el34 tubes for mark4

[carloc80]

which tubes for mark 4? i want to put 2 mesa el34 in my mark4 and i don't know if mesa tubes are all the same or if there is some color code for each mesa amp...

 

[carloc80]

??

 

[glawk]

??

just fyi...you dont have to bump your post around here. It will always get replied before it reaches the next page.


As far as I know you need to find the right tubes for your amp.

 

[camsna]

I'm not perfectly sure. But Mesa is GREAT about customer service calls. They (unlike other manufacturers) will take direct phone calls and answer your questions.

Give them a buzz - you'll get your answer

 

[mystidream]

which tubes for mark 4? i want to put 2 mesa el34 in my mark4 and i don't know if mesa tubes are all the same or if there is some color code for each mesa amp...

I would put some Red coded Mesa EL-34's in the outer sockets. Thats what I have in mine and it slays.

 

[mr_fender]

The color codes are meant to identify matched pairs of tubes. There are no requirements for specific colors for any of Mesa's amp models. All mesa tubes of a given type fall within a predefined acceptable biasing range. The colors define smaller more specific groups within this predefined bias range for the purpose of matching. Push-Pull configuration tube amps such as class AB and Simul-Class power amps should always use matched pairs. Each tube of the pair amplifies half of the signal waveform. If the tubes don't perform very similartly (i.e. not a matched pair) the result will be a non-symmetrical reproduction of the waveform. This will cause possibly unwanted distortion and can stress the amp due to the resulting current imballance.

That said, I've heard people say that if you really like the sound of your amp, you should buy tubes that are the same color spec since they should have the most similar performance characteristics. I'm affraid I don't know the exact methods used by "robotube", so I'm not sure if that is true or not. Perhaps someone else here knows if the colors correspond to a defined set of specs or if they vary from batch to batch. In other words, are all red coded STR440's created equally, or do they vary from batch to batch?

 

[edward]

which tubes for mark 4? i want to put 2 mesa el34 in my mark4 and i don't know if mesa tubes are all the same or if there is some color code for each mesa amp...

As was said, the color codes are for matching pairs. As in if one blows or breaks, you can replace a single tube with a like color code. You can have two pairs (say, of 6L6s) with two diff colors ...so long as pairs match, you're fine.

That said, I really like the Siemens EL34s from Mesa. These are true NOS, and really sound great. Unfortunately, they have recently doubled in price ...ouch. But their tone is simply gorgous in my MKIII. And remember, so long as you don't physically break them, NOS tubes are very hearty, and purportedly outlast current-production tubes by a wide margin, or so say the experts. So just amortize their cost over the next 5 years and you'll find these very cheap

Edward

 

[boogietone]

Mesa STR450's.

 

[mr_fender]

So just amortize their cost over the next 5 years and you'll find these very cheap

I'm the same way about elixir strings on my acoustic. They're a lot more expensive, but they last so much longer that they actually cost less in the long run.