Is it just me that thinks it is a pain in the butt to swap out the V1 tube in the Mark V?! :roll:
I got a MESA SPAX7 to try in the V1 just to see if it really made any difference, but I've been putting off trying it just because that position is so tricky to get at. Last night I decided to swap out my EL-34's back to stock 6L6's just to remind myself how the originals sounded (quickly decided the EL-34's were a better option anyway, but that's another story...) and thought I might as well attempt the V1 swap at the same time. It is impossible to see what you're doing back there, but what I really don't understand is why they chose that most cramped preamp tube slot to have the giant spring-loaded tube cover in place. That virtually takes up all of the free space height in the head and makes it super tricky to get off and on - why not have the shorter covers as for the other preamp tube slots?
So anyway, I eventually replace the V1 and get the cover twisted back in place and put in the power tubes. Turn on the amp - no sound at all even though all the 6L6's are glowing nicely orange. I went back in and discovered the problem - while trying to get the V1 tube cover back on, I'd snapped off the glass seal at the top of the SPAX7: thus proving that the "vacuum" in vacuum tubes is fairly important :lol:
I put the original 12AX7 tube back in and everything was fine, but still what a pain!! :shock:
While on this subject has anyone tried putting in any type of preamp tubes other than a 12AX7?
I got a MESA SPAX7 to try in the V1 just to see if it really made any difference, but I've been putting off trying it just because that position is so tricky to get at. Last night I decided to swap out my EL-34's back to stock 6L6's just to remind myself how the originals sounded (quickly decided the EL-34's were a better option anyway, but that's another story...) and thought I might as well attempt the V1 swap at the same time. It is impossible to see what you're doing back there, but what I really don't understand is why they chose that most cramped preamp tube slot to have the giant spring-loaded tube cover in place. That virtually takes up all of the free space height in the head and makes it super tricky to get off and on - why not have the shorter covers as for the other preamp tube slots?
So anyway, I eventually replace the V1 and get the cover twisted back in place and put in the power tubes. Turn on the amp - no sound at all even though all the 6L6's are glowing nicely orange. I went back in and discovered the problem - while trying to get the V1 tube cover back on, I'd snapped off the glass seal at the top of the SPAX7: thus proving that the "vacuum" in vacuum tubes is fairly important :lol:
I put the original 12AX7 tube back in and everything was fine, but still what a pain!! :shock:
While on this subject has anyone tried putting in any type of preamp tubes other than a 12AX7?
