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Post by chipstar75 on Mar 6, 2007 17:38:37 GMT -7
I have talked with different tube suppliers, and they all say that My amp (maz180) eats tubes up quickly. Can anyone offer an explanation for this? Do the Z amps just pummel a tube into submission,in order to get that tone we all crave? Is it just the maz?or all Z amps? ...........just wondered chip
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Post by chipstar75 on Mar 6, 2007 17:39:45 GMT -7
thats a maz 18/verb not a maz180..........yikes !
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Post by mward on Mar 6, 2007 17:47:32 GMT -7
EL84s just don't last a real long time. It's not the amp, it's the tube.
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Post by myles on Mar 7, 2007 18:23:51 GMT -7
I think the MAZ 18 is not all that hard on tubes. EL84's in cathode bias do wear much more quickly. They tubes are pushed much harder than in a grid biased amp. The only production grid biased EL84 amp that I know of by the way is the Fender Blues Jr. All the rest are cathode biased. The Vox AC-15 and AC-30, Matchless, Bad Cat, etc are much harder on EL84 tubes than the MAZ.
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Post by zdogma on Mar 9, 2007 7:57:28 GMT -7
I think the MAZ 18 is not all that hard on tubes. EL84's in cathode bias do wear much more quickly. They tubes are pushed much harder than in a grid biased amp. The only production grid biased EL84 amp that I know of by the way is the Fender Blues Jr. All the rest are cathode biased. The Vox AC-15 and AC-30, Matchless, Bad Cat, etc are much harder on EL84 tubes than the MAZ. The Soldano astroverb is also 2 X EL84 grid biased. The tubes seem to last a really long time in that amp, but it doesn't have as much of the EL 84 character as you get in the cath biased Maz or Ghia.
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Post by zone47 on Mar 9, 2007 9:11:25 GMT -7
I wondered about that too. My Prescription seemed to eat it's tubes up pretty quick
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Post by chipstar75 on Mar 13, 2007 15:22:52 GMT -7
Myles......i was hopeing you would chime in on this........you allways have a way of putting things into perspective. Thanks chip
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Post by propellr on Mar 14, 2007 8:24:47 GMT -7
I was just noticing yesterday that my guitar needs new strings. At least, I hope that's what I'm hearing. When tubes wear out, does it sound like old strings? BTW, I received my brand new MAZ 38 in January 2006 from the Doc and I play it all by myself at home for no more than 1 hour a week. My fuzzy math tells me that I should not have more than 50-75 hours on the original tubes. I should expect many more worry-free hours on those, right?
I post this with no apologies to amp gurus who tire of answering this question over and over and over... This forum exists for this very reason, to help guys like me learn about all those things you had to learn when you had the luxury of playing 5 nights a week while I was either locked up in my elementary school bored to death or sweating my shirt wet at a piano lesson, wondering why the arrangements always sounded so stupid.
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Post by garyh on Mar 14, 2007 8:59:31 GMT -7
My tubes in my Maz wear out quickly because the amp is so loud. I use an attenuator and then crank up the master (and preamp volume too); harder on the tubes for the actual volume level but sounds so good.
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Post by propellr on Mar 14, 2007 9:01:58 GMT -7
My tubes in my Maz wear out quickly because the amp is so loud. I use an attenuator and then crank up the master (and preamp volume too); harder on the tubes for the actual volume level but sounds so good. Which tubes? How often? Amp hours?
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Post by myles on Mar 14, 2007 9:45:25 GMT -7
Myles......i was hopeing you would chime in on this........you allways have a way of putting things into perspective. Thanks chip I did chime in a few posts ago in this thread.
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Post by myles on Mar 14, 2007 9:46:48 GMT -7
My tubes in my Maz wear out quickly because the amp is so loud. I use an attenuator and then crank up the master (and preamp volume too); harder on the tubes for the actual volume level but sounds so good. Unlike a grid biased amp, your amp will wear out tubes almost just as fast if left out of standby at idle .... where it is running 100% idle dissapation.
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Post by myles on Mar 14, 2007 9:48:24 GMT -7
I was just noticing yesterday that my guitar needs new strings. At least, I hope that's what I'm hearing. When tubes wear out, does it sound like old strings? BTW, I received my brand new MAZ 38 in January 2006 from the Doc and I play it all by myself at home for no more than 1 hour a week. My fuzzy math tells me that I should not have more than 50-75 hours on the original tubes. I should expect many more worry-free hours on those, right? I post this with no apologies to amp gurus who tire of answering this question over and over and over... This forum exists for this very reason, to help guys like me learn about all those things you had to learn when you had the luxury of playing 5 nights a week while I was either locked up in my elementary school bored to death or sweating my shirt wet at a piano lesson, wondering why the arrangements always sounded so stupid. I have seen folks that play for a year or almost two on their EL84s ... and the big surprise comes when you change them. Then again ... some folks who are really picky on their tone and the feel of the amp notice a change in as little as 30 hours and change the output tubes.
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Post by lowwatt on Mar 14, 2007 11:42:06 GMT -7
I was just noticing yesterday that my guitar needs new strings. At least, I hope that's what I'm hearing. When tubes wear out, does it sound like old strings? I'm not an expert on tubes, but usually I swap when I hear the slightest bit of power fluctuation or when I try my back-up set and they sound way better than the set in the amp. I've only had my Maz for about a month, but I already notice that I get less milage out of my strings. It's so clear and detailed that I can notice my strings going dull much quicker than with any amp I have ever had. My advice, you should have a back-up set of tubes anyway, so go out buy a set and listen for a significant difference. And a string change costs $6 and doesn't hurt anyone, so when you're at the guitar store grab a new pack and see if that makes the difference.
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Post by propellr on Mar 14, 2007 12:46:40 GMT -7
I was just noticing yesterday that my guitar needs new strings. At least, I hope that's what I'm hearing. When tubes wear out, does it sound like old strings? I'm not an expert on tubes, but usually I swap when I hear the slightest bit of power fluctuation or when I try my back-up set and they sound way better than the set in the amp. I've only had my Maz for about a month, but I already notice that I get less milage out of my strings. It's so clear and detailed that I can notice my strings going dull much quicker than with any amp I have ever had. My advice, you should have a back-up set of tubes anyway, so go out buy a set and listen for a significant difference. And a string change costs $6 and doesn't hurt anyone, so when you're at the guitar store grab a new pack and see if that makes the difference. No problem there. I buy strings by the case. I'd like to get a set of output tubes and try them out. What do you mean by a change in power fluctuation? Do you mean volume change? Or a chord fizzing out, like tone changing while you're playing?
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Post by lowwatt on Mar 14, 2007 15:50:34 GMT -7
I've had a couple of signs over the years. As you keep the amp on longer, instead of the tone getting stronger as and more dynamic as everything heats up, it gets thin and tizzy. That's a sign. If the volume seems to drop occasionally, its also a definite sign. Really a lack of consistency in volume and clarity is what I'm talking about. A chord fizzing out would be a huge sign. Play a big chord and listen to how it sustains. Is it the smooth decay you are used to, or does it seem a little unnatural, inconsistent and hard.
I don't have Myles' experience, but I've noticed power tubes going in a variety of ways. Dullness (like you'd get from old strings) isn't usually it, but a weak punchless tone is usually a sign to replace those tubes.
This is a bit hard to put into words. Like I said, try another set. It's easiest to understand the difference when you are going back and forth between something that sounds right and something that sounds wrong.
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Post by propellr on Mar 14, 2007 20:51:08 GMT -7
Thanks.
I am a lazy dude. I did not change my strings.
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Post by hdahs143 on Mar 14, 2007 23:32:18 GMT -7
Yeah the El84's wear out qucker than the octal power tubes like 6L6's and EL-34's, but the 84's are considerably cheaper, and with the Doc's EL-84 amps being cathode biased, you're not paying to have the bias set. Those 2 facts even things out a bit for me.
And the El-84's just sound so good when they're cooking a little bit. ;D
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Post by chipstar75 on Mar 15, 2007 8:36:19 GMT -7
wow! this has turned out to be an interesting thread. Thanks to myles, and all who put their 2 cents in.
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Post by stratosphere on Jun 28, 2007 16:35:54 GMT -7
I've found that my Maz sr gets about six months per set of power tubes. I know it's time to change because the amp fails to thrill me. Pop in a new set and presto! The thrill is not gone, and I'm in love again.
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Post by propellr on Jun 28, 2007 21:01:08 GMT -7
BTW, changing the strings on my guitar did the trick.
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