I own a custom shop Orange TC30 amp, basicly a point to point wired version of the standard TC30. This amp consists of 4 EL84's, 4 12ax7's-2 per preamp, and one 5ar4 (I think) rectifier tube. I just ordered some Russian Electroharmonix EL84's, and some new 12ax7's, I haven't made the NOS jump yet, I probably will in time, but I want to see how good these can be, anything has to be better than the RUby Tubes it came with. The Rectifier tube is just a generic Chinese one, and I dont know how to tell if its going, nor what I should replace it with. I was thinking of getting either a phillips, which I think is like 50-60 dollars, or a Mullard for like 75-100 dollars. However, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on how you know when to replace them, what a going rec tube sounds like.
Second issue is the speakers. I speced my Orange amp with Celestion Vintage 30 anniversary edition speakers, which I got, but I think they sound the same as regular Vintage 30's, and may not be what I want. I really want the Blue Bell's that came in the original Vox AC30's, but the price is huge. I was looking at the Weber's for 170 a piece, but that still is huge. However, I could get a set of the ceramic magent Weber blue speakers for about the same price as one Alnico one, does that seem more sensible. Any other options, anyone think the Eminence Redcoats or Jensin ALnico line are any good compared with standard or SE Celestion Vintage 30's. I probably should just do it already, but I am having trouble justifying to myself spending another thousand dollars on NOS Tubes and speakers for an amp that already cost me close to 3000 dollars. Especially when I have a custom guitar being made for me, but you know that tone thing, have to have great tone.
Second issue is the speakers. I speced my Orange amp with Celestion Vintage 30 anniversary edition speakers, which I got, but I think they sound the same as regular Vintage 30's, and may not be what I want. I really want the Blue Bell's that came in the original Vox AC30's, but the price is huge. I was looking at the Weber's for 170 a piece, but that still is huge. However, I could get a set of the ceramic magent Weber blue speakers for about the same price as one Alnico one, does that seem more sensible. Any other options, anyone think the Eminence Redcoats or Jensin ALnico line are any good compared with standard or SE Celestion Vintage 30's. I probably should just do it already, but I am having trouble justifying to myself spending another thousand dollars on NOS Tubes and speakers for an amp that already cost me close to 3000 dollars. Especially when I have a custom guitar being made for me, but you know that tone thing, have to have great tone.
The Ruby EL84s are either JJs or Sovteks. They should not be any different from the JJ or Sovtek EL84s you get elsewhere. If it says EL84CZ on it, it is the JJ.
Ruby sells both Chinese 12AX7s and JJ 12AX7s. The Chinese one can be spotted by the shiny metal shield shaped like "pi" on its side.
Point being that "Ruby" tubes doesn't specify a specific tube brand. If you dislike the Ruby SOvteks, you won't like anyone else's Sovteks, and you may well like the Ruby JJs. There is no one generic Ruby EL84.
Rectifier tubes are not in the signal path. Differences between them can affect sag or voltage, but it is not going to affect tone directly in my opinion. I am not saying you won't hear the difference if one recto puts out 30 volts less than another though. Franakly I would experiment with a couple current brands to see the extent of the differences. Then decide if it matters enough to blow $100 on a recto tube.
Failing recto tubes will blow fuses, cause serious hum or low voltage output, or not function at all.
Tone in speakers is like beauty in women - it is all a matter of taste and personal preference. Can't help you there.
Ruby sells both Chinese 12AX7s and JJ 12AX7s. The Chinese one can be spotted by the shiny metal shield shaped like "pi" on its side.
Point being that "Ruby" tubes doesn't specify a specific tube brand. If you dislike the Ruby SOvteks, you won't like anyone else's Sovteks, and you may well like the Ruby JJs. There is no one generic Ruby EL84.
Rectifier tubes are not in the signal path. Differences between them can affect sag or voltage, but it is not going to affect tone directly in my opinion. I am not saying you won't hear the difference if one recto puts out 30 volts less than another though. Franakly I would experiment with a couple current brands to see the extent of the differences. Then decide if it matters enough to blow $100 on a recto tube.
Failing recto tubes will blow fuses, cause serious hum or low voltage output, or not function at all.
Tone in speakers is like beauty in women - it is all a matter of taste and personal preference. Can't help you there.
well thankyou anyway. As for the Ruby tubes, I was informed by a local guitar shop that all Ruby's were chinese, I guess they were wrong on that one. For the Russian ones, are they higher speced, or tested to be a best of the bunch?
I bought Electroharmonix EL84's, you think I wont like those still. I am so wearry of buying the Mullards, besides price, I would hate to get ripped off and not get what I had hoped for.
I bought a set of Tungsol 12ax7's, the new production ones made in russia, figure they aren't that much, I will give them a shot. I also bought a set of the Sovtec 12ax7LPS, I know they aren't supposed to last in a combo, but I have a seperate tube preamp I sometimes use for more gain, and am hoping they work well in that.
I suppose spending 20 dollars or so on a russian rectifier tube isn't too bad, but the good ones aren't that much more, I can get an American made, such as a Phillips or Sylvania for like 40-50 dollars I believe, and I have been told they are far more reliable.
The reason I asked about the speakers is simply that I was hoping there was a chance someone had heard or seen in person any of these and could say, oh yeah they are built like crap, or yeah those were well made. If they had some comments on the sound, all the better, but I know in the end I have to be happy with them. Not that this is the reason to do it, but I think that putting in Weber Alnico Blue Bell speakers would increase the value of my amp for resale more than the ceramic just because its more a replica of the real thing. I also have no intention of selling the amp and am the one who has to be comfortable with the money spent in the long run.
I bought Electroharmonix EL84's, you think I wont like those still. I am so wearry of buying the Mullards, besides price, I would hate to get ripped off and not get what I had hoped for.
I bought a set of Tungsol 12ax7's, the new production ones made in russia, figure they aren't that much, I will give them a shot. I also bought a set of the Sovtec 12ax7LPS, I know they aren't supposed to last in a combo, but I have a seperate tube preamp I sometimes use for more gain, and am hoping they work well in that.
I suppose spending 20 dollars or so on a russian rectifier tube isn't too bad, but the good ones aren't that much more, I can get an American made, such as a Phillips or Sylvania for like 40-50 dollars I believe, and I have been told they are far more reliable.
The reason I asked about the speakers is simply that I was hoping there was a chance someone had heard or seen in person any of these and could say, oh yeah they are built like crap, or yeah those were well made. If they had some comments on the sound, all the better, but I know in the end I have to be happy with them. Not that this is the reason to do it, but I think that putting in Weber Alnico Blue Bell speakers would increase the value of my amp for resale more than the ceramic just because its more a replica of the real thing. I also have no intention of selling the amp and am the one who has to be comfortable with the money spent in the long run.
Call your amp builder to see if you power trans has enough filament current to use a 5U4. Perfectly good US built used ones are quite cheap and reliable as gravity. NOS are not that much more. It will lower your voltages a bit which will reduce dynamics a little but them your tubes last longer because they see less current. I have a hard time recomending drivers becuse they are all so different.
NOS recto tubes may be "more reliable" than the current crop, but the current crop is also very reliable. I service amps for a living, and I can tell you from my experience that failed recto tubes are a very small percentage of the failures I service.
I would rather see you spend the extra $30 or whatever on some interesting old 6BQ5s.
EI also makes EL84s. I don't like them, my experience has been way too many bad ones in a batch. But some folks like them.
I have not yet tried the EH EL84s. Be aware the EH tubes are made by the same people that make SOvteks. The new Tung Sol releases and the new Mullard "reissue" tubes also come from that factory. This is all Mike Matthews doing, the man behind New Sensor and SOvtek. Nothing against any of the products, just pointing out the relationship.
Ruby's are not all Chinese, your friends are wrong. SOME are Chinese, but many more are not. I have been buying from Ruby - and elsewhere - for years, and I usually do not get the CHinese ones, with the exception of their 6L6GCSTR and now 6L6GCMSTR, which are excellent and robust tubes. There is no mystery or luck of the draw, their catalog clearly specifies which tubes come from where.
I would rather see you spend the extra $30 or whatever on some interesting old 6BQ5s.
EI also makes EL84s. I don't like them, my experience has been way too many bad ones in a batch. But some folks like them.
I have not yet tried the EH EL84s. Be aware the EH tubes are made by the same people that make SOvteks. The new Tung Sol releases and the new Mullard "reissue" tubes also come from that factory. This is all Mike Matthews doing, the man behind New Sensor and SOvtek. Nothing against any of the products, just pointing out the relationship.
Ruby's are not all Chinese, your friends are wrong. SOME are Chinese, but many more are not. I have been buying from Ruby - and elsewhere - for years, and I usually do not get the CHinese ones, with the exception of their 6L6GCSTR and now 6L6GCMSTR, which are excellent and robust tubes. There is no mystery or luck of the draw, their catalog clearly specifies which tubes come from where.
thankyou, I was aware of the relationship, I just had heard that the EH stuff was generally of better quality and sound, atleast for the EL84 and 12ax7 tubes, though those LPS's are pretty sweet. I am over-generalizing I know, I was just going by some reviews like in VTV. I may just jump into some NOS next maybe.
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