How Important Is Color Code When Changing Tubes In A Boogie?

[rastaman]

How important is color code when changing tubes in a Boogie? I bought some Mesa branded tubes, but I'm unsure of what color I have in mine.

 

[Nomad]

Hey guys if you see this please help Rasta out fast he is recording tomorrow.

I seem to remember on Boogies your supposed to use the same color code tubes when changing Tubes to keep the Bias correct even when going to totally different tube types.

He is going from 6L6's in his Lonestar Classic to EL34's.


Correction color code matters not unless your changing one tube.

 

[jakehop]

As far as I've understood Mesa's system, the tubes are individually matched to a color code. If you are replacing one tube in a duet or quartet, you'd need to replace it with one of the same color code. If you are replacing all the tubes, you just need to have all the tubes be the same color code, or just buy any matched set of tubes. I run my Mesa Boogie Trem'o'Verb with TAD 6L6's, as they are cheap and sound great!

I can reccomend Winged-C EL34's if you want to try something different. Just make sure to get a matched quartet if it's a 100 Watter.

Kind regards, Jake

 

[rastaman]

As far as I've understood Mesa's system, the tubes are individually matched to a color code. If you are replacing one tube in a duet or quartet, you'd need to replace it with one of the same color code. If you are replacing all the tubes, you just need to have all the tubes be the same color code, or just buy any matched set of tubes. I run my Mesa Boogie Trem'o'Verb with TAD 6L6's, as they are cheap and sound great!

I can reccomend Winged-C EL34's if you want to try something different. Just make sure to get a matched quartet if it's a 100 Watter.

Kind regards, Jake

That would be cool if that's the way Mesa's system works.

 

[Nomad]

http://www.mesaboogie.com/US/What_s_New_/Amplitudes/Tone_Tips/tone_tips.html#TONE


Just found this. Look at Tube tips.

 

[rastaman]

TUBE TIPS....Tone is Colorful!

Mesa/Boogie has always built the versatility and tonal potential into the tone controls and features of the amp, leaving the finicky variation of different tube types aside.

Mesa/Boogie amplifiers employ a preset bias to allow even the least technically oriented player to change tubes themselves and maintain the original brilliant and dynamic response from the amp. The preset bias also means that Mesa will accept a much narrower range of tubes at much closer matching tolerances, considering the window provided by the preset bias. Other manufacturers and distributors accept tubes of much more extreme current draw and match variation under the guise of bias adjustability, claiming that tubes of different current-draw offer different response.

Tubes of similar type can vary slightly in response, but variations are more dependent on the bias adjustment.( For more in depth bias discussion, see Randall Smith's article on biasing in previous Amplitudes newsletters and on our webpage at http://www.mesaboogie.com). In the end, for any amplifier, Mesa tubes are more stringently tested, more closely matched, and from the most consistent and reliable of tube production ranges... the middle. Our tubes don't run hot or cold...They run RIGHT! We test and match the tubes for you, which is less time spent trying to tweak the amps circuitry, and more time playing and searching for tones with the amps tone controls and features.

Mesa/Boogie tubes have a three letter color code at the base of the tube used to group the tubes into matched pairs. These color codes do not apply to different tonal variation (the number and two letter codes with the color code are Production Batch #'s and Tester's initials respectively).

Any Mesa tested tube is guaranteed to perform tonefully and reliably within the preset bias of the amp, as long as matched pairs are in the appropriate sockets. No fuss, no muss! Just plug and play when it is time to re-tube. Maintain the TONE! Use Genuine MESA Tubes!

Tien Lawrence
Boogie Customer Support

 

[Elpelotero]

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=3718

 

[Anonymous]

+1 for Rabies - color match doesn't matter!

even for mesa it does not matter. my ace's got delivered by factory with a yellow and a blue EL34.

how shall i displace? I made a mark where to put the blue and another for the yellow 8)

actually the EL34 STR 447 from Mesa looks exactly like the EH EL34

 

[MrMarkIII]

Hey guys if you see this please help Rasta out fast he is recording tomorrow.

I seem to remember on Boogies your supposed to use the same color code tubes when changing Tubes to keep the Bias correct even when going to totally different tube types.

He is going from 6L6's in his Lonestar Classic to EL34's.


Correction color code matters not unless your changing one tube.

Just be sure the outer pair match, and the inner pair match (Green Red Red Green). Each pair can be a different color.
There's no color matching between 6L6s and EL-34s.
Since your switching from 6L6s to EL-34s, be sure the bias switch on the rear panel is set to EL-34.