More economical option than SED tubes for Mark III?

[Whoopysnorp]

I recently changed Mark IIIs--I went from a rackmount blue stripe to a long head purple stripe. I have no idea how old the tubes in the new amp are. They are Mesa 6L6s and EL34s, can't remember the model numbers on them. I'm wondering if it might not be a good idea to pop some new tubes in there just to see if it sounds particularly different (though it sounds great to me as is). I know the SEDs are supposed to be the dog's bollocks for this amp, but damn, at $40 a tube they're pretty expensive. Can anybody recommend an alternative that won't cost me $160 for a retube? How are the Tung-Sol 6L6s?

 

[ryjan]

Ruby's are pretty good. Valvequeen has them for $18 apiece. I ran JJ EL34L's in the outter sockets of my Mark IV for a while and they sounded pretty good.

 

[Neptical]

As a cheap alternative, EH power tubes aren't that bad. They sound pretty good in the Marks.

 

[MrMarkIII]

$144 too much?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/x4-Winged-C-SED-6L6GC-Premium-Vacuum-Tubes-Matched-/110720093685?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19c76e8df5

 

[zodiac272]

If you want a cheap quad:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Sovtek-6L6WXT-Matched-Quad-6L6GC-6L6-6L6EH-/160635682267?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2566a1fddb#ht_500wt_1204

or get a pair and look for EL-34's to go along with them. more from the same seller:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Svetlana-EL34-Tubes-Matched-Pair-SED-Winged-C-/160636279697?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2566ab1b91#ht_500wt_1204

but whatever you do, let them know what amp it's for so the can find a set that will work with your bias.

keep in mind, it doesn't always pay to buy cheap, you may end up re-tubing faster than you want

EDIT

You say it sounds great as is... can you test the existing tubes to see how much life is left? Maybe there is a tech with a tester somewhere near you? Maybe you could wait another year and save for better tubes

scott

 

[Whoopysnorp]

Good point on the old "buy cheap, buy twice" thing, and on having the tubes tested. I'm in Chicago myself but not sure where to go for such a service. Know of a good place in the city?

 

[zodiac272]

in chicago, there is a place i go, on Green street, at the corner of Fulton. Here is his website:

http://modsbydarrel.com/

He's a really cool guy, knows a ton about amps, and can make anything sound good. He is the tech for the recording studio in the same building. Any time I get NOS tubes I take them there and test them myself for free. He also sells tubes for pretty cheap. If you need a part, chances are he will have it.

Give him a call: (510)-898-8348. He is usually there from noon until late. If you go, the door is on the east side of Green street, just north of fulton, and there is an intercom to call the studio (Paradigim Studio I think ) and they will buzz you in. Take the elevator to the top. If nobody answers the intercom, call darrel and he will let you in. He'll let you test tubes all day long and will answer any questions you may have. I'm probably going there monday or tuesday to test a quad of tubes


scott