Tube advise - Rectoverb / Rectifier / JJ

[Svengali]

Hi all,

First post here on the boogie forum, hope you guys can share some of your experience so I can make the right choice.


I play two mesa amps, a dual rectifier (3chan) head and I have recently bought a rectoverb combo too and since the original owner had never changed tubes in it and I know they have been used hard and also that my DR is needing new tubes (it will also be the first time I'll be changing them) I decided it would be a good time to retube both.

For the DR I'm leaning towards the JJ high gain "pack" some stores offer (well, thru my dealer I'll buy them individually but you know what the thing is) as it seems to be what I'm after and from what I've read they seem a good choice.

Now, since the rectoverb is a "wattered down" thing based on the rectifier it would only seem logic for me to pick the same tubes for it but the thing is the DR is for my live rig and the rectoverb is what I use at home, studio and small gigs with another project to which I found that it's vintage mode on channel two fits like a glove... so here's what's troubling me: the vintage mode (or at least the settings I reached after tweaking and tweaking and tweaking sound great but it's definetly a tone that is somewhat (or actually a lot!) on the dark side, I think the vintage mode "per se" is a dark sounding tone that has a certain "muffled" quality in it that you can open up and make it breathe a bit but in the end it will always be there (and I like it!) and from what I've read the JJ's darken the sound a little bit... So, for my DR which I use mostly on the modern mode it will probably work like a charm removing some of that trademark fizz but for the rectoverb and the vintage channel more darkness is definetly not what I'm looking for.

Now, I could probably try the other way around and look for some "bright" tubes for it but then won't it make the modern mode way too fizzy (I'll need the modern mode on the rectoverb every now and then) ? Would I be better swapping the rectoverb tubes for stock ones or similar ones ? And if so what would be my best bet for it since my dealer doesn't carry mesa tubes ?

Also, I like the clean channels very much (I actually think I like the rectoverb's one better!), will the JJ high gain tubes ruin it ?

Thank you all in advance.


Oh and btw, I'm talking about full retubes both pre and power sections (with 6L6s)

 

[R_ADKINS80]

I am a fan of the "High Gain" rated JJ's in rectifiers. At least the ones I got from Eurotubes anyways. They are brighter than the mesa labeled ones I have, which make the amp very dark and muddy IMO.

 

[Svengali]

I am a fan of the "High Gain" rated JJ's in rectifiers. At least the ones I got from Eurotubes anyways. They are brighter than the mesa labeled ones I have, which make the amp very dark and muddy IMO.

That's good to hear cause I read sometimes across the internet that JJs would actually darken the sound.

Can you tell me if they have had any signidicant impact on the clean channel ?


Thanks!

 

[R_ADKINS80]

no comment on cleans.....haven't actively used a clean tone in years. I don't think I have ever switched to the clean channel on my rectifier since i bought it in 2008.

 

[Blaklynx]

Why not buy a couple of different preamp tubes to place in V1 on the RV? V1 will have the most impact on the tone. Tungsols are very popular. Plus you'll have some spare tubes of which you should have anyway.

Alternatively, if you find the amp is a little dark or too bright no matter what you do with the amps EQ, place an EQ in the loop and use that to do some final tone shaping. Place one out front, too, if you want. I do this with my RV (2 EQ's). Makes the biggest difference when you can finely EQ the bottom, mids and treble. I use two MXR 10 bands and also a Danelectro Fish n' Chips placed last in the loop as a volume/mid-boost for leads. Works a treat.

By the way, I use a Sylvania 5751 tube in V1 and JJ's in the other positions and in the PI slot I use a Sovtek LPS. For power amp, I use =C= EL34's. I also push my amp with pedals.

Just experiment. There's no right or wrong. Whatever sounds best to you.