My LSS decided to have the rectifier tube for lunch today. I experienced some major noise and some visual arcing and then the fuse blew.....What a PISSER....,anyway,I replaced the tube with a NOS GE tube and replaced the fuse and now all is well....for now.My real question is,Is the stock Mesa 5Y3 prone to such a demise.I've heard that this particular tube has had issues.....Any thoughts on this? :roll:
Mesa 5Y3 rectifier tube death !!!!
- Thread starter litespeed
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Yeah, Mesa needs to get their **** together with the LSS and their 5Y3.. this is at least the 10th thread about people having this issue.
Kind of lame for them to still not have rectified the problem. :lol:
sorry couldn't resist.
Kind of lame for them to still not have rectified the problem. :lol:
sorry couldn't resist.
212Mavguy
Well-known member
FWIW, 5y3 is a kinda wimpy rectifier in specs to begin with. Think if you stuck in another one it might be prone to crap out again. You might have a lot better luck with a decent vintage old stock 5v4, they are not too much more expensiveand are capable of handling higher output demands than 5y3. If LSS means Lone Star Special, it's a 4-el84 tube amp, right? Have run 5v4 in my Maverick for hundreds of hours with zero issues, that amp calls for 5ar4, a slightly higher spec for output than 5v4. 5y3, 5v4, 5ar4 all have 2 amp heater current draw and identical pinout to the socket. Maverick runs 4 el84's Class A and is basically Lone Star Special's Daddy. I have had great luck with vintage Sylvania 5v4, GE 5v4, and Westinghouse labeled Syl 5v4, should be easily available for less then 20 bucks each on ebay. Best of luck to you!
A NOS 5Y3 will definately outlast any current production.But I gotta go with Mavguy, get a 5V4.I dont have a schem for the LSS,but if it is using 4xEL84's the 5Y3 would definately be marginal and it isnt surprising that the rectifier fried.
twally
Well-known member
While the LSS is indeed a 4 EL 84 amp, the rectifier tube is only used at the 5 and 15 watt setings. It uses a silicone rectifier for 30 watts.
However, mine blew a few days ago, and the amp is only a few weeks old. At first my amp started loosing volume, then it just quit completly. It still works in the 30 watt mode.
However, mine blew a few days ago, and the amp is only a few weeks old. At first my amp started loosing volume, then it just quit completly. It still works in the 30 watt mode.
twally
Well-known member
THanks for the info.
twally
Well-known member
I ordered a new Jan Phillips 5Y3 from Dougs Tubes. I just installed the thing and the amp now works in the 5/15 watt settings WHEW!!!!!!!!
I have a Mesa rectifier tube coming from them as well. My amp is new so they shipped one right out, even though these tubea are on back order.
TW
I have a Mesa rectifier tube coming from them as well. My amp is new so they shipped one right out, even though these tubea are on back order.
TW
TP Parter
Member
Platypus said:
I've heard more than once that current 5y3's are not that durable. However, it would suck to spend extra coin on an NOS just to fry it though if it's something with the amp.
212Mavguy
Well-known member
I am browsing ebay at the same time as writing this and see a couple of vintage old stock 5v4ga sitting at less than 8 bucks...The ga suffix denotes a more modern straight sided bottle type than the coke bottle shaped 5v4g.
Speaking of 5v4g, there currently is a listing for seven of them at 95 cents with 2 days to go...!!!
The ga tubes are what I use with great success in my combo amp. I typically pay less than 10 bucks for a 5v4ga plus somewhere betweeen 5 and 7 bucks insured shipping...for that cheap you get a tube that will work under much less stress than any 5y3, and vintage old stock build quality for VERY long life. Nothing to lose considering how expensive LSS amps are.
You wouldn't use a Volkswagen beetle fuel pump for a Dodge V10 one ton pickup, would you???
Speaking of 5v4g, there currently is a listing for seven of them at 95 cents with 2 days to go...!!!
The ga tubes are what I use with great success in my combo amp. I typically pay less than 10 bucks for a 5v4ga plus somewhere betweeen 5 and 7 bucks insured shipping...for that cheap you get a tube that will work under much less stress than any 5y3, and vintage old stock build quality for VERY long life. Nothing to lose considering how expensive LSS amps are.
You wouldn't use a Volkswagen beetle fuel pump for a Dodge V10 one ton pickup, would you???
Any of the 5V4's,regardless of the suffix will work fine in that amp,and as you see,they are not expensive and there are plenty out there.I recently got a sleeve of 5 JAN's for $13 on ebay.Makes no sense to keep frying 5Y3's.
Mick
Well-known member
The only 5Y3's that I hear about frying are the newly manufactured ones. I blew a pre amp tube in my LSS the 2nd time I turned it on and immediately retubed the entire amp with NOS tubes including a 5Y3. No tube issues at all since then and that's a year and a half ago.
Has anybody posting here fried a NOS 5y3 in their LSS?
Has anybody posting here fried a NOS 5y3 in their LSS?
Mick said:
I couldnt agree with you more on the NOS thing.I havent tried a current production tube in over 25 years.I only hesitate advising using a NOS 5Y3 instead of the 5V4 as you can never tell for sure where a NOS tube came from and how much life is left in it.Even if a NOS tube was never used its life can be affected by how it was stored and handled over the years.I have amassed over 200 NOS tubes,power,preamp and rectifiers,and have culled out just as many less than ideal tubes over the years.I am not too familiar with the LSS,but if you are using that 5Y3 in a 15 watt circuit you could be demanding almost 25-30watts at full tilt,and that is too close to the limit for a 5Y3.The 5V4 isnt going to change your sound,but will give a little more of a safety margin,and peace of mind.
212Mavguy
Well-known member
Stokes has the stronger argument... by far. The tube data sheets for 5y3 and 5v4 have been around and downloadable for years to back him up. 
He is right about the increased wattage output from power sections in guitar amps, ESPECIALLY in lower wattage guitar amp applications like the 15 watt LSS tube rectified settings.
For HIFI it is acceptable to run a 5y3 for a pair of el84's or 6v6 in push pull. High fidelity amps operate below the upper limits of clean headroom, much lower in demands than the operators of similarly tubed power section guitar amps use in obtaining output tube distortion way above those clean headroom limits.
:idea: Do not be afraid to use 5v4 in LSS. It makes much more sense than to use 5y3. Peace.
He is right about the increased wattage output from power sections in guitar amps, ESPECIALLY in lower wattage guitar amp applications like the 15 watt LSS tube rectified settings.
For HIFI it is acceptable to run a 5y3 for a pair of el84's or 6v6 in push pull. High fidelity amps operate below the upper limits of clean headroom, much lower in demands than the operators of similarly tubed power section guitar amps use in obtaining output tube distortion way above those clean headroom limits.
:idea: Do not be afraid to use 5v4 in LSS. It makes much more sense than to use 5y3. Peace.
Mick
Well-known member
Not here to argue with anybody. If new mfg tubes were all that were available I might agree. If I was an amp tech and had a schematic for the LSS I'd have a stronger opinion I'm sure. But.... like I said, I haven't seen 1 post where somebody blew a NOS 5y3, especially due to design flaw in the amp. JMO but I'm pretty sure Randall Smith put at least some thought into this design.
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