I am planning on re-tubing my Boogie MKIV A (pre-amp tubes only). Wondering on any suggestions that others may have tried? Also are they like the power tubes were they need to run in a certain range (since the amp has a fixed bias) or is it different with the per-amp tubes that it doesn't matter. In the past I've bought them directly from Mesa and have been quite happy, but am looking for a change...change is good. Thanks
Any ideas for pre-amp tubes?
- Thread starter swbo101
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lespauljoe1
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swbo101 said:
I have always had good luck and tone with JJ preamp tubes. I have tried the standard 12AX7's and I like them very much, but I love the gold pin versions. I have used the ECC83S gold pins for a while and they seem to have a little more of everything the regular's have. They are very smooth and articulate. Punchy bass, clear not too bright highs, and plenty of midrange crunch.
I have recently put in ECC803S gold pins in V1 & V7 of my Electra Dyne. I can't say they made a huge difference, but it did warm things up a little. Probably because it pushes the power tubes a little harder. I just ordered 2 more to put in V2 & V3 to see what it does for the Hi & Lo ranges. One site doesn't recommend the 803's for combos because speakers inside the cab tend to add noise. I haven't had any issues. Maybe because of the sturdy Mesa construction and/or the tin covers on all preamp tubes.
In the past, I have used Tung-Sols on Marshall amps and did like their smooth character as well, but Boogie doesn't seem to like them. I had several failures in my ED. Especially in V4 for some reason.
