tube question

[jtb226]

hi everyone. i'm looking to retube my dual rectifier and i've decided on JJ 6L6GC's. i'm going to get a matched quad and swap out all the original mesas that are in there (they're like 5 years old at least). now, i want to get some backups, as i'll be playing live quite often starting in april. for the first few shows, would i be able to just get another pair (of JJ 6L6GC's) and swap a tube in if i need to? any pros or cons to doing this? thanks!

 

[jbird]

As long as you specify which amp they're going in, your fine! If the old ones are'nt too bad, just keep those as spares! :idea:

 

[jtb226]

what do you mean by specify which amp they're going in? would i be able to have 3 JJ's running with 1 mesa and not damage the amp? little confused about this as it is the first retube i've done

 

[Schmoog]

whenever I I buy an amp I always retube immediately. and I order double what I need. so when I retubed my mark III, I ordered a matched quartet of 6l6's, and a matched quartet of el34s. so I can replace any tube twice without unbalancing the push pull

 

[jbird]

what do you mean by specify which amp they're going in? would i be able to have 3 JJ's running with 1 mesa and not damage the amp? little confused about this as it is the first retube i've done

Specify the amp so they can get you tubes in a specific range! You always replace/match tubes in pairs! Two outside/two inside are your pairs!

 

[jtb226]

and what will it do if i put in 1 tube that is the same type, but not matched?

 

[jbird]

Well, don't put one tube in that does'nt have a match? If you must? Your sound may degrade, who knows? Why ask? Always replace in pairs! :?

 

[Russ]

You should be able to run an unmatched tube provided it is only to finish a set. It may sound like crap but at least you will get through. Then you can get a new set of the same and have plenty of spares that should sound better than the mismatch across manufacturers.