Anyone have tried this tube in the Express
- Thread starter rwil
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It doesn't change anything. It is just a "quieter" tube in that it meets their spec more closely than the other 12ax7s they sell. The V1 position (the first preamp tube) is the most critical gain stage as it is the first in the chain ...any noise here gets amplified throughout the signal chain. That's why Mesa labels/markets it as such, but it offers zero sonic change/improvement over another mesa ax7 (assuming the other tube is not bad, of course).
If you want to experiment with tone changes, try not only other tube brands, but other tube families (like a 5751 or 12at7) which offer slightly less gain than the ax7s in there. As well as different EL84s. Both tone and dynamics change with different tubes ...by how much and to your liking is a different matter altogether. No guarantees that NOS or higher price gets you "better" tone. Only your ears can decide that.
Edward
If you want to experiment with tone changes, try not only other tube brands, but other tube families (like a 5751 or 12at7) which offer slightly less gain than the ax7s in there. As well as different EL84s. Both tone and dynamics change with different tubes ...by how much and to your liking is a different matter altogether. No guarantees that NOS or higher price gets you "better" tone. Only your ears can decide that.
Edward
Thanks edward.
Yeah, V1 is exactly where i would have like to use that SPAX7.
I got a regular one and it works fine in V1.
I also swap the 2 el84 2 weeks ago because some noise and if there are gone, i think I'm having more serious problem right now and which could be around caps. I'm getting a strange odour time to time and it seems when I'm using higher gain level, and yesterday the sound suddenly fade a lot and become very distorded wathever the channel selected (clean or blues).
I think I have to bring the beast to the hospital...
God my new strat is in, and not even the joy to explore it with the express...
Yeah, V1 is exactly where i would have like to use that SPAX7.
I got a regular one and it works fine in V1.
I also swap the 2 el84 2 weeks ago because some noise and if there are gone, i think I'm having more serious problem right now and which could be around caps. I'm getting a strange odour time to time and it seems when I'm using higher gain level, and yesterday the sound suddenly fade a lot and become very distorded wathever the channel selected (clean or blues).
I think I have to bring the beast to the hospital...
God my new strat is in, and not even the joy to explore it with the express...
It sounds like you're experiencing some problems there. Not sure what to say about the smell, but I'd definitely replace the pre-amp tubes and see if that cures it. You can get 1 or 2 and replace yours one-by-one to address the issue. Or another alternative is replace all 5. FWIW, for a current-production tube I prefer the Tung-Sol Re-Issue 12AX7 over the Mesa ones. I use them in everything I've had and still currently own ...just a great tube that is quiet and sounds nicely balanced. See if that cures your problems. BTW, what did you replace the EL84s with?
Edward
Edward
The smell problem (and some other strange things) raise since I swap the original el84 with new Mesa el84 set 2 weeks ago. Yesterday I bring back the 2 original el84 and played most of day and all was fine except some popping and spitting noise, and which was already there 2 weeks ago.
So, it seems that the new tube set could be bad, and if that the case, I hope that they did not create damage to the amp since the strange smell!
I will try to get a new set today and see....
Otherwise, yes, I will have to try out the Tung-Sol Re-Issue 12AX7 someday soon...
thx,
rw
So, it seems that the new tube set could be bad, and if that the case, I hope that they did not create damage to the amp since the strange smell!
I will try to get a new set today and see....
Otherwise, yes, I will have to try out the Tung-Sol Re-Issue 12AX7 someday soon...
thx,
rw
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V2 is the first gain stage in an Express and where you'd use a SPAX7.
Ooops, yes. Don is correct about that ...sorry for the error. For the Express, be certain the V2 has the quietest tube possible. All lend their share to the signal, but the first in the chain is particularly significant.
Edward
Edward
Well if it's true that V2 is the first stage, doing many swap around tubes like exchange between V1 & V2, trying also tubes from EH and Ei, I found that V1 is more crucial to shape my clean sound and its headroom. Maybe I have to redo again some swap shoot...
rw
rw
rwil said:
Yes ...correct. Different tube positions yield different results. The thing about Mesa amps is that they are cascading gain stages. Each particular stage in a 3 or 4-part gain stage will affect the tone and dynamics differently. That is why it is so important to trust one's ears as certain tubes sound better, worse, or no difference given where they are placed.
Edward
Oh my god, I got another Mesa el84 set today, this time i selected another color, the "yellow" one. The other one was "grey" as match group. So far the Express is wondefull again, and even more for what I'm looking for! I'm getting a creamy tone in a easier way like I want, and the Blues channel is singing again like i think it never until now! The clean can be easily bold. With the strat is amazing! The other Grey set was having less overall gain, and the Blues channel was so cold and sterile at normal level that I had to raise everything 20% more to get something ok. So now I really think that the grey set is definitely having a bad tube. Cross my fingers and hope that it will be good like that for ever... 8)
That's excellent to hear, rw! As for "good forever," though, that's not going to happen. Preamp tubes last nearly forever ...replace them only if you desire a different tone, but they can last a seriously loooong time even under very heavy use. But power tubes definitely last a much shorter amount of time by comparison. Under heavy use, these do start going dull ...analagous to strings sounding dead. Glad your amp is back better than ever.
Edward
Edward
Yeah, true. The original last 2 years finally, but maybe the use of a loadbox in silent mode for a good bunch of hours is not helping the power tube life (?). Anyway I'm glad now to feel that the express is not going mad, and also to enjoy discovering my new strat finally!
cheers,
rw
cheers,
rw
When you say "loadbox" do you mean some kind of attenuator ...i.e. in between the amp and speaker taking "the load" so you can turn the amp up louder??
Absolutely yes, this wears the power tubes. The wear you are putting on the power tubes is exactly that if you were to run the amp turned up loud without the attenuator, so it's not any more wear than playin her cranked. But since the amp truly is cranked and the attenuator is simply allowing you to hear it at a lower volume, all the amp itself knows is that it is turned up and flowing tone!! This is not "bad" mind you ...just the nature of using the tubes as they were designed to be used ...cranked!
Edward
Absolutely yes, this wears the power tubes. The wear you are putting on the power tubes is exactly that if you were to run the amp turned up loud without the attenuator, so it's not any more wear than playin her cranked. But since the amp truly is cranked and the attenuator is simply allowing you to hear it at a lower volume, all the amp itself knows is that it is turned up and flowing tone!! This is not "bad" mind you ...just the nature of using the tubes as they were designed to be used ...cranked!
Edward
Well I messed a little again around preamp tubes and since I wasn't sure that I already swap V2 using a Ei's 12AX7E. So yes Don, I think you are right, a cleaner tube in V2 can gives very interesting results. The Ei in V2 is stunning! Not only the overall sound is more 3D, but has a really nice "quality/purity". But where I'm really happy is that if I'm getting a much better headroom for the clean, I'm not loosing power nor presence! Since the new el84 set that I swap monday, and now the Ei, the 5W mode has also raise enough to be mostly on par with push pull at lower volume, and which was not the case until now since that thru the stock 10", the 5w mode was up to my taste only when pushed at least at medium-high level.
Very interesting to mess with the Express...
Very interesting to mess with the Express...
If you haven't taken the stickers off of the base of the tube then the smell is probably coming from the stickers Mesa puts on its power tubes. Their EL84 run fairly hot and will actually cook the stickers and create a bad odor. Trust me, I've done it. If you peeled the stickers off then I'm not sure what could be causing that smell. But the only time I've had an amp really smell weird is from burning Mesa Stickers. Otherwise hot tubes smell great. Kind of like new car smell.
Gregg
Gregg
Well yes, the bad odor was from the sticker (glue?), and that one el84 was bad I guess since the stiker was nearly burned. I got a new set and all is fine now, and so far I kept the stikers on them since usefull infos. Anyway the odor is gone an the stikers did not seems to burn at all. Will see over the time...
Thanks.
Thanks.
