Hartke lh 500 tube change?

spaz21387 · #1 12-12-2011, 11:05 PM

Will trying out different 12ax7 tubes in my hartke lh 500 make a difference. I have heard that different tubes will change the sound. Has anyone swapped out the tube? If so what were your results?

jjk2007 · #2 12-13-2011, 01:10 PM

I think I put a Groove Tube in my LH1000. Some of the tubes in those amps were hit or miss out of the box, so I swapped just for that reason and not really seeking a tonal change. After I did it, I didn't really notice any change in the tone of the amp. Just IME.

spaz21387 · #3 12-13-2011, 04:38 PM

The reason Im asking is that im a big mesa fan but cant afford one. I was thinking about buying a replacement mesa 12ax7 and popping it in the lh 500. Its cheap so why not give it a try right?

RickenBoogie · #4 12-13-2011, 05:16 PM

Putting a re-branded Mesa tube into a Hartke amp will not make the amp sound like a Mesa. in fact, most hytbrid amps with a single 12AX7 in the pre will not benefit from any tube rolling. It's there for a very subtle flavoring only, if that. Don't waste your money.

will33 · #5 12-13-2011, 06:17 PM

Not to mention "Mesa" tubes are, or at least were, cheap re-branded chinese junk, same as groovetubes. There's nothing special about a mesa tube, in fact, you'd get better quality looking elsewhere.