A few weeks ago, I had a chat about the valve market with Cliff Brown of 633 Engineering. Some really cool amps from this leading UK bespoke amp manufacturer. 633’s amps are the culmination of Cliff’s rich experience, having designed mixing desks and valve amps for household-name manufacturers. We chatted about the valve market under the banner “The truth About Valves” and Cliff recorded the discussion. Lots of inside knowledge about valves (vacuum tubes for […]
Prices on everything seem to be going up. We are all suffering the effects of inflation. I thought I would make a comparison of trusted valve ( tube) suppliers here in the UK on one of the most common valves, the popular JJ ECC83S. I looked at prices on the morning of 17th September, 2023. I went through the exercise of buying one piece. In each case, I picked the cheapest option to get a
A Fender Blues Jr Mk III arrived in the workshop. It was dead. The amp was opened up. One EL84 output valve was completely destroyed. The other had most of the getter gone in the valve , suggesting long hours of use. The white material inside the valve indicated a slow gas leak that eventually killed the valve. The EL84 failure had blown one of the screen resistors on the main pcb and this resulted
Valve guitar amplifiers have long captivated musicians with their distinctive warm tones, rich harmonics, and organic response. Central to their magic are the valves, also known as vacuum tubes, which play a crucial role in shaping the amp’s sound. If you’re an owner of a valve guitar amp, you may already be aware of the potential for tonal exploration through valve rolling. In this article, we delve into the exciting world of valve rolling, uncovering
It has happened or will happen to you when you’re the proud owner of a valve guitar amp or Hi-Fi amp. It worked fine yesterday and today it has gone weird. The thing is blowing fuses, making weird noises, or dead as a doornail. We, of course, sell valves and related gear, but we don’t want you to buy valves you don’t need. When disaster strikes, there are things you can do to diagnose if
If you own an amp and want to keep amp repair costs to a minimum, there are certain things you should avoid doing. Here are ten things to keep in mind: Never wrap a blown fuse with tin foil and continue using the amp. This is a temporary solution that will eventually lead to more serious problems. Don’t gig with your amp for years without changing the valves. This will increase the likelihood of output
Are you tired of playing through those cold, lifeless solid-state amps? It’s time to upgrade to the warm and fuzzy world of valve amps! Tone so warm, You’ll want to cuddle with it Valve amps are known for their warm and rich tone, which is why they’ve been the go-to choice for guitar players for decades. And who doesn’t love a good cuddle? You’ll be amazed at how much more expressive and musical your