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Post subject: All About Tubes
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 12:39 pm
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In the 60's, Fender amps went from the van into the venue and back 5 nights per week, season after season, year after year. How was this possible, I asked. Because in Pre solid state days , the military used tubes in all gear, and all tubes were made to military spec. These days tubes are a crap shoot. If you do not like the sound of an amp that you've purchased and your friend has one just like it that you love...switch the tubes out and bingo. Now go and buy some tubes and replace yours till you get the sound you want. Or be less picky. Do some research and try to find out who is making the tubes you are buying regardless of the name printed on them. Check out how many company's make GT's. In fact, they purchased the specs, and machinery for some original GE tubes. Know what you are buying. Then there are biasing issues...and so on and so on....Leave your amp on standby for a minute prior to playing, use standby on breaks, use standby after the gig for a minute (or not), and let your amp cool down prior to moving back to the cold. Yes damage can be done that you want know about till you fire up for the next gig. CARRY SPARES, fuses, always extra 12ax7's, an extra backup amp even. Don't let yourself get caught on a gig with no backup. It can happen to you. But after all the preventive measures, enjoy all that only a tube amp can do for you. And be defensive if you have to. Your bandmates may not understand the subtle adjustments to your gear you are making when they do not hear any difference. Your sound is your fingers, guitar, amp, speaker, all working to attain that sweet spot that only you will know when you are there.


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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 12:55 pm
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" all tubes were made to military spec "

Nope. I'll agree that most tubes made in the 1930-1970 were made better than today's, in general. But, mil spec was a special requirement of tube manufacturers. To meet military demands. Not neccessarily audio demands.

Very few audio or guitar amps used mil spec tubes in the 1950-60's, as stock items. Just too expensive. A new RCA 12AX7 may have cost $1.25 in those days. A 5751 would have cost Fender $5.


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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 3:28 pm
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+1 on the above.

What little I know of tubes, I do know that MIL-SPEC tubes were made tougher and cost more than ordinary tubes.

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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 8:00 pm
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strumsalot wrote:
In the 60's, Fender amps went from the van into the venue and back 5 nights per week, season after season, year after year. How was this possible, I asked. Because in Pre solid state days , the military used tubes in all gear, and all tubes were made to military spec. These days tubes are a crap shoot. If you do not like the sound of an amp that you've purchased and your friend has one just like it that you love...switch the tubes out and bingo. Now go and buy some tubes and replace yours till you get the sound you want. Or be less picky. Do some research and try to find out who is making the tubes you are buying regardless of the name printed on them. Check out how many company's make GT's. In fact, they purchased the specs, and machinery for some original GE tubes. Know what you are buying. Then there are biasing issues...and so on and so on....Leave your amp on standby for a minute prior to playing, use standby on breaks, use standby after the gig for a minute (or not), and let your amp cool down prior to moving back to the cold. Yes damage can be done that you want know about till you fire up for the next gig. CARRY SPARES, fuses, always extra 12ax7's, an extra backup amp even. Don't let yourself get caught on a gig with no backup. It can happen to you. But after all the preventive measures, enjoy all that only a tube amp can do for you. And be defensive if you have to. Your bandmates may not understand the subtle adjustments to your gear you are making when they do not hear any difference. Your sound is your fingers, guitar, amp, speaker, all working to attain that sweet spot that only you will know when you are there.


And the purpose of this little lecture is what? :roll:

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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 11:15 pm
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actually , I transferred this from another thread after posting due to reading about 50 posts regarding tubes. I figured that a new topic about tubes was warranted. I'm just throwing out info that I've picked up over the years. Another grain of salt. But I would bet that every weekend, somewhere, someones amp goes down due to a tube/fuse problem and the player has no backup. Personally, I never play a concert without an extra guitar on stage in case of string breakage. Recently I've seen two concert situations where strings break, and the player has to struggle to get it together during the tune. There is always someone who needs a light bulb turned on. True story: I'm a ringer in a community production of a broadway show. During rehearsal the bass player loses signal. Confusion abounds and I go over to him and ask if he has checked the fuse. He replies "my amp doesn't have fuses, it has transistors".


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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 1:21 am
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strumsalot wrote:
He replies "my amp doesn't have fuses, it has transistors".


LMFAO!!!

The fact of the matter is, many commercially-produced tubes in the US "back in the day" were built by the same technicians, using the same components, in the same facilities, and to the same standards as the mil-spec stuff. The difference lies in the fact that only tubes actually destined to fulfill military procurement contracts were subjected to the rigorous test protocols that the military demanded. There isn't a tube made today -- by anyone -- that would meet the endurance and durability parameters as mandated by either the Army Materiel Command or the Air Force Logistics Command. However most commercial NOS tubes will easily meet the JAN specs.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 1:32 am
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Another little bit of yaddy-yaddy. Mil spec tubes often carry different nomenclature. Four digits or "CV" or whatever. A good program that have equivalence or near-equal mil spec tubes to the consumer variety is the TDSL software available on the Duncan site.


http://www.duncanamps.com/tdslpe/download.html


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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 1:40 am
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Correct.

And several tubes were developed exclusively for the military (such as the 5881, 5751, 7025A, etc) and never received a "civilian" designation, though commercial versions were eventually released using the same GI nomenclature.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 7:41 am
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strumsalot wrote:
actually , I transferred this from another thread after posting due to reading about 50 posts regarding tubes. I figured that a new topic about tubes was warranted. I'm just throwing out info that I've picked up over the years. Another grain of salt. But I would bet that every weekend, somewhere, someones amp goes down due to a tube/fuse problem and the player has no backup. Personally, I never play a concert without an extra guitar on stage in case of string breakage. Recently I've seen two concert situations where strings break, and the player has to struggle to get it together during the tune. There is always someone who needs a light bulb turned on. True story: I'm a ringer in a community production of a broadway show. During rehearsal the bass player loses signal. Confusion abounds and I go over to him and ask if he has checked the fuse. He replies "my amp doesn't have fuses, it has transistors".


So you figured we were all clueless newbies when it comes to tube amps and how to get the best out of them? :|

Hey Arjay, post that photo of all your amps again, please. I always enjoy seeing it. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:22 am
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bluesky636 wrote:
Hey Arjay, post that photo of all your amps again, please. I always enjoy seeing it. :lol:


No sweat, Bill......

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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:40 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
bluesky636 wrote:
Hey Arjay, post that photo of all your amps again, please. I always enjoy seeing it. :lol:


No sweat, Bill......

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Arjay


This is what a REAL tube expert looks like. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:49 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
bluesky636 wrote:
Hey Arjay, post that photo of all your amps again, please. I always enjoy seeing it. :lol:


No sweat, Bill......

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Arjay


OHHH got to love that Tube Amp Porn! Maybe your next shot should be a group shot with all of them turned backwards showing off all that glowing heavenly glory!

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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:49 am
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bluesky636 wrote:
This is what a REAL tube expert looks like. :lol:


Aw shucks, fellas......

:oops:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:52 am
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Can my BDRI come play with your amps, Arjay? It's lonely. :(

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Post subject: Re: All About Tubes
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 10:24 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
bluesky636 wrote:
Hey Arjay, post that photo of all your amps again, please. I always enjoy seeing it. :lol:


No sweat, Bill......

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Arjay


Wow man... I mean, wow! That is one heck of a collection!

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