Ampeg SVT 3 pro tube change

[Morson93]

Okay, so i'm thinking about getting the tubes changed on my amp, they've been in 2-3 years now, so i wanna get a fresh set.

I came on here to ask, can you change the tubes yourself, what does it involve when changing the tubes?

What are the most common/best tubes to use to replace the old ones?

If changing the tubes yourself involves alot of hassle, where in Warwickshire/England can you get the tubes changed?

Thanks guys

[BassmanAd]

You've only got pre-amp tubes in there which last forever so there's really no need to change them unless something's wrong with the amp, it'll make little (if any) difference to the sound.

But if you are going to do it, go to Watford Valves and replace like for like. It's like changing a lightbulb, no special skills required. You take the lid off your SVT 3 and you'll see all the tubes on the left hand side with the amp's controls facing you. Gently rock them out of their sockets and put the new ones in, and that's it really.

[RickenBoogie]

+1 those tubes can potentially last for decades. No need to replace that which is not broken. leave them alone, save your money for strings or something.

[stiles72]

+1 No need to change the tubes unless somethign is wrong with them. You can do it yourself since they are just preamp tubes - but why bother if they are working fine right now? Also, I didn't notice a difference in tone when I swapped out the old stock Sovteks for JJ's and Tung Sols (after about 7 years of regular gigging) in my 3-Pros. Next time I retube I just plan to go back to the same old cheap Sovteks.

[Morson93]

It's making a weird, almost humming noise when the note sustains, i presumed it was the tubes? what else could it be?

[JimmyM]

the mosfets could need biasing. or it could be a bum tube. but not all of them would need to be changed for one bum tube.