Octavarius
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Mesa [url=http://www.mesaboogie.com/US/What_s_New_/Amplitudes/Tone_Tips/tone_tips.html said:(here)[/url]"]
TUBE TIPS....Tone is Colorful!
Mesa/Boogie has always built the versatility and tonal potential into the tone controls and features of the amp, leaving the finicky variation of different tube types aside.
Mesa/Boogie amplifiers employ a preset bias to allow even the least technically oriented player to change tubes themselves and maintain the original brilliant and dynamic response from the amp. The preset bias also means that Mesa will accept a much narrower range of tubes at much closer matching tolerances, considering the window provided by the preset bias. Other manufacturers and distributors accept tubes of much more extreme current draw and match variation under the guise of bias adjustability, claiming that tubes of different current-draw offer different response.
Tubes of similar type can vary slightly in response, but variations are more dependent on the bias adjustment.( For more in depth bias discussion, see Randall Smith's article on biasing in previous Amplitudes newsletters and on our webpage at www.mesaboogie.com). In the end, for any amplifier, Mesa tubes are more stringently tested, more closely matched, and from the most consistent and reliable of tube production ranges... the middle. Our tubes don't run hot or cold...They run RIGHT! We test and match the tubes for you, which is less time spent trying to tweak the amps circuitry, and more time playing and searching for tones with the amps tone controls and features.
Mesa/Boogie tubes have a three letter color code at the base of the tube used to group the tubes into matched pairs. These color codes do not apply to different tonal variation (the number and two letter codes with the color code are Production Batch #'s and Tester's initials respectively).
Any Mesa tested tube is guaranteed to perform tonefully and reliably within the preset bias of the amp, as long as matched pairs are in the appropriate sockets. No fuss, no muss! Just plug and play when it is time to re-tube. Maintain the TONE! Use Genuine MESA Tubes!
Tien Lawrence
Boogie Customer Support
Does anyone know why do they say that when the coloring is really used to match with the (sometimes different) fixed bias in their amps? :? Weird. :shock: