Question:
Just out of curiosity, as I'm sure I'll have to re-tube at some point in the near future, having had my amp for a few months, what would different-than-stock tubes do? Tubes are a completely foreign subject to me . I'm pretty sure my Hotrod Deluxe has the stock tubes.
Answer:
Originally Posted by DaGeek Just out of curiosity, as I'm sure I'll have to re-tube at some point in the near future, having had my amp for a few months, what would different-than-stock tubes do? Tubes are a completely foreign subject to me . I'm pretty sure my Hotrod Deluxe has the stock tubes.
Considering that the stock tubes in Fender Hot Rods are primarily used in Russian military aircraft and were not designed for audio use, quite a bit.
Answer:
Originally Posted by RubberChipmunk Considering that the stock tubes in Fender Hot Rods are primarily used in Russian military aircraft and were not designed for audio use, quite a bit.
I'm more looking for what it actually does. What dynamics do different tubes change?
Answer:
Originally Posted by DaGeek I'm more looking for what it actually does. What dynamics do different tubes change?
Technospeak time: A basic triode (tube with three pins or a standard transistor) has an anode, cathode, and grid. The current goes from the anode pin to the cathode pin. By adjusting the voltage across the grid, you can vary the amount of current that passes between the anode and the cathode, thus creating amplification.
Now that we have that out of the way, because of the way tubes are made (with gas in them), currents running through them cause some of the current to break up and act in weird ways. In audio applications, this produces overdriven sounds. Transistors, due to their solid state nature and lack of gas, generally don't drive unless pushed very, very hard, but that's aside the point of your question.
Each tube is slighty different from others among similar types. They are even more different between different types. This causes them to break up in different ways, which is what ends up affecting the tone.
That all came from being bored one day and studying on wikipedia. Anyone is free to correct me if i'm wrong.
Hope that helped a bit.
Answer:
Originally Posted by RubberChipmunk Technospeak time: A basic triode (tube with three pins or a standard transistor) has an anode, cathode, and grid. The current goes from the anode pin to the cathode pin. By adjusting the voltage across the grid, you can vary the amount of current that passes between the anode and the cathode, thus creating amplification.
Now that we have that out of the way, because of the way tubes are made (with gas in them), currents running through them cause some of the current to break up and act in weird ways. In audio applications, this produces overdriven sounds. Transistors, due to their solid state nature and lack of gas, generally don't drive unless pushed very, very hard, but that's aside the point of your question.
Each tube is slighty different from others among similar types. They are even more different between different types. This causes them to break up in different ways, which is what ends up affecting the tone.
That all came from being bored one day and studying on wikipedia. Anyone is free to correct me if i'm wrong.
Hope that helped a bit.
That helps, and is certainly interesting. I'm curious, though, what that would affect sound-wise? Would the tonality vary with different tubes? The main question is how different would my amp sound if I put some different tubes (different type) in there?
Answer:
Originally Posted by DaGeek That helps, and is certainly interesting. I'm curious, though, what that would affect sound-wise? Would the tonality vary with different tubes? The main question is how different would my amp sound if I put some different tubes (different type) in there? well with an HRDlx you're pretty limited to 6L6s or 6V6s or EL84s if you have THD Yellowjackets. From what I understand, the primary thing that changes with these different tubes are the breakup characteristics with both 6V6s and EL84s breaking up earlier than 6L6s do.
Answer:
Originally Posted by thesteve well with an HRDlx you're pretty limited to 6L6s or 6V6s or EL84s if you have THD Yellowjackets. From what I understand, the primary thing that changes with these different tubes are the breakup characteristics with both 6V6s and EL84s breaking up earlier than 6L6s do.
So the overall tonality doesn't necessarily change, just when it breaks up (overdrive/distortion)?
Answer:
Originally Posted by DaGeek So the overall tonality doesn't necessarily change, just when it breaks up (overdrive/distortion)? my understanding is that the clean tone shouldn't change...HOWEVER, I can see a strong case made for an earlier, smoother breakup being responsible for a change in perceived clean tone as you'd get low levels of breakup and compression in a signal that would otherwise be considered clean.
Answer:
I'm fond of the Eustachian tube.
Answer:
Originally Posted by DaGeek So the overall tonality doesn't necessarily change, just when it breaks up (overdrive/distortion)?
No. The characteristics of the distortion are different as well. 6v6 is much sweeter and milder than say, el84.
However, I really would avoid 6v6's on a hrd even though Bob from eurotubes says JJ's are okay. A lot of my friends who build amps think he is nuts for such a statement.
Answer:
Originally Posted by BillSPrestonEsq No. The characteristics of the distortion are different as well. 6v6 is much sweeter and milder than say, el84.
However, I really would avoid 6v6's on a hrd even though Bob from eurotubes says JJ's are okay. A lot of my friends who build amps think he is nuts for such a statement.
Are the stock tubes the 6L6's?
Answer:
Originally Posted by DaGeek Are the stock tubes the 6L6's?
They're a 6L6GC equivalent, yes.
Answer:
Originally Posted by RubberChipmunk Considering that the stock tubes in Fender Hot Rods are primarily used in Russian military aircraft and were not designed for audio use, quite a bit.
While I would agree that non-stock tubes can influence the tone of an amp quite a bit, I have no idea how the Russian military aircraft situation has to do with this. Some of the most sought-after NOS tubes were not originally intended for audio gear.
Nate
Answer:
Originally Posted by nate95366 While I would agree that non-stock tubes can influence the tone of an amp quite a bit, I have no idea how the Russian military aircraft situation has to do with this. Some of the most sought-after NOS tubes were not originally intended for audio gear.
Nate
I tend to agree. My triumph 6l6gctubes sound quite nice and are silent as far as noise floor is concerned. I would love to get another set just like them... however they are so far no name that they literally just say "made in china" on them. (I know no name tubes can sound horrific, these just happen to sound really nice in this amp) Heaven only knows what they were designed to do. (There is someone in socal who actually has made a bassman sounding amp using old tubes from TV's. I met him in the electronics store the other day) You would swear his amps sound like a classic fender, but he uses bizarre tubes never intended for audio and by most rights considered absolutely unusable for audio. (this guy is a hardcore old school EE though pushing 70, I make no claim to know how he does it. He tried explaining the basics and he lost me somewhere about beam alignment on tv tubes)
A good quality tube is a good quality tube.
Answer:
After reading quite a bit, my impression is that tubes vary more in their distortion / breakup / compression tones. When in their clean or what I call hi-fi reproduction range, their tonality is gonna be pretty much the same. Preamp tubes do vary in the amount of gain, from what I have read, even specific examples of the same tube from the same mfr. vary a significant amount. The amount of gain will certainly affect the amp's tone.
Changing out tubes can make a big difference if the old ones are "worn out". I'm not saying that you won't tell a difference of one to another, you might, but the difference can be subtle or even imperceptible.