theroan
Well-known member
So I'm gonna have to slowly replace my preamps tubes. I bought 5 new tung sol replacements. Which slots will be the most efficient to have them in?
7 preamp slots, but only 5 new preamp tubes.
- Thread starter theroan
- Start date
Help Support The Boogie Board:
eudaimonia02912
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2010
- Messages
- 581
- Reaction score
- 0
V1-3, V7
V4-6 don't matter as much for tone.
V4-6 don't matter as much for tone.
theroan
Well-known member
If you had to choose between 4 -6?
>Photi G<
Well-known member
Do V1-5. V6 and V7 are the FX loop buffer and Phase Inverter, which don't have as much impact on tone as the others do.
I disagree about the PI tube having little affect on tone. My experience, and what I have read from others with much more experience then me, is that it has a huge impact on tone and is the hardest worked tube in an amp. I have seen it recommended that the PI tube be changed at the same interval as OTs.
I went Sovtek LPS for my PI too, yeti.
I went Sovtek LPS for my PI too, yeti.
>Photi G<
Well-known member
FXR said:
The thing is, you have to choose between giving the PI a better tube than the Lead Channel. V1 is the input stage, V2 and V3 are the C1 and C2 gain stages, and the Lead Drive circuit is spread across V4 and V5 which are also shared with the Reverb circuit. I'd say V1-5. I am not denying that the PI has any tonal significance, but in the hierarchy of important positions, It's ranked rather low.
some, as we know would argue the matching of a PI tube also.
i opted for a matched tube myself. i noticed an increased clarity in my amp, and a difference in feel, when i changed it from the stock groove tube, which, to my knowledge wasn't matched, but i didnt have an unmatched LPS to check it against, and, i'm talking about a different amp, so, YRMV with the Mark V and an unmatched or matched LPS. the best thing to do, is give a few different tubes a spin.
it'll be one of the tubes i change out when i get my mark v, if i dont like what i hear. but, im going to give it 2 months with the amp's stock tubes before i do anything. i dont think enough people do that, spend time with the amp stock, just learning it and getting used to it.
try the mullard cv4024 trick in v2 (or the 1st/2nd gain stage of your overdrives)...i did it based off of reading some posts that Timbrewolf (on this board) recommended it. i LOVE that tube in my v1 slot...it opened up the amp vocally, and did a lot for single note personality....and chords ring with authority...i didn't lose much gain or distortion, and if i did, i have yet to need to make up for it.
give those two tubes a shot.
check the "tubes" section.
theres some great info in there..dig around.
some places to start --
sovtek lps:
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=33433&p=243868&hilit=baldwin#p243868
retubing a 2:90 ...... cv4024
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=749&hilit=12bz7
do a search in the tubes forum: timbrewolf as the author. he knows his shizz.
for my reverb tube, i use an old fender sovtek wa....it sounds like garbage anywhere else in the chain, but it's REALLY a nice reverb tube....it'd not muddy like you would expect.
i have 2 of them and they both sound really nice and subtle, yet clear on low settings, and ringing and cavernous when the reverb is maxxed out.
something that i got to thinking about with the mark v, and amps that similiarly have an effects send and return tube....leaving the loop on, and trying different tubes to see what the overall character of that tube does to the amp. something to chew on i guess in the future.
i opted for a matched tube myself. i noticed an increased clarity in my amp, and a difference in feel, when i changed it from the stock groove tube, which, to my knowledge wasn't matched, but i didnt have an unmatched LPS to check it against, and, i'm talking about a different amp, so, YRMV with the Mark V and an unmatched or matched LPS. the best thing to do, is give a few different tubes a spin.
it'll be one of the tubes i change out when i get my mark v, if i dont like what i hear. but, im going to give it 2 months with the amp's stock tubes before i do anything. i dont think enough people do that, spend time with the amp stock, just learning it and getting used to it.
try the mullard cv4024 trick in v2 (or the 1st/2nd gain stage of your overdrives)...i did it based off of reading some posts that Timbrewolf (on this board) recommended it. i LOVE that tube in my v1 slot...it opened up the amp vocally, and did a lot for single note personality....and chords ring with authority...i didn't lose much gain or distortion, and if i did, i have yet to need to make up for it.
give those two tubes a shot.
check the "tubes" section.
theres some great info in there..dig around.
some places to start --
sovtek lps:
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=33433&p=243868&hilit=baldwin#p243868
retubing a 2:90 ...... cv4024
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=749&hilit=12bz7
do a search in the tubes forum: timbrewolf as the author. he knows his shizz.
for my reverb tube, i use an old fender sovtek wa....it sounds like garbage anywhere else in the chain, but it's REALLY a nice reverb tube....it'd not muddy like you would expect.
i have 2 of them and they both sound really nice and subtle, yet clear on low settings, and ringing and cavernous when the reverb is maxxed out.
something that i got to thinking about with the mark v, and amps that similiarly have an effects send and return tube....leaving the loop on, and trying different tubes to see what the overall character of that tube does to the amp. something to chew on i guess in the future.
also, based on what i can gather from my experience with tung sol preamp reissues, they can sometimes test low or even dead, and sound absolutely brilliant at higher volumes.
of the one's ive tried in my high gain stages, the lower testing ones always sound better at gig volume..while the better testing ones sound muddy and undefined at any volume, but especially so at lower "home" settings.
of the one's ive tried in my high gain stages, the lower testing ones always sound better at gig volume..while the better testing ones sound muddy and undefined at any volume, but especially so at lower "home" settings.
I should have been clearer. I was only agreeing on the Sovtek LPS in the PI. I don't really know how to suggest 5 tubes be used in a 7 tube situation. I also posted recently, and quite arbitrarily, that I thought Tung_sol's in V1, V2 and V3, would be too sterile perhaps. But I am curious to see what the OP decides and gets sound wise in his opinion.
sevycat
Well-known member
>Photi G< said:
What? The PI position is only second to the v1 in the ranking of effect of preamp tubes.
yeti said:
Yes, I did. I like knowing an extra couple of bucks will have my dealer give me a little bit more special attention choosing a tube for me even if some say that matching is snake oil.
I don't see anyone saying using 2% tolerance resistors for consistency is snake oil. They use them in the important places on purpose. So, in that respect, I think the balanced tube is a good thing.
