Stiletto Tubes, which ones are you using?

[Bluesman]

I like the way may Duece sounds now, but I have a rattle in my El34's and the 5U4GB's and I get a horrible squeal out of the FX loop, so I am just gonna retube the whole amp. I am curious to hear some input on the biggest changes you all have seen in your Stiletto when changing out your tubes. I havent heard anything about GT tubes, I have heard some good things and bad things about JJ's/Tesla, What do you think?
Thanks

 

[musicbox]

I have seriously been considering a retube; running JJ KT77's in the inside, and JJ EL84's with yellowjackets in the outside. This way in 50 watt mode I can have 20 watts and maximum overdrive, but while running 100 watt mode I can probably get 70-80 watts of headroom as the kt77 have more then the el34. Might make for some interesting tones...

Pre-amp currently has Amperex Bugle Boy 12ax7a in V1, GE long plate in V2, and JJ ecc83s in the rest.

 

[Bluesman]

That would make for some interesting sounds. I just went shopping at Eurotubes and got the 5 ECC83S's and a matched E34L Quad. Hope it sounds good.

 

[musicbox]

think you could post a little review of the 34L when you get them?

 

[Bluesman]

Just got the JJ's in, 5x12AX7's and a quad of E34L's. My immediate impression on the red channel was pretty nice all the way through the modes, really sounded pretty good.Now on the Blue channel on the other hand, it sounds really hazy, like someone said before like a blanket over my cab, but that is only at lower volumes, once I got it upat a decent volume, not loud, just louder then bedroom volume, the blue channel became very niceand crisp, but not too much. The thing is I bought my deuce used, so really any new tubes would have tightened it up. So it is hard to say about the JJ's.THEN the next thing...I turned on the FX loop, and I lost the red channel completely, nothing out of channel 2. I am going to mess with the preamp tubes and try and figure this out. I am also going to buy some new Mesa tubes, I really dont know what to say. Kinda bummed.

 

[Platypus]

Just got the JJ's in, 5x12AX7's and a quad of E34L's. My immediate impression on the red channel was pretty nice all the way through the modes, really sounded pretty good.Now on the Blue channel on the other hand, it sounds really hazy, like someone said before like a blanket over my cab, but that is only at lower volumes, once I got it upat a decent volume, not loud, just louder then bedroom volume, the blue channel became very niceand crisp, but not too much. The thing is I bought my deuce used, so really any new tubes would have tightened it up. So it is hard to say about the JJ's.THEN the next thing...I turned on the FX loop, and I lost the red channel completely, nothing out of channel 2. I am going to mess with the preamp tubes and try and figure this out. I am also going to buy some new Mesa tubes, I really dont know what to say. Kinda bummed.

Sorry to hear that. You might try putting the mesa preamp tubes back in and using the JJ power tubes. Some people just dont like the tone of the JJ preamps.

It seems like you had it going well when you cranked the volume up a bit. Did you like it more then before the tube problem? What model JJ preamp tube did you end up getting, like was it the normal or high gain rated?

 

[Bluesman]

I got the normal ones, I did put the Mesa 12AX7A's back in, and it sounds really good and tight with the E34L's in it. I think I am still going to buy some new Mesa Preamp tubes and some new Mesa STR 447's or maybe even give the STR 450's a try. Ever heard anything about the 450's?

 

[Platypus]

I got the normal ones, I did put the Mesa 12AX7A's back in, and it sounds really good and tight with the E34L's in it. I think I am still going to buy some new Mesa Preamp tubes and some new Mesa STR 447's or maybe even give the STR 450's a try. Ever heard anything about the 450's?

Ah, I just put a JJ ECC83S high gain into my V1 in the dual rec and it sounded pretty great... but it seems like every amp responds differently to them so your mileage my vary.

Awesome, the EL34L's are amazing, I have some in my DR. I don't have much experience with the mesa EL34's except what came with the stiletto that I had, and the JJEL34L's wiped the floor with the Mesa tubes in my opinion. The Mesa EL34's just had no balls and a very unsatisfying fizzle instead of a crunch. As far as preamp tubes, check out www.dougstubes.com and research some other brands of preamp tubes unless you're really set on the way the Mesa tubes sound.

Glad the power tubes are working out for you

 

[gonziak]

Hi I'm new in mesa I moved from plexi to stiletto ace combo. I've got a question about output tubes How other brands than mesa work in the stiletto? I had to set bias in my marshall but mesa uses fixed bias and no need to bias? I ask beacuse I've just put JJ kt77 to my ACE and it Kicks *** wow 1 channel works great I have to make comparing clip with drive channel Kt77 to Mesa EL34.
How KT77 will work in ACE may I damage something ?
(Edited)I made clips with kt 77 and EL34, Kt77 sound much better on clean channel, and clean with pedals - more clearer and lows, but drive channell works better with el34 at higher voulme.
Anyone try a 6CA7?