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Post subject: Vibro-King tube and bias question....and noises
Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:03 pm
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I love my 2 Vibro-Kings!

With one, I thought I heard some microphonic tube sounds on high volume.
Kind of a soft chiming sound, nothing major. Tapped one 6L6 and it sounded like drum. Maybe microphonic?

Meanwhile the amp will occasionally crackle/hiss when going to standby.
Could that be related to the tube?

Anyway, while I was looking at my tubes, I noticed that the GT 6L6s are rated 8. These are in the "clean" range, 8-10. I wonder if anyone knows if these are stock for a 2001 V-K? Anyway, when I first got the amp last year my amp tech adjusted the bias to the dirty side, for blues. But now I realize that we were adjusting the bias with these clean tubes in place.

I will be ordering a set of new 6L6s in anticipation of a tube problem.
I was going to get a set of the mid-rated tubes (5 range), and have him rebias the amp.

Any advice or similar experiences on these topics would be appreciated!


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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 4:42 pm
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You have a Porsche-priced amp and you're happy with Pinto-priced tubes?

PFFFFFFT!

Ditch those GTs and find yourself some decent glass. If not NOS blackplate RCAs then give the JJs', re-issue Tung-Sols, or EHs a try. Then your VK will be cooking!

Arjay

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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 4:44 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
You have a Porsche-priced amp and you're happy with Pinto-priced tubes?

PFFFFFFT!

Ditch those GTs and find yourself some decent glass. If not NOS blackplate RCAs then give the JJs', re-issue Tung-Sols, or EHs a try. Then your VK will be cooking!

Arjay


+1 I agree 1,000%

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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 6:33 pm
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Yes, I know, I know. But I am not a tube tweaker.

I am more a "plug and go" player. I love how the amp sounds with the stock tubes.


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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 6:39 pm
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ECSTRATOCASTER wrote:
I love how the amp sounds with the stock tubes.


......And I love changing tubes every year or so because the stock cheapies I buy bite the dust like clockwork.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA :!:

Arjay

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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 6:54 pm
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Well, according to the internets, a pair of GT 6L6 GEs and the Tong Sol 6L6s
are about the same price? Are the GTs overpriced on Musicians Friend?


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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:06 pm
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ECSTRATOCASTER wrote:
Yes, I know, I know. But I am not a tube tweaker.

I am more a "plug and go" player. I love how the amp sounds with the stock tubes.


You shouldn't be plugging and going anyway. You should ALWAYS check the bias when you change the power tubes. And yep, GT's are overpriced. JJ's are reasonably priced. Go to www.eurotubes.com

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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 3:15 am
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You should not have any noise in stand by since there is no high voltage, only filament warm up!

You should not have big noise when gently shock the valves.

Maybe make a more precise description of the issue.

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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 6:10 am
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Yes, the amp will be biased when I change the tubes.

When the amp is switched to standby, there is a brief , loud crackle, hiss, and then it is quiet. It sounds like dirty pot crackle.


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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:51 am
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Most of the problems you will have with a tube amp are tube related.

If you tapped on a 6l6 and got audible sounds through the speaker, it is microphonic...that is exactly how you test them

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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:57 am
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Thanks!


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Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:53 am
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Test valves is always a good first check.
If you open your amp, check visually the capacitor around valves and the quality of soldering.
Take care about high voltage that can even kill you. Discharge the supply capacitors with a 100K 2W connected to the ground.

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Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:13 am
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Retroverbial said :

" Ditch those GTs and find yourself some decent glass. If not NOS blackplate RCAs then give the JJs', re-issue Tung-Sols, or EHs a try. Then your VK will be cooking! "

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But wat kind of tubes sell GT ? JJ, Electro-Harmonix, etc ,no ? Groove tubes don't make tubes I think, they buy tubes made by other


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Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:32 pm
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Yeah, Stratele, you're right about GT. Their early history of sorting and dynamic testing( and grading) of tubes was fantastic. Only Mesa came close or ran in the same race, except for a few small fanatic tube dealers(NOS tubes) like Upscale and Hi-Test. GT's sources were always from the current tube builders like: JJ, Reflektor, Svetlana, and the other Chinese factories(although I don't know where the mysterious GE tubes were/are made). IMO Their quality was just fine through 2007. But lately there seems to be a quality control problem. I had to send back two sets of matched 6L6GE tubes last year, settled for Winged C, or Sovteks, for a '65 Band Master. Are they overpriced ? If they don't deliver the advertised product, yeah !!! Art

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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 3:59 am
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Good to know, aclempoppi, thanks


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