roadster tube change w/mesa tubes or custom sets? why??????

[ccwhiskey]

4 years of heavy gigging ,weather changes ,dropping my amp from 6ft high the mesa original stock tubes have done the job . i hear all you guys putting this tube and that tube in your amps,can i really do much better ? pros cons? i get a killer sound from mesa tubes just cant imagine getting much better and the worry of using non mesa tubes in the set bias amp .can you convince me to change ? im getting some slight buzz now after 4 years and some minor deggression in the balls sound from the first 2 years ,i know they recommend every year but never had a issue ,but now i know its time 259.50 is alot of money for tubes i know but i think mesa is the smart and safe way to go . let me know guys if you think im wrong ,thanks cc

 

[screamingdaisy]

Honestly, I like Mesa branded tubes. I've tried changing things up over time and have always gotten good results with their tubes... with one exception.

The preamp tubes. Mesa is currently using JJ ECC83 for their standard 12AX7 preamp tube. I find using all JJs in the preamp makes everything sound really dark, dull and kind of wooly. I've replaced the first preamp tube in my Recto with a Tung Sol 12AX7 and gotten really good results. A few others say they've achieved the same too.

That said, IMO there's no reason to swap your preamp tubes unless there's something wrong with them. Power tubes tend to wear over time and if you're feeling your amp is getting a little dull sounding it's probably time to change them. The preamp tubes you'll probably get a few more years out of.

 

[knotts]

A few others say they've achieved the same too.

I am one of those people. I say change the V1 in your Roadster to a TungSol. I've always used Mesa branded tubes in my Lonestar. The Roadster is new so no need to change those yet. $250 doesn't grow on tress. If you are happy with the sound you've had, replace the tubes with Mesa. At the very least, they are consistent.