Which tubes out of these 2 options.. Trem-O-Verb

[Chiliphil1]

Hey guys. Looking to replace the tubes in my new ToV. I don't have any idea how old these are, so I'm gonna swap them out.

Right now it has 3 groove tubes in 1-3 and 3 Mesa branded tubes in 4-6. It also has Mesa 6l6's in there but 2 have brown base plates and 2 have black base plates :shock: One of the rectifiers was loose, so the glass moved around on the base, I've already removed it and just have 1 rectifier in it right now though I never use them. It has the larger "coke bottle" rectifiers in it.

Now, the 2 options I have come up with based on the info I have read on this forum already are.

Option 1
6 Tung-sol 12ax7's 1 with low noise for v1, 2 with low noise and high gain for 2-3, 2 normal for 4-5, and 1 with balanced triodes for 6. In addition to that 4 EH 6l6 for the power section, and 2 EH 5u4gb rectifiers. Total is $203.52

Option 2
Mesa SP12ax7 for 1-3, Mesa 12ax7 for 4-6, Mesa 6l6 STR-440's for the power section and, Mesa 5u4gb's for the rectifiers. Total $272.00.

Which do you guys think would be the better route, and are there any other suggestions?

Thank you.

 

[domct203]

One thing to note with the Rectifiers (and many amps) is that the tone stack driver (V3) and FX loop driver (V4 in the TOV) are cathode follower positions, and New Sensor brand tubes have been known to fail in those positions. New Sensor brands include Sovtek (Mesa "Russian-1"), ElectoHarmonix (Mesa "Russian-2"), Tung-Sol reissue, & Mullard reissue. Right now Mesa is recommending their current 12AX7 (JJ) for those positions, as well as any Chinese tube (Shuguang/Penta Labs).

In the Rectos, a good lineup is a Tung-Sol in V1, a High Gain rated JJ in V2, a Penta Labs in V3, either Penta Labs or JJ in V4 and V5, and a Sovtek LPS in V6.

That's pretty much how I have my Roadster set up and it sounds great. Nice and tight, and leads cut through great.

Dom

 

[Chiliphil1]

One thing to note with the Rectifiers (and many amps) is that the tone stack driver (V3) and FX loop driver (V4 in the TOV) are cathode follower positions, and New Sensor brand tubes have been known to fail in those positions. New Sensor brands include Sovtek (Mesa "Russian-1"), ElectoHarmonix (Mesa "Russian-2"), Tung-Sol reissue, & Mullard reissue. Right now Mesa is recommending their current 12AX7 (JJ) for those positions, as well as any Chinese tube (Shuguang/Penta Labs).

In the Rectos, a good lineup is a Tung-Sol in V1, a High Gain rated JJ in V2, a Penta Labs in V3, either Penta Labs or JJ in V4 and V5, and a Sovtek LPS in V6.

That's pretty much how I have my Roadster set up and it sounds great. Nice and tight, and leads cut through great.

Dom

Ok awesome, thank you. I'll go with that set up then. I know the Marshall JVM I had also liked to pop the Russian tubes in v3 and v5.

 

[GJgo]

I would agree with that, except to say that I prefer a Mullard in the PI (also a long plate) over the LPS.