Mesa Mark V Tube Life Expectancy

[mikegguitars]

How long are getting out of your power tubes and preamp tubes? I have my Mark V 1 1/2 yrs and it sounds like my amp is getting "different"

 

[fjk1138]

It all depends on how much you use it, how loud you play it, etc. I've had tubes in my first Triple Rec last 5 years without needing replacement, yet I bought a Roadster and had a preamp tube go bad in less than 3 months - under the same opeating conditions as the Triple Rec. Try swapping out some tubes with a few new ones and see if it makes a difference.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Typically, I expect to get anywhere from 8 months to around 1.5 years out of a set of power tubes.

 

[boogieman60]

Yup Thats about right...I've had this set in for about a year and just starting to notice I have to run the volume control higher...time for new tubes...

 

[JimHalinda]

A related question - my Mark V combo is the first tube amp I've ever owned (and yes, I'm in heaven! Can't believe what happens to a note when I just let it ring and sustain).

Regarding keeping a set of spare tubes for backup, how many do I need? 2 power tubes or 4? And how many preamp tubes? Rectifier tube too? Should I just buy a complete set, or is that overkill?

I'm a casual part time player and will probably play out only a few times a year. I have a spare amp that would do in a pinch but would rather have spare tubes on hand to keep the Boogie going.

Regards,

Jim

 

[pipelayer_pres]

My rectifier tube was the first to go. I got about 8 months out of it. Unless you want to run everything in 90W SS, I would stock an extra one.

 

[screamingdaisy]

A related question - my Mark V combo is the first tube amp I've ever owned (and yes, I'm in heaven! Can't believe what happens to a note when I just let it ring and sustain).

Regarding keeping a set of spare tubes for backup, how many do I need? 2 power tubes or 4? And how many preamp tubes? Rectifier tube too? Should I just buy a complete set, or is that overkill?

I'm a casual part time player and will probably play out only a few times a year. I have a spare amp that would do in a pinch but would rather have spare tubes on hand to keep the Boogie going.

Regards,

Jim

I keep a full set of tubes and a bunch of spare fuses on hand. Sometimes the source of the problem is obvious, such as a failed tube that's redplating... however, if the source of the issue isn't immediately obvious it's often faster to simply swap the complete set of tubes than it is to try to fault find the whole amp on a dark stage with a bunch of people waiting.

Once you get back home you'll have all the time in the world to figure out what tube was the culprit. I throw that tube out and keep the remainders as spares. I prefer to replace worn out sets all at once... however, if a single tube fails I think it's a waste of money to replace the other three tubes when they still have plenty of hours left on them.

 

[boogieman60]

I carry (in my tool box wrapped in bubble pack) 2 matched power tubes..they should be replaced in pairs, 3, 12ax7's and 1 rectifier tube. and fuses.

 

[mikegguitars]

just for the record, I installed a quad of JAN Philips 7581A'a which I own three more matched for Mesa quads and the amps tone just exploded! OMG awesome!

 

[Jeff R]

I've only had my Mark V a few months, but in the Mark IIIs and IVs I've owned over the years I changed power tubes once a year and preamp tubes every other year.

 

[theredmenace]

I carry (in my tool box wrapped in bubble pack) 2 matched power tubes..they should be replaced in pairs, 3, 12ax7's and 1 rectifier tube. and fuses.

I do the same exact thing. Never had to swap them at a gig but had a recto fail at practice (not a big deal as you can reconfigure around it).