Tube advice for MESA Studio Preamp

[DaveShred86]

Hello folks! still a newbie here...

Well just asking for tube preamps for my recently acquired (and now modded with bass shift and c++ mid gain) Mesa Studio Preamp. It still came with stock (1988 or so... :roll: ) tubes, I think it's a time for change, isn't it?

It came with old Mesa tubes and an unbranded one on V1 (need to check again).

I am looking to retube this beauty, thing is I already have JJ on my Marshall and they are wwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too mid pushers, and I just want the contrary for my MESA. Scooped mids like Hell and Hetfield worship.

I have been thinking in Tung Sol for V1 and the rest MESA tubes, what do you think? I am looking for really tight bass response.

 

[csgband]

I am interested in this as well.

 

[Eevil]

Hi.

I think the Mesa branded would be pretty good (newer ones or Chinese). Previous occasion when I had the Studio pre i retubed it with JJ ecc83s and it was horrible :lol: no highs and lows were muffled...

Later on I swapped the original Mesas back in there and it was back to life -experience.

Why would you think the current tubes are gone? Any problems or just for the kicks?

 

[domct203]

I think the Mesa branded would be pretty good (newer ones or Chinese). Previous occasion when I had the Studio pre i retubed it with JJ ecc83s and it was horrible :lol: no highs and lows were muffled...

FYI- The current Mesa branded 12AX7’s are JJ ECC83’s.

Preamp tubes really don’t need changing unless there is an issue (noise, volume drops, etc).

 

[Eevil]

I think the Mesa branded would be pretty good (newer ones or Chinese). Previous occasion when I had the Studio pre i retubed it with JJ ecc83s and it was horrible :lol: no highs and lows were muffled...

FYI- The current Mesa branded 12AX7’s are JJ ECC83’s.

Preamp tubes really don’t need changing unless there is an issue (noise, volume drops, etc).

I thought that the current Mesa JJ tubes would be the ECC83MG not the ECC83... not sure though.

But the aforementioned Studio pre tubes were originals from 80s :lol:

 

[domct203]

I think the Mesa branded would be pretty good (newer ones or Chinese). Previous occasion when I had the Studio pre i retubed it with JJ ecc83s and it was horrible :lol: no highs and lows were muffled...

FYI- The current Mesa branded 12AX7’s are JJ ECC83’s.

Preamp tubes really don’t need changing unless there is an issue (noise, volume drops, etc).

I thought that the current Mesa JJ tubes would be the ECC83MG not the ECC83... not sure though.

But the aforementioned Studio pre tubes were originals from 80s :lol:

My 2019 TC-100 came with the Mesa branded standard short plate JJ ECC83S, not the medium long plate MG.

Did they change for 2020?

 

[Eevil]

FYI- The current Mesa branded 12AX7’s are JJ ECC83’s.

Preamp tubes really don’t need changing unless there is an issue (noise, volume drops, etc).

I thought that the current Mesa JJ tubes would be the ECC83MG not the ECC83... not sure though.

But the aforementioned Studio pre tubes were originals from 80s :lol:

My 2019 TC-100 came with the Mesa branded standard short plate JJ ECC83S, not the medium long plate MG.

Did they change for 2020?

I thought they changed to the MG version but I may be completely lost :shock: Or maybe that I’ve mixed things in my head while surfing the nets and reading. That happens too many a times.

 

[DaveShred86]

Finally retubed this beauty months ago with Electro-Harmonix 12ax7.

It went nice so far! Les noise and more crunch now..

 

[Djentle_Boogieman]

If you want an authentic IIC+ sound from your Studio Pre like I do, with my IIC+ modded one, you can look for NOS tubes like Tungsram and RFT.

One user here used Tungsram in V1 and V2 and RFT in V3,4,5 and describes it as the best tone he's veer got out of a boogie 8)

On the other hand, your old mesa tubes might be just fine, especially if they are from the 80s or 90s, and some of that stuff is so well built it will outlast you.