Amazing what changing tubes can do... HNAD!!!

mystixboi1

mystixboi1

Kick Henry Jackassowski
I recently had to sell my 5153 because Uncle Sam sucks. With the left over cash, I purchased a peavey classic 20 mini head. I always loved clean channel on this amp series, just thought the dirty channel could use some extra kick.

I decided to put a Mesa 12ax7 in v2 of the amp and it turned the dirty channel into an absolute flame thrower. Wow. Soooo good.

I'm still trying to find the sweet spot combination with the amp and my effecta but so far so good!
 
Yeah -- I've got two tube amps (one EL84 and one 6v6) and am going to start doing a bit of tube-rolling (since they're both cathode-biased, it should be a piece of cake.) I'll be curious to see if I can tell the difference.
 
bsman said:
Yeah -- I've got two tube amps (one EL84 and one 6v6) and am going to start doing a bit of tube-rolling (since they're both cathode-biased, it should be a piece of cake.) I'll be curious to see if I can tell the difference.
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I think you will. I remember way back when I bought my Mesa Mark I, I had no idea about tubes and what was different. It was loaded with EL34s and I decided to replace the tubes. I saw the amp could take 6L6 or EL34s, so I went to GC and they only had 6L6s, so I snagged those. I really had no idea they were different, but when I put them in the amp sounded different. The clean was way better and it didn't break up as easy. When I had my tweaker last year, I decided to replace the tubes (I bought it used and didn't know the state of the tubes). I didn't even look to see what was in it and I went with 6V6s because that is what they ship with. Turned out they had 6L6s in it. I thought it sounded much better with the 6V6s.
 
Chad said:
I think you will. I remember way back when I bought my Mesa Mark I, I had no idea about tubes and what was different. It was loaded with EL34s and I decided to replace the tubes. I saw the amp could take 6L6 or EL34s, so I went to GC and they only had 6L6s, so I snagged those. I really had no idea they were different, but when I put them in the amp sounded different. The clean was way better and it didn't break up as easy. When I had my tweaker last year, I decided to replace the tubes (I bought it used and didn't know the state of the tubes). I didn't even look to see what was in it and I went with 6V6s because that is what they ship with. Turned out they had 6L6s in it. I thought it sounded much better with the 6V6s.
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Can a 6V6 amp take 6L6 tubes without modification?
 
bsman said:
Can a 6V6 amp take 6L6 tubes without modification?
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No.

The impedance is wrong and 6L6 amps generally run a higher B+ and the bias will be wrong.

The impedance is the least of the problems; the mismatch can probably be tolerated. The other two issues will cook the tubes and probably take some parts with it.

However, JJ makes a 6V6 that can take the high B+. The bias can be adjusted (with a possible circuit mod to allow it to bias properly). I've run a quad of JJ 6V6 in my heavily modded twin project amp with hopes of reducing the volume; it didn't.
 
I love the little 20w Peavey 6505 mini head I bought. That thing is a beast on the dirty & high gain channels. I just wish the clean channel was louder on it, but that's not what I bought it for.
 
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