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Post by reverendrob on Mar 19, 2022 20:43:14 GMT -5
KT88s were ungodly expensive until the Russian decent ones emerged a decade or so ago, then they were "reasonableish" (a slight premium over 6L6s), and now..I don't want to consider same.
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Post by larryguitar54 on Mar 20, 2022 12:13:38 GMT -5
I would like some sort of poll on how many spares do we think we need. In my experience my tubes just don't fail that often. I will occassionally find an amp will have on hinky preamp tube or maybe a 12AX7 in the reverb section going microphonic. The power tubes seem to last forever.
Let's assume the following:
a.) Main gigging amp is a DRRI and are a weekend warrior doing maybe 1 to 2 gigs a month. I have a set of spare matched 6V6s
b.) Main practice amp is a Blues Jr. Have 4 extra EL84s
c.) For maybe once or twice a year for larger outdoor show needs a TRRI and a Pro Reverb at the ready. Have one spare of matched 6L6s quads for the Twin and a matched pair of 6L6s for the Pro Reverb.
d.) Each was retubed within the last 2 to 3 years.
It seems to me the main thing is to have about 10 12AX7s and maybe about 4 12AT7s? I have 2 extra 5AR4 Rectifiers because the Pro Rev needs one.
Thoughts?
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Post by budg on Mar 20, 2022 12:43:12 GMT -5
I would like some sort of poll on how many spares do we think we need. In my experience my tubes just don't fail that often. I will occassionally find an amp will have on hinky preamp tube or maybe a 12AX7 in the reverb section going microphonic. The power tubes seem to last forever. Let's assume the following: a.) Main gigging amp is a DRRI and are a weekend warrior doing maybe 1 to 2 gigs a month. I have a set of spare matched 6V6s b.) Main practice amp is a Blues Jr. Have 4 extra EL84s c.) For maybe once or twice a year for larger outdoor show needs a TRRI and a Pro Reverb at the ready. Have one spare of matched 6L6s quads for the Twin and a matched pair of 6L6s for the Pro Reverb. d.) Each was retubed within the last 2 to 3 years. It seems to me the main thing is to have about 10 12AX7s and maybe about 4 12AT7s? I have 2 extra 5AR4 Rectifiers because the Pro Rev needs one. Thoughts? That sounds about right . I’ve got 6 6v6s for my drri , an extra pair for my 59bm and a spare set for my dsl40c . My main amp is my drri at church that gets 3-4 hrs of use a week . My 59 Bm ri gets 1-2 hrs of play time daily and my Marshall gets maybe 3 hrs a month , both at home. I have a dozen of 12ax7s , a couple of rectifier tubes and a couple of 12at7s. |
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Post by samspade on Mar 20, 2022 13:01:38 GMT -5
You can keep hearing that simulations are better than the real thing...your decision is if it's true  |
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Post by Seldom Seen on Mar 20, 2022 17:13:15 GMT -5
Re “Hoarding”
This takes me back to the video about “zero risk bias” posted in Moe’s during the TP crisis. I found it to be fascinating.
In my case, I’ve sold a good number of my vintage amps in the past three years so my backup tube stash looks more excessive than it once did.
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Post by cedarchoper58 on Mar 20, 2022 17:40:12 GMT -5
I change my tubes every 60 gigs on my BF Pro Reverb (6L6's) and my MArshall Super Trem (EL34's) but have kept all the old ones for the last 20 years or so. They probably have lots of life in them  I also have around 30 pre tubesI have acumulated over the years (most American and some British) |
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Mar 20, 2022 17:42:40 GMT -5
6 years or so ago I sold all my old tubes for a steal on Reverb. Oops.
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Post by reverendrob on Mar 20, 2022 18:01:53 GMT -5
I retube every few years if I'm gigging, providing I get "that feeling."
I've actually only needed to a couple times in thirty years.
I'd wager a set of power tubes to swap in and test and put the "known good" ones with life in them would be more than sufficient per amp, and a set of the other tubes as well.
L label which amp they come from and positions as well when stored.
Sometimes I won't keep them as backups and swap as needed (mostly microphonic preamp tubes).
Rectifier I don't have to deal with as I haven't used something with a tube rectifier in over ten years!
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Post by Seldom Seen on Mar 21, 2022 15:57:51 GMT -5
I've got a simple tube tester that indicates good (green), serviceable (yellow), and bad (red) and provides match ratings. It's good enough for me and I do use it a few times every year.
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Post by Leftee on Mar 21, 2022 19:16:32 GMT -5
I've got a simple tube tester that indicates good (green), serviceable (yellow), and bad (red) and provides match ratings. It's good enough for me and I do use it a few times every year. Make and model? |
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Post by Seldom Seen on Mar 24, 2022 14:10:00 GMT -5
^Orange Amplification DIVO VT1000.^
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Post by pcalu on Mar 26, 2022 5:34:26 GMT -5
Toilet paper....
Now vacuum tubes lol
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MoJoe
Wholenote
Posts: 855
Formerly Known As: quiksilver
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Post by MoJoe on Mar 26, 2022 8:22:52 GMT -5
While I love my PositiveGrid modeler at home, I'd rather have a tube amp out in the open as I always did. Not hoarding anything but having all kinds of tubes in abundance from forty years of buying and keeping spares. Power amp tubes seem to last forever. When I sold my BFSR, it was pushing the same GE 6L6es that I'd bought it with twenty years ago. Tubes were tested before selling and found to be in spec. That amp had a hard life with hundreds of hours on duty cranked. As neither my current KT66 equipped JTM nor the former AC30 ever blew up on me although both are running pretty hot, I don't feel the need to prep, hoard, worry. At least not since I sold all the petty gear the likes of an AC10 that ate EL84s or a recent Ampeg 15 watter that had an annoying hum from cold starts, - made in Vietnam and Korea respectively.. 0.2
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I also have around 30 pre tubesI have acumulated over the years (most American and some British)
