watt
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Posts: 15
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Post by watt on May 3, 2021 7:25:26 GMT -7
Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere, quick search ("83s") didn't bring up anything helpful. I'm retubing a Cure, and the amp packages aren't available on the usual sites, so I'm picking them each out myself. The tube guide on the Dr. Z amp site specifies JJ ECC83 tubes for a couple of slots. The tube site I'm looking at has JJ ECC83s tubes - doesn't look like they have any JJ ECC83 (with no "s") tubes.
I've seen JJ ECC83 tubes, I think - I believe they came stock in another amplifier that I bought. In fact, I think that I bought an amplifier - possibly a Blues Jr? - that had 83 in v2/3, and 83s in v1, which led me to suspect that there's a meaningful distinction between the two.
Is this something I should be concerning myself with, or is it ok to get two JJ ECC83s tubes for v1/2 in the Cure?
It looks like I can get everything else as specified on the Dr Z site, but I'll have to order from two or three sites. The Electro-Harmonix rectifier that I've found is designated 5U4GB - does the GB mean anything, or is that one ok too?
Thanks very much for any help with this!
edit: Looking around, I don't see any JJ ECC83 - just ECC83s. Maybe I'm imagining the ECC83 I thought I saw...gotta look in that box and see.
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Post by "Z" Steve on May 3, 2021 8:03:40 GMT -7
You will be fine with the ECC83 tubes, especially since that is what Doc has on the Z tube info on the website. Doc tries the best he can to use current tubes that are readily available. It is possible the website you were viewing with the "s" at the end just meant plural - more than one EC883(s).
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Post by KeithA on May 3, 2021 8:22:05 GMT -7
I suspect the "s" is likely just a suffix to denote where this version of the tubes comes from (Slovakia). It seems to a newer version of the original JJ tube and has some improvemnets. www.thetubestore.com/jj-ecc83-s-12ax7
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watt
New Member
Posts: 15
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Post by watt on May 3, 2021 8:48:27 GMT -7
I just put together the package on one of the sites, so that's no longer an issue. As far as the tags on the tubes go...the "S" after ECC83 on the JJs does refer to a material characteristic of the tube, I believe - I think it's a reference to the short plate construction, though I'm not certain - but it's not a characteristic that makes the tubes undesirable. In fact (if I'm not mistaken) the short tube build was developed to reduce noise and microphonics (as we say). I asked this question because the amplifier tube page just specifies "JJ ECC83", with no "S", and I was only able to find JJ preamp tubes that are tagged ECC83S (with the "s"), and I was sure that I'd seen JJ preamp tubes with the ECC83 tag (no "S"). As far as my retubing goes, I don't think it makes a difference, and I just ordered two JJ ECC83S tubes for my Cure. But now, after looking through my JJ preamp tubes, I'm wondering if I ever really did see any JJ preamp tubes labeled ECC83, with no "S". I was so sure...I remember checking out the stock JJ tubes on a new amp, and noticing the difference between the tube in v1 and the tubes in v2/3. v1 had ECC83S, v2/3 were ECC83...or so I thought...maybe it was OEM? Or something? If I understand the designation correctly, then they're all short plates anyway...right?
Has anyone ever seen a JJ ECC83, with no "S"? Or maybe ECC83R?
I know most people don't care about these things. If you do, and you've seen JJ preamp tubes with no letter or a different letter at the end of the tag, or if you can otherwise shed light on this phenomenon, please feel free to share.
edit: or the S could refer to place of manufacture - Slovakia! Also likely!
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on May 3, 2021 9:01:52 GMT -7
I think the 's' means that the tube uses a spiral filament for reduced noise.
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Post by LT on May 3, 2021 18:38:03 GMT -7
There's a love/hate for NOS tubes here, but I'll throw in my experience. I retubed my Cure with a full set of NOS and really like em. It started with the rectifier (for more reliability) and I took it to the full set. I still have, and very much like, the stock tubes that Doc uses.
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