Multiple Mesa Rig Tube List

[jpdennis]

O.K. here is the list as it stand of this moment in time with my Mesa amps. My style is Montrose to Allman Bro to Fulson to Benson (tempered with a slight dash of Yngwie :roll: ). The .50 Caliber actually has the best tone to my ear but my wife says it is the Heartbreaker, which I think ties the Mark III.

Mesa Heartbreaker Combo (Version B – 2000??) 8)
V1 – TAD 7025-S
V2 – JJ GOLD 12AX7
V3 – TAD 7025-S
V4 – TAD 7025-S
V5 – TAD 7025- S balanced
V6 – JJ GOLD 12AX7
V7 – TAD 7025-S
Power Tubes = SED Winged C - 6L6GC rated at 19
Rectifier = Sovtek 5AR4

Mesa Mark III Combo (32nd Week in 1985 = mid July) no stripe 8) 8)
V1 – Tung-Sol 12AX7/ECC803-S (Gold)
V2 – Tung-Sol 12AX7
V3 – RFT ECC83/12AX7
V4 – JJ GOLD 12AX7
V5 – TAD 7025-S balanced
Power Tubes = SED Winged C - 6L6GC rated at 19 & SED Winged C EL34 rated at 35

Mesa .50 Caliber Combo (1986??) 8) :mrgreen: 8)
V1 – Mesa 12AX7
V2 – Mesa 12AX7
V3 – Mesa SPAX7
V4 – JJ GOLD 12AX7
V5 – TAD 7025-S balanced
Power Tubes = Mesa EL84 Yellow rating

Anyone else care to share their tubes/amp/style? Also, I will be using the many 1 to 4 month old predominantly Mesa tubes I now have in inventory to setup the Fender 75 and the Acoustic 165 for some comparison's - I'll add those to the thread later when finished [another several months or not :shock: ]

Dennis

 

[rectofried]

i have a 96 dual recto chrome/chrome. i play everything from skynard to alter bridge to dokken.

v1= sovtek lps
v2= tungsol
v3= chinese 9th
v4= ruby AC5 HG+
v5= sovtek lps

i really dont like the tone of the chinese tubes but i had volume and gain drop issues when running russian in the cathode slots. i like the clarity of the lps.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a MArk V and so far this is what i liked:

V1 Mullard RI high gain

V2 TAD

V3 Tungsol RI

V4 tungsol RI

V5 svetlana

V6 tungsol RI

V7 sovtek LPS matched sections

 

[jpdennis]

i have a 96 dual recto chrome/chrome. i play everything from skynard to alter bridge to dokken.

v1= sovtek lps
v2= tungsol
v3= chinese 9th
v4= ruby AC5 HG+
v5= sovtek lps

i really dont like the tone of the chinese tubes but i had volume and gain drop issues when running russian in the cathode slots. i like the clarity of the lps.

How do you like the Ruby and the Tungsol? I have heard the Sovtek LPS is great in stacks and racks.

I have a MArk V and so far this is what i liked:

V1 Mullard RI high gain

V2 TAD

V3 Tungsol RI

V4 tungsol RI

V5 svetlana

V6 tungsol RI

V7 sovtek LPS matched sections

Is the Mullard RI as high gain (110 I think) as they advertise? No noise or microphonics? What other tubes did you try in the V1 before chosing that one.

Thanks to both of you for responding. I guess my tone quest will always be on going. :?

Dennis

 

[rectofried]

i think the tungsol is a little hotter than the lps. but has a little fuzz on top strings to my ears..the lps is hard to beat for clarity. the ruby HG5+ IS a chinese 9th to my understanding that is graded for low noise and micrphonics. and it is just that, high gain and low noise.

 

[Anonymous]

Is the Mullard RI as high gain (110 I think) as they advertise? No noise or microphonics? What other tubes did you try in the V1 before chosing that one.

Thanks to both of you for responding. I guess my tone quest will always be on going.

Dennis

HEy dennis,

you have to request the mullard high gain option... got my tubes from the tube store but any reliable vendor could do the same. so far no problems at all just beautiful smooth sound overall.

i tried in V1, mesa (which the new ones are relabelled jj's), tungsol RI high gain, eh, svetlana (this would be my second choice) and chinnese 9th generation.

i left the mullard in V1 because the over all smoothness with out loosing the gain, dynamics, clarity and fullness....... again this is just my observations.

as you said "the tone quest will be always on" so basically you have to try different 12AX7 on V1!!!!! also i have to mention that out of all the 12AX7 i tried in V7 (in my amp this is the PI) the sovtek 12AX7 LPS matched triodes or matched sections is excellent!!!!!

good luck :wink:

 

[jpdennis]

i think the tungsol is a little hotter than the lps. but has a little fuzz on top strings to my ears..the lps is hard to beat for clarity. the ruby HG5+ IS a chinese 9th to my understanding that is graded for low noise and micrphonics. and it is just that, high gain and low noise.

I noticed something was giving me a top end fizz. Hmmm, looks like I am on the quest again. I have many 12AX7 tubes now (I just counted 31 - about 8 not even used yet and the rest have about 4 to 7 hours each of use - tops) to check out if it is V1 and possibly V2. Thanks for the insight.

...you have to request the mullard high gain option... got my tubes from the tube store but any reliable vendor could do the same. so far no problems at all just beautiful smooth sound overall...

i tried in V1, mesa (which the new ones are relabelled jj's), tungsol RI high gain, eh, svetlana (this would be my second choice) and chinnese 9th generation.

i left the mullard in V1 because the over all smoothness with out loosing the gain, dynamics, clarity and fullness....... again this is just my observations. ... good luck :wink:

I buy from the tubestore as well. :wink: I may have to try this Mullard High Gain for V1. Just when I thought I had hit the mix for the Mark. I found the TAD balanced from the tubestore to be very stable in the PI. Next time I need a new tube for that I might leap for a Sovtek LPS. I just received my Monster Power Pro 3500 power conditioner/filter. So I may have to pamper my wife before any more tube quests.

Thanks all.

Dennis

 

[droptrd]

The LPS is a great universal tube. I ran all 5 positions with them in a recto before and had great results. I really love it in the PI position.

 

[konstantine RK]

lol I was hoping to get a preamp tube list for the Roadking 1

 

[golfnguitarz]

Is the Mullard RI as high gain (110 I think) as they advertise? No noise or microphonics? What other tubes did you try in the V1 before chosing that one.

Thanks to both of you for responding. I guess my tone quest will always be on going.

Dennis

HEy dennis,

you have to request the mullard high gain option... got my tubes from the tube store but any reliable vendor could do the same. so far no problems at all just beautiful smooth sound overall.

i tried in V1, mesa (which the new ones are relabelled jj's), tungsol RI high gain, eh, svetlana (this would be my second choice) and chinnese 9th generation.

i left the mullard in V1 because the over all smoothness with out loosing the gain, dynamics, clarity and fullness....... again this is just my observations.

as you said "the tone quest will be always on" so basically you have to try different 12AX7 on V1!!!!! also i have to mention that out of all the 12AX7 i tried in V7 (in my amp this is the PI) the sovtek 12AX7 LPS matched triodes or matched sections is excellent!!!!!

good luck :wink:

I have been going over alot of yours and Heritage Softail's tube related threads and am headed down the same road as you guys I think (EL34's eventually). But for now I am trying to like the 6L6's and get to know them better. I just gotta get rid of that harsh high end I keep hearing. I tried a TS in V1 and it didn't really do much. So a Mullard or maybe 5751 (I think it was) are on the list next. I want to tame the harsh high end and if I can give channel 2 a little more mids. Will the Mullard fit this bill or am I hoping for too much.

 

[konstantine RK]

roadking preamp list from another thread for which I need advice BAD!




I dont understand "gain stages"

Now if it's up to my untrained eye I would think that the first two tubes are for the 1st and 2nd channels, while V3 is for the distorted channels gain and this "Stack Driver"?

V4 is for reverb and V5 is for my FX loops...

Now what kind of pre amp tubes are popular from 1 to 5?

I have a Penta lab in V1, a Mesa "russian 2" in V2, a V3, a JJ 12ax7 in V4 and a no name preamp tube with a darkened tip.

I like this combination so far but is there anything I should know about?

 

[212Mavguy]

Glad I spent time reading and rereading the effing manual...my Mav had almost no volume on the fat side of the clean channel when I came back to play after taking a break three nights ago. Used the logic and found the right tube first time and replaced it.

Konstantine RK, you should know by heart what each tube half does in your preamp. If you don't then it's RTFM time, well spent. Hope the stuff you want is in the online manual for your Mesa amp(s) :wink: It was for mine anyway.

My tube list, only have one Mesa, however, I have used that amp in multi amp setups slaving various single channel boutique amps with its output. Play clean through less than metal dirty, use a decent fx board/processor 4 cable method through the stock fx loop, which I like a lot with this amp.

Maverick 2/12, no Mesa tubes or speakers in this one, my choices from listening to each change one at a time.
Speakers: JBL MI-12 in series for 16 ohms

V1- first gain stage of bright and fat sides of clean channel and second stage of fat side of clean channel:
NOS Sylvania labeled Brimar shortplate 12ax7a/7025a, England

V2- primary gain stage(s) of lead channel:
NOS Sylvania labeled Brimar (different series) shortplate 12ax7a/7025a, England

V3- secondary gain stage(s) of lead channel:
VOS Siemens e83cc triple mica, Germany

V4- secondary gain stages for bright and fat sides of clean channel:
VOS Brimar CV 4004 (12ax7) England

V5- reverb send/return:
NOS Hoges labeled Tungsram 12ax7, Hungary

V6- phase inverter:
VOS Siemens e83cc triple mica balanced sections, Germany

V7- full wave rectifier:
VOS Sylvania 5v4ga, USA

V8-11 power tubes, 7189 rated el84:
NOS Panno 6p14p-ev, USSR

New preamp tubes sound pretty harsh on top a lot of the time, they need a couple hundy hours playing music to get sounding better. The old stuff no longer made just sounds better nearly every time, even though the newly produced amps are voiced to sound the best they can with the available current tube production.

 

[konstantine RK]

rftm LOL

Yea I guess that is true