Tube Life: EL84's in a mini Rectoverb

[polaris20]

Today I had the volume cutting a lot on both channels of the ROV. I've had the amp probably a little over a year I think, casually use. I popped in new tubes, and voila; sounds great again, and loud as hell.

Is it normal to go through power tubes this quick? I don't remember swapping them on my DC this much, but i do play my Recto more, and I know EL84's don't last as long.

Thoughts?

I'd say no more than about 50 hours use, given one or two hours a week for a year.

 

[vick1000]

Depends on how much you play, how hot the tubes are biased, and how well the tubes are built. But a year is somewhat a short life for a few hours up time every day. Some tubes just die early.

 

[elvis]

+1

Most people wait too long to replace power tubes because they go slowly over a long period of time and they don't notice the incremental tone change. A low-ish power tube like EL84 should last a few thousand hours.

Early damage could be caused by a fault or other problem, abuse (not sure how to abuse one in a Mesa, which are designed to baby the tubes) or bad manufacturing. I have known people who have run power tubes for decades, but I doubt you'd get that kind of life with contemporary tubes.

Given that tubes are basically cheap light-bulbs and are terribly prone to premature failure, I'd go with that assumption. But if it happens again, check your amp and your line voltage.

 

[vick1000]

Cheap light bulbs? More like expensive, hgh voltage, vaccum purged..."light bulbs".

 

[screamingdaisy]

Modern tubes are a gamble. Mesa can test for serviceability but there's no way to predict lifespan. It's why Mesa offers the six month warranty.

 

[soundchaser59]

.....and I know EL84's don't last as long in Mesa amps.

Fixed.

If you want great sound, buy more EL84's and replace them on schedule every year.

If you want long lasting EL84's, buy a Peavey.

Every EL84 Mesa amp I've had (maybe 6 different Mesa amps) the only EL84 tubes I've used in them that had no problems and lasted a full year of regular moderate use, like 2-4 hours a day 3 or 4 or even 5 days a week, were JJ. I've never doled out the funds for anything "boutique-ish" but I know that budget tubes like Sovteks and GT and Ruby have never made it more than a month before they are spent. I start getting crackling and other odd sounds, and all of that went away for at least a year after I put JJ's in. JJ's are the only brand that have never red-plated in my Mesa amps.