Mark IVa Re-tube

[steve_k]

Played around with some different tubes in the Mark IVa. Here's what I ended up with...

V1/V2/V3 - Jan Phillips MIL 12ax7
V4 - Mesa 12at7
V5 - JJ Gold pin EC883 with balanced triodes
SED Winged C 6L6GC's in the power section

Thick, chunky and thumps on R2 with the gains dimed out and EQ. All hell breaks loose on the Lead channel w/ EQ.

A bit of an expensive set up with the Jans @ 50 bucks a pop and SED's aren't cheap. But, it was well worth it.

Steve

 

[emperor_black]

There's a lot of tube-talk going on...

I've owned tube amps for the past 4 yrs or so. I must admit, other than the 4 JJ EL-34's I put in my carvin TS100 (and sold) I have not played with tube-swapping in any of my previous or present amps. Besides tube-swapping, have you guys tried other things to change your tone? ...like different strings, pickups, speakers, etc.? I would think a pickup swap would be the easiest way to get your amp cooking. I changed my Jacksons from JB Seymour duncans to the X2N's and man, what a difference! Or did you do everything else and decided a tube swap was the last resort?

 

[Fronzil]

not to hijack the thread, but is it generally agreed upon that all the tubes from eurotubes that are listed for the mark IV, are safe to use?

 

[Jaredface]

yea there gtg

 

[dwsabianguy]

My amp tech said the STR-440s were a close second favorite of his after the Winged C 6L6s, so I've been sticking with those. I've had not a single problem with my tone since I bought new 440s, either.

How are the NOS preamp tubes, gain-wise? I've always been kinda skeptical about it, but I've also always been curious.

I'd have to say - changing tubes is WAY easier than swapping pickups. It takes me at least ten minutes to restring my RG, and it took me an extra twenty to install each pickup (the INF wiring didn't translate easily, and I had rewire each pickup three times to get it right, which sucked), and an extra twenty to install the Dimarzio 5-way switch I have in it now. It takes me probably five to ten minutes to change my tubes.