30, 2011 11:01:10 GMT -7
Hi Myles, Just put in some Jan Phillips 6v6gt tubes in my Remedy and got this ...  Here is the voltage..  And the current...  Is this normal for NOS 6v6 I thought I read somewhere that they will stripe a little the total wattage comes out to be P=IE .068*339=23watts divided by 2 tubes =11.5 watts so not to worried there so my question would be is this normal or should I pull the tubes and send them back Thanks Merry Christmas Albert Sorry I did not reply sooner. I have not seen any notifications in my email on posts here. Great shot! Tubes are showing way too much plate current. These are not close to what a spec tube would do. If these were a Groove Tubes tube they would have a HIGH rating which means they are actually defective from a design standpoint. Return them to the vendor. The boxes should have numbers from the vendor so they can replace them with a set more close to spec. Do not use these. |
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Post by myles on Dec 30, 2011 11:02:34 GMT -7
Electronics, Mathematics, and OCD aside - how do those 6V6s sound? They would probably sound great .... for a SHORT time. |
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Post by myles on Dec 30, 2011 11:06:37 GMT -7
Hi Myles, Just put in some Jan Phillips 6v6gt tubes in my Remedy and got this ... Here is the voltage.. And the current... Is this normal for NOS 6v6 I thought I read somewhere that they will stripe a little the total wattage comes out to be P=IE .068*339=23watts divided by 2 tubes =11.5 watts so not to worried there so my question would be is this normal or should I pull the tubes and send them back Thanks Merry Christmas Albert At 340 plate volts you should read no more than low 40s as plate dissipation. When that red plating is resolved with proper tubes you will see the B+ voltage rise as a side note. It is being dragged down a bit now. |
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Post by Albert on Dec 30, 2011 20:46:48 GMT -7
Hi Myles, Just put in some Jan Phillips 6v6gt tubes in my Remedy and got this ... Here is the voltage.. And the current... Is this normal for NOS 6v6 I thought I read somewhere that they will stripe a little the total wattage comes out to be P=IE .068*339=23watts divided by 2 tubes =11.5 watts so not to worried there so my question would be is this normal or should I pull the tubes and send them back Thanks Merry Christmas Albert At 340 plate volts you should read no more than low 40s as plate dissipation. When that red plating is resolved with proper tubes you will see the B+ voltage rise as a side note. It is being dragged down a bit now. Do those values also apply for cathode biased amps ....I am so confused now ...my JJ 6v6 tubes read about the same current draw... Albert Ps thanks for the education |
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Post by Albert on Dec 31, 2011 0:06:47 GMT -7
Myles I have sent you an email with some info for you to look at when you have time Albert |
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Post by doctorice on Dec 31, 2011 7:36:19 GMT -7
Hi Myles, I just picked up a 6545 built in 2002. It has GT "6" rated EL34s in it. They're in OK shape, but it's time for a new set. I'm not clear on which version of the EL34 I should be looking at for this amp; I understand there are 25-watt and 30-watt alternatives. As always any recommendation on particular brands to seek out or avoid would be most welcome. I'd consider buying a regular pair and / or a NOS set. Thanks in advance. Sorry I did not reply sooner. I have not seen any notifications in my email on posts here. What you want to get from my personal point of view are some real winged C EL34 tubes in a mid rating. =C= or SED, not Svetlana. The real =C= are made in St. Petersburg. Or, go with some nice NOS Siemens which are not too pricey. Thanks, Myles. Very helpful as always. Happy New Year! |
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Post by myles on Dec 31, 2011 11:29:54 GMT -7
At 340 plate volts you should read no more than low 40s as plate dissipation. When that red plating is resolved with proper tubes you will see the B+ voltage rise as a side note. It is being dragged down a bit now. Do those values also apply for cathode biased amps ....I am so confused now ...my JJ 6v6 tubes read about the same current draw... Albert Ps thanks for the education Cathode biased amps generally run at 100-110% plate dissipation at idle. This is one reason you want to use the standby switch, even when not being played they are running full bore. They develop less power generally than their more efficient grid biased cousins but have more harmonic content so in the end it is a design trade off. Tube life is also much shorter and they run hotter than grid biased amps as a basic design point. Grid biased amps are designed to run at about half the plate dissipation for the same output tube. |
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Post by myles on Dec 31, 2011 11:31:28 GMT -7
Myles I have sent you an email with some info for you to look at when you have time Albert I am going through email now but if it not a personal message I may ask you to post here so others can see the dialogue as it may help others. |
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Post by Albert on Jan 1, 2012 10:08:30 GMT -7
Myles I have sent you an email with some info for you to look at when you have time Albert I am going through email now but if it not a personal message I may ask you to post here so others can see the dialogue as it may help others. Ok my data sheet I made won't post correctly I will try again or convert it .. |
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Post by Andy 67 on Jan 1, 2012 15:06:36 GMT -7
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Post by myles on Jan 1, 2012 20:03:33 GMT -7
Tone is personal taste and subjective. Just make sure that your vendor can test properly to assure that the tubes meet design spec. Many tubes today do not, including NOS. There are a lot of NOS tubes out there at this point which are rejects or pulls so know your vendor. |
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Post by electricflag on Jan 11, 2012 9:27:48 GMT -7
Happy New Year Myles!
A traveling musician was in town last night with a Z model SRZ65. The amp was real weak. I'm not a tech, but I wanted help the poor guy out. So, I switched out V1, V2, and V3 and the EL34's with Sino made Marshall tubes. This got him up and running. I didn't bias the power tubes, because we were pressed for time.
The owner couldn't get over how good it played clean. But, he did complain about the overdiven tone. I had to agree with him. It sounded like solid state amp clipping.
In after thought I was wondering if replacing the the voltage rectifier tube and biasing the power tubes would have made the overdrive tone more musical?
Rick
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Post by myles on Jan 11, 2012 11:33:23 GMT -7
Happy New Year Myles! A traveling musician was in town last night with a Z model SRZ65. The amp was real weak. I'm not a tech, but I wanted help the poor guy out. So, I switched out V1, V2, and V3 and the EL34's with Sino made Marshall tubes. This got him up and running. I didn't bias the power tubes, because we were pressed for time. The owner couldn't get over how good it played clean. But, he did complain about the overdiven tone. I had to agree with him. It sounded like solid state amp clipping. In after thought I was wondering if replacing the the voltage rectifier tube and biasing the power tubes would have made the overdrive tone more musical? Rick Rick, If an amp is overbiased and running too cold it will sound grainy and not develop full power. If an amp is underbiased it will run too hot, sound harsh, run hot and have short tube life. The player needs to have his amp properly biased as soon as possible. |
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Post by motis1953 on Jan 18, 2012 11:47:23 GMT -7
Howdy: I've just bought an older MAZ38 Senior head with no onboard cooling fan. I'm in South Florida and play a large number of outdoor gigs in 100 degree weather in the summer. The fellow who's been my tube dealer for the last several years doesn't carry the EH-EL84's (found them uninspiring) and recommended the RI Mullards. Should I have a Whisperfan installed to increase tube longevity? The amp sounds wondeful but I'm finding the treble and cut controls are barely on to get the sound that works for me. I was going to have my tech do the V1 feedback capacitor mod to decrease the brightness and if you feel the fan would be a good idea I'd just as soon have him do it at the same although I'm not a big fan of fans. Your input would be appreciated, Thanks, Mark Otis
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Post by myles on Jan 18, 2012 13:44:03 GMT -7
Howdy: I've just bought an older MAZ38 Senior head with no onboard cooling fan. I'm in South Florida and play a large number of outdoor gigs in 100 degree weather in the summer. The fellow who's been my tube dealer for the last several years doesn't carry the EH-EL84's (found them uninspiring) and recommended the RI Mullards. Should I have a Whisperfan installed to increase tube longevity? The amp sounds wondeful but I'm finding the treble and cut controls are barely on to get the sound that works for me. I was going to have my tech do the V1 feedback capacitor mod to decrease the brightness and if you feel the fan would be a good idea I'd just as soon have him do it at the same although I'm not a big fan of fans. Your input would be appreciated, Thanks, Mark Otis Mark, The heads don't run as hot as the combos and I would not install a cooling fan. If you want to use a fan just bring a small portable unit to the gigs and plug it in behind the amp. As far as tube life, the fan will really not help much. Replace output sets on a regular basis as use will age them faster than the heat. Use your standby switch whenever on any break of more than a few minutes. The tube run hotter at idle than they do when playing. I do not care for the Mullard RI ... it is just another Sovtek EL84 with a new name. I find them dark. Then again ... if you find the amp too bright this might be a thing to try. Bottom line on tubes ... personal taste and preference is the guideline. As far as reliability ... current production tubes go from bad to worse. Trust you vendor and always carry known good replacements. I do not recommend NOS output tubes for cathode biased amps as their life is already short where spending more money does not make economic sense to me. Maybe it does for others. If you want the tone of NOS keep a set around for studio use or recording but not general practice or general gigging. Just my own thought here. Happy playing. |
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Post by BritInvasion on Jan 19, 2012 18:49:21 GMT -7
Myles , would the fan advice be the same for the Maz 18 Jr head / combos (combo running hotter than the head ?)
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Post by myles on Jan 19, 2012 20:42:09 GMT -7
Myles , would the fan advice be the same for the Maz 18 Jr head / combos (combo running hotter than the head ?) The MAZ 18 runs a lot cooler, half as many output tubes. These MAZ amps 18/38 actually run MUCH cooler than a Vox AC30 from the sixties. From my point of view ... no worried ... no fan needed. Bottom line, I am not a big fan (pun intended) of built in fans. If you are playing in a place with no airflow that is hot, such as the amp in an iso booth, the just use a portable fan if noise is not an issue. |
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Post by BritInvasion on Jan 20, 2012 8:03:39 GMT -7
Thanks Myles!
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Post by telebluze on Jan 27, 2012 8:39:41 GMT -7
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Post by myles on Jan 27, 2012 11:46:46 GMT -7
Ken, The Monza is one of those amps where tubes can make a big change because they are an amp that does not have a lot of "stuff" in the signal path. They are an articulate and touch responsive amp, a wonderful design. I am not trying to be a wise guy when I come back to you with this question ... what should I have for lunch today? Seriously, tubes are really personal taste and preference but there are a few basic rules I follow: 1. Use a tube that meets design spec. A good tube vendor can assure this. Stay away from all that early or late distortion stuff or high or low ratings. Tubes with these labels did not meet spec and there is something inherently wrong with the tube. If something has a Groove Tubes rating from the past you want a number 5 or 6. If the rating is only red, white or blue stay clear. 2. Know and trust your tube vendor. My own personal preference is for medium or long plate tubes for the phase inverter. In your Monza, V2 is the phase inverter. V1 in most amps is the first / main tone and gain stage and is generally the most close to the input jack. This is the most important tube for tone but V2 is what drives the output tubes. You can change your headroom in an amp by altering the characteristics of V2. I prefer darker tone personally. I stay away from bridge pickups and tend to prefer neck pickups so my personal taste is pretty darn narrow compared to most players at most any level. This is why I said, personal preference. BUT ... tubes I would recommend for my friends and clients? Output tubes: I still like the JJ EL84S although you want a good vendor that will assure they do not rattle. Some folks like the EH EL84. Cathode biased amps go through output tubes faster than grid biased amps. 6000 hours on a 6L6 in a Fender Super Reverb is common. 300 hours on a set of EL84s in a Vox AC30 and the tone and output will have degraded in a very big way. Bottom line here, if you want NOS output tubes save them for studio use and do not use them for everyday use or gigging. Preamp tubes: The Tung Sol reissue 12AX7 is a nice front end tube that is articulate. It is a short plate so it will boil down to personal taste. NOS works great in these amps and an NOS tube will last decades. They do not wear out as output tubes do. If you have one amp to retube and are not a amp maker who needs a steady supply of tubes for production than NOS is a cool way to go for many reasons. Here are a few links to some of my favorite picks for a Monza. Great V1 or V2 V1 / V2 - www.kcanostubes.com/content/anos-lightly-used-test-new-sylvania-12ax7-long-plateShort plate but an amazing V1 tube - www.kcanostubes.com/content/nos-rft-12ax7V1/V2 - www.kcanostubes.com/content/nos-tungsram-12ax7ecc83Cost effective V2 tubes if you want to spend less - tubedepot.com/jj-ecc803s.htmltubedepot.com/so-12ax7lp.htmltubedepot.com/mu-12ax7.htmlHappy Playing. |
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Post by twotoneguitars on Feb 2, 2012 10:45:01 GMT -7
Myles, what wall voltage do you guys use when building, testing, and developing amps? I'm looking at getting a variac and want to know the voltage Dr. Z amps are designed around. I have a Stang Ray, and looking at a ZWreck.
Thanks so much.
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but my Jan Phillips are ;D and they also sound fantastic...my GE's also sound really good ...
Jul 16, 2023 11:55:40 GMT -7
Jul 16, 2023 11:55:40 GMT -7