Valve Market Update – July 2025 A Straight-Talking Look at the UK & Global Tube Supply Situation UK Market: Harsh Headwinds for Music Since April 2025, the UK’s economic climate has been tough on the live music scene. The sharp rise in National Insurance and business rates (the dreaded property taxes) has hit hospitality and small venues hard. Many pubs and clubs that used to support local and semi-pro bands have had to scale back […]
Fender Blues Jr Bias Kit Fender Blues Junior amps have one major design weakness. They use non adjustable grid bias in the power stage, and it’s usually set far too high. We have seen as high as 130% idle bias on units straight out of the factory. It’s no wonder so many of them can ruin the pcb. The issue is made worse because Fender set the mains voltage on these ampds to 230
Are your output valves matched for your amp? Just because a set of valves says “matched” doesn’t mean it’s matched for your amp. Most valve suppliers put a sticker on the valve showing the anode current and the Gm. But what were the test conditions? So you might think they must be matched. Not necessarily the case. In the UK, a number of suppliers use and maintain venerable testers such as the AVO Mk4 that
Test To The Limits, Hear Beyond Expectations Background Our goal at Valve Tube Guitar Amps has always been to deliver the absolute highest quality valves. Of course, valve manufacturers do their own quality assurance, but their focus is on valve production and meeting market demands. A lot can go wrong during the manufacturing process. And nothing spoils a gig or jam session faster than a failed valve. Valves are old technology and they can develop
Exciting News for Marshall JCM2000 Owners We’re thrilled to announce the upcoming release of a replacement main board for the iconic Marshall JCM2000 amp series, including the DSL50, DSL100, TSL100, and TSL122. Sign up here to stay posted as they become available, and read on for more details about this rocking amp upgrade. Why You Need This Upgrade Great tone never dies, but unfortunately amp components do. As beloved as they are, Marshall’s iconic JCM2000
Some folks find they can hear the valves rattling in their 6V6S-loaded amps. Usually with specific notes. I see reports of Fender Re-Issue Princetons and Deluxe Reverbs having rattling 6V6 valves. This rattling sound does not come through the speaker but is actually the mechanical parts inside the tube which you can hear. The tube internals resonate when you play specific frequencies. As it is acoustic rattling, this effect is usually only audible in quieter
Introduction If you have recently bought a new valve amp and you have never had a valve amp before, then this short blog will give you a quick understanding of the valves in your new ( or, new to you) amp. I receive a lot of messages and emails on folks who are new to valve amps. I thought I collate the common things in this one blog. I have tried to keep all the