Tubes

[jnoel64]

First of all, I know Mesa's recommendations on how often to replace tubes. I also am aware that time frames are really just guidelines.

I've had mine in for a year. In that year, I've played around 30 gigs for about 3 1/2 hours each. So, that's a rough estimate of about 105 hours at moderate volumes. I do notice a slight reduction in gain, but tonally nothing has really altered much. So, I am currently contemplating a tube roll.

I am mainly just curious as to when my fellow Dyne owners change their tubes.

 

[dodger916]

Gain is more preamp tube related, and they should last a loooong time. When power tubes are used up you'll notice reduced definition in lows and highs and a general loss of dynamics, a blander tone. Volume will fade too.

 

[thunda1216]

tubes should last thousands of hours, not hundreds...

 

[elvis]

+1... sort of.

Ideally preamp tubes should last 1000s of hours. Currently tubes are made so poorly that I feel lucky to get a couple hundred hours.

However, I generally don't get tube wearout, I get failure. Either the PI fails and I get low-volume farts out of the amp or a preamp tube fails and I get low volume/low gain or no volume out of one or more channels.

I tend to change power tubes too often because I don't want them to detonate and take the resistors with them. But power tube life is probably in the hundreds of hours.

 

[jnoel64]

Turns out my gain loss was due to a weak link in my signal chain. After replacing cables in my rack unit, I am now thinking my BBE is on the verge of dying. At any rate, I love using Tung-Sols in V1, V2, and V3. Out of curiosity, I am thinking about using a Mullard in V2 or V3 since I use Vintage Lo more than any other mode. Has anyone tried Mullards in their Dyne?