Here are Things learned about Tube Amps in 2018 . They are in no particular order. Perhaps some useful info about your amp. I thought I would share them before they faded out of my head Loudness Your ears respond to sound like a compressor. So when you ears hear the sound from a 10 watt amp and a 100 watt amp, you don’t hear an amp that is ten times louder. Your ears hear […]
Have you ever wondered why amplifier valves wear out or why they dont last as long as solid state stuff? Why do the big amp manufacturers give you three years warranty on the amp and 90 days on the guitar amp valves? Valves are very old technology. The popular 6L6 output valve came to market in 1937 and our little friend the 12AX7 ( ECC83) was first introduced by RCA way back in 1947. The
We have now upgraded all our JJ EL34 valve kits. Our kits now include the JJ EL34 II. The reason? The JJ standard EL34 does not sound nearly as good as the EL34 II . The standard EL34 is known for sounding “thin” whereas the EL34 II has much stronger low end and mids making for a much fatter solid tone. All the EL34 kits on the drop down menu when selecting ” Make” and
There is a lot of confusion in the market on Svetlana and Winged C Valves. A number of UK suppliers claiming they are selling current production Winged C valves which are made in the St Petersburg factory in Russia. By the way, the “C” is the Russian letter for “S” so it is the logo for the brand using the company name first letter. Here is a cut and paste from a well known valve reseller
We have broadened our range of EL34‘s in our store. But which one is best for my amp? This is a handy quick guide to EL34’s We now have :- JJ EL34 JJ EL4 II JJ EL34L EH EL34 Tung Sol EL34B We offer all the above in matched pairs and quads. The EL34 was one of the last additions to the audio valve market and it was introduced by Mullard in the early 1950’s.
Which EL34 ? We explain differences on selected types Read More »
I was repairing a Bugera 333 amp which was really badly crackling. Taking the back off the amp revealed cooked EL34’s. This is a 120 watt combo amp. A gigging amp will be used at higher volume settings and so the output valves get worked hard. In a high power combo amp the valves are exposed to a lot of vibration from the cabinet. This is exactly what they dont like. This amp can use
Using Your Ears to Test Your Output Valves and Bugera 333 info Read More »
Do you often wonder what quality standards are applied when testing your valves? You want to make sure you buy the best quality and this article explains reliable Russian valves. Valves are old technology – the 6L6 dates back to 1937 ! The 300B back to the 1920’s ! The military still uses valves in many systems so it is critical that the valves are well tested to weed out the duds. Valves have a