I for one don't care for the SPAX7. I bought a bunch thinking I would retube my Mark IVs preamp section and only 1 of 6 actually tested worth a crap on my tester. Then I tested the GTs that I bought at the same time just out of curiosity and every one of theirs tested new on my meter and those were even of differing types (C9 and R). I found that the GTs also just sounded better. Actually the mixed bag of tired OS tubes that were still in there sounded better than the new Mesas. I still have the SPAX7s in the boxes they came in for emergency backup spares to my backups I guess. I cannot make any claims against their power tubes but if their "further screening" that makes their special tube a SPAX7 is tested above and beyond what they normally do to test tubes then I am surely not looking to buy anymore Mesa tubes unless by chance I come across a real bargain for emergency backups spares to backup spares.
JJ6l6s vs. Mesa6l6s
- Thread starter bsideexperiment
- Start date
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jbird
Well-known member
I've ran a variety of Mesa tubes for over six years, and never has one failed! Never!
Guitarzan
Well-known member
jbird said:
Testament to what Mesa looks for in their tubes.
TheRazMeister
Well-known member
Dreads,we have a supermarket chain here that is head and shoulders above the rest. That being said, I can still by a bad steak or package of Turkey from them on occassion.
I've had nothing but wonderful tones from my Mesa tubes.
I've had nothing but wonderful tones from my Mesa tubes.
Dreads said:Platypus said:
well, I don't know.. I think they're lousy. I would get squeeling, farting noises from them.. also like a deep rumbling growl would bloom out of nowhere. These tubes probably need the best warranty in the business because they have so many problems.
They probably buy en mass and then don't do all of the fancy screening they talk about (or people would not have these probs.) It's worth it for them to keep sending you more tubes rather than thoroughly test. If you mean I'm not into microphonics in my amp due to bad tubes, um.. yeah.. I guess you're right. heh.
I haven't had any trouble with my mesa tubes. To you they might sound like crap, but to someone else it might be just what they are looking for.
And +1 to mesa tubes looking better, i agree with that too
And +1 to mesa tubes looking better, i agree with that too
I don't think it's about Mesa tubes being bad, they're not. It's about different brands of tubes give you diferent tone(good and bad, better and worse) Mesa is very runs their tubes very cold, wich makes any tube last a lot longer.
While I really like my Mesa amps, I hate their tubes. I have never had any problems with any of my Mesa amps, and at the same time I've had nothing but problems with their power tubes. So much so that now I just avoid using Mesa power tubes altogether. In addition the more I refine the preamp tone of my amps the more I find myself replacing the preamp tubes as well.
TheRazMeister
Well-known member
Interesting because my experience is exactly the opposite. Nothing but problems with non-Mesa branded tubes. TubeDepot sold me Winged C's where one tube was a good 1/2" LARGER than the other and Eurotubes sold me JJ's that lasted all of 1 month. My Mesa 454's have been running great for months and before that the stock tubes ran for over a year and a 1/2.
t0aj15 said:
G.I.G.
Well-known member
This is an appropriate time to throw out my tire analogy....
When I buy a car, I drive on the tires that come with it until I need to replace them. That's not to say that there aren't better tires on the market that I could buy, but I wait until I need to replace the ones that came on the car.
I'm the same way with amps. I have a Dual Recto with JJ's and I just got a Roadster head witht the stock Mesa tubes. I like the JJ's and might replace the stock tubes in my Roadster with JJ's, but not 'til the time comes. I like the JJ's but not so much more than the stock Mesa tubes that I would replace them right off the bat.
The other thing I would like to mention is reliability. I've never had a bad Mesa tube. I did have a bad JJ preamp tube earlier this year. I think overall they are both reliable tubes though.
As far as sound goes. I think the stock Mesa tubes are a little grainier, and the JJ's are a little darker. You can easily EQ the JJ's to make them less dark because it's not a huge difference IMO.
When I buy a car, I drive on the tires that come with it until I need to replace them. That's not to say that there aren't better tires on the market that I could buy, but I wait until I need to replace the ones that came on the car.
I'm the same way with amps. I have a Dual Recto with JJ's and I just got a Roadster head witht the stock Mesa tubes. I like the JJ's and might replace the stock tubes in my Roadster with JJ's, but not 'til the time comes. I like the JJ's but not so much more than the stock Mesa tubes that I would replace them right off the bat.
The other thing I would like to mention is reliability. I've never had a bad Mesa tube. I did have a bad JJ preamp tube earlier this year. I think overall they are both reliable tubes though.
As far as sound goes. I think the stock Mesa tubes are a little grainier, and the JJ's are a little darker. You can easily EQ the JJ's to make them less dark because it's not a huge difference IMO.
Mugambi
Active member
bsideexperiment said:
Hi all,
I figured I'd chime in here as I bought a Lonestar Classic Head a while back and finally got to plug in recently. My head was one of the original shorts sitting in a GC in the midwest. It had 430's in it. While the clean channel was great, channel 2 sounded as most people here reported, a little muddy, especially in the lower mids. I've been reading about different tube configurations here for a while and decided to retube with JJ's. I received the 6L6 kit with preamp tubes. At first listen, I did not like them. Seemed the amp broke up earlier on the clean channel and while they did cleaned up the mud on channel 2, the amp seemed to lose a little volume and punch. I didn't hear a drastic improvement. I reached out to Bob at Eurotubes and he told me first to rearrange the preamp tubes ( not the V5) and then re-eq the amp because the JJ's react differently than the Mesa tubes. That did the trick and now the amp sounds great! I am very happy although I still think Channel one breaks up a little earlier than with the Mesa tubes. But I must admit I need to play with the gain settings and the effect loop send a little more before I say unequivocally it does. Bottom line, the JJ's definitely sound much better in my opinion and will open your Lonestar right up. Worth a try!
Mugambi said:
interesting -
does the kit contain specific tubes for each position eg V1 V2 etc? and if so what is the difference between the tubes. im assuming V1 is balanced and V5 is also balanced?
just curious, maybe there are some specs to aim for in preamp tubes...?
Mugambi
Active member
DAMAGED said:
Standard 6L6 kit with ECC803 S and balanced V5. No magic formula here, I think the JJ tubes are just superior to the stock Mesa's and once you dial them in it is very noticeable. That being said, I would like to try some of the other combinations mentioned here for other sonic possibilities. Warranty or not, there are probably some better alternatives out there than the stock Mesa's.
Shep
Well-known member
i bought a set of mesa tube's.....i didn't mind the sound....then i read about JJ i was like wouldn't hurt...it was cheaper to buy 6 pre amp tube's and 4 6l6 from jj than just 4 mesa 6l6...and the sound....mesa's are the biggest waste of time and money...the bass is so so much better..tight..i love JJ's..
I think mesa could start offereing JJ tubes, right now. it's all about money. that's why mesa dosen't offer a Bias Pot on their amps. they could put the pot there and still sell their matched tubes. Mesa must make more money on the tubes, then the amps. i bet i'm right about that.
