i have a question about cheap tubes vs quality tubes.

[voxac30dude]

ok so i bought a crate v-33 head and i am running it into a marshall mg 4x12 cab. the head is 30 watts of class A power. i am planning on changing the tubes to jj el84's and mullard 12ax7's. i am wondering how quality tubes will differ from cheapo sovtek el84's and 12ax7's. advice would be super helpfull since this is my first tube change with a el84 amp.

[slowhand0461]

My bandmate (Bordeaux on this forum) has a Crate V32 combo...it sounded great when he bought it.....He retubed it with JJ's all around and it really opened up the amp...night and day..

I have 2 Peavey Classic 50's and I run Tube Amp Doctor el-84's in mine(I used to use JJ's)..and I personally like the TAD"S better..

check this thread:
TAD's EL84 ?


They cost a little more than the JJ's but the tone is better!


Also just make sure you get a matched Quad of power tubes,then you wont have to worry about mixmatched bias..

[voxac30dude]

wow so, better power tubes give you way more clarity? what about pre amp tubes.
i really like the edges tone and tom petty's tone. from what i know is they both use vox ac30's. my amp sounds alot like a vox ac30 and i want the tone to get as close as possible to a real one so will the TAD's help me achieve this?

oh yeah and i forgot to mention i have only $130 for the tube change. i have to get 4 el84's and three 12ax7's.

[slowhand0461]

Don't get me wrong JJ's are great tubes!(I still have JJ's in My Classic 30)!..I just find that the TAD's sound a little "fuller"...

Check Eurotubes...he has some guides on how to stack your tubes to get a particular sound(you don't have to necessarily buy from them,,but you can see which tubes are recommended for each position to achieve a particular tone)

https://ssl.eurotubes.com/cart/index...category_id=83

[Sky]

Originally Posted by slowhand0461

Don't get me wrong JJ's are great tubes!(I still have JJ's in My Classic 30)!..I just find that the TAD's sound a little "fuller"...

Check Eurotubes...he has some guides on how to stack your tubes to get a particular sound(you don't have to necessarily buy from them,,but you can see which tubes are recommended for each position to achieve a particular tone)

https://ssl.eurotubes.com/cart/index...category_id=83

+1
That helped a lot

[dennistruckdriver]

Here we go again!

Did you have a Merry Christmas V?

[voxac30dude]

thanks sooooooo much.
so how was eveyones xmas? anyone get new gear? please telll

[Belzeebub]

none. Im broke to the bone but hopefully, I will get my much needed gear next year if all goes well.

[Standard 64]

I have a palomino v32 combo with a celestion g12k100 speaker(100watts,super heavy magnet) in it and I got my custom made set of JJ's from eurotubes today ,about $77.00 shipped to my door.This isnt my first set,I had some JJs in their I bought from a mom and pop shop a long time ago.This set is custom matched to my needs per eurotubes website.I really like them,great full cleans and great clean hard rock crunch.I had TAD's,EH's,Groovetubes,and some gold labeled sovteks.I am going to stick with Eurotubes great service,great price,super fast delivery,and great sounding tubes.I also have a custom set of eurotubes JJ's 6l6's in my Fender hot rod deluxe which I have running through a 2x12 cab with a celestion v30 and a g12h30 in it withlots of pedals.To each his own I guess.

[coldsteal2]

some times cheap tubes sound better
for distortion and sustain

[broke_player]

Is your V33H all stock and unmodded? I have the same head, I bought it because of the price, it was a really good deal.

Anyway there is a mod you can do to it that really opens up the overdrive channel, it is like night and day. You will not believe your ears when it is done. If you wan to know more just let me know.

I still have the stock tubes in mine. I plan on getting new tubes after the new year.

[Splattle101]

Just because they're cheap doesn't mean they're crap. I rather like the sound of the Marshall-label EL34s from China. To my ear they sounded far better than the Svets, EHs or Sovtek EL34s in my old Laney. This is not to say I think they're the be-all and end all, but rather to point out that just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's good. And just because it's crap, it doesn't mean that it isn't EXACTLY the crap your amp needs to sound great.

In 12AX7 land I like the Tung Sol 12AX7s, and the Groove Tube 12AX7M and ECC83. The JJECC83s is the GT product without their premium (testing etc). I rather like the new Sovtek 12AX7WC, too. Nice valves all.

Good luck.

[Standard 64]

Some tubes sound a lot better in some amps than other amps,cheap or expensive.For $77.00 to your door(for the standard set) you get 4 matched el84's and 3-12ax7's,which one is balanced in the v3 position(farthest from the input).They also have JJ custom matched sets for the crate V series that go up to $99.00.You can post diagrams,schematics,whatever,I think these tubes are full sounding tubes on the clean side with much,much improved crunch channel over stock tubes and especially for the Crate V series make a great combo.

[voxac30dude]

Originally Posted by broke_player

Is your V33H all stock and unmodded? I have the same head, I bought it because of the price, it was a really good deal.

Anyway there is a mod you can do to it that really opens up the overdrive channel, it is like night and day. You will not believe your ears when it is done. If you wan to know more just let me know.

I still have the stock tubes in mine. I plan on getting new tubes after the new year.

i am super interested in getting my head modded. details please!!

[dennistruckdriver]

Originally Posted by voxac30dude

i am super interested in getting my head modded....

Good luck!

[voxac30dude]

Originally Posted by dennistruckdriver

Good luck!

is this going in your truck?

[dennistruckdriver]

Originally Posted by voxac30dude

is this going in your truck?

No, silly! Don't you know heads?
That is a Yamaha 'Genesis' YFZ450 head!

[calibud]

Originally Posted by dennistruckdriver

No, silly! Don't you know heads?
That is a Yamaha 'Genesis' YFZ450 head!

I was gonna ask if that was for the dirtbike. Heads on cars/trucks are way bigger.