New to the whole tube thing

[jlomonac]

hi! i got my first tube amp last year, dual recto roadster 2x12, after trying a bunch at the guitar shop, the only only thing that i still dont get is the difference between tubes, my mesa comes with 4 6L6, 6 12AX7 and 2 5U4. also, whats the difference between the preamp tubes and the normal tubes??

please helpppp xD

 

[Don]

Your amp has three types of tubes in it.

-The 5U4 rectifier tubes are diodes and have two elements. They convert AC to DC and have more to do with the amp's "feel" than it's tone.

-The 12AX7 pre-amp tubes are dual triodes and have two sets of three elements inside them. They're two tubes in one. They convert you guitar's minuscule signal to a larger signal. These are put in series (cascading) to provide gain.

-The 6L6 power tubes are Pentodes and have 5 elements. They convert the larger signal from the 12AX7s into a huge signal.

Read the info on tubes towards the back of the manual (if you don't have the manual you can get a PDF at Mesa's site). It's a great primer for a beginner.

 

[jlomonac]

ahh that makes sense, thanks. i'l read the manual now.. xD