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Buying a used SVT-CL...

#21
Question for Jimmy. I am intrigued by your throw another tube in and back in business approach.

I'm a lowly student of tubes. I don't see that you could expect a random new one to match the other two unless you were keeping up to date with the required tube "hotness", for a lack of understanding.

How much tracking of your tube bias do you do? Does your tech give you a matching spare tube for each side each time you get it serviced? How does that work?
 
#22
Downunderwonder said:
Question for Jimmy. I am intrigued by your throw another tube in and back in business approach.

I'm a lowly student of tubes. I don't see that you could expect a random new one to match the other two unless you were keeping up to date with the required tube "hotness", for a lack of understanding.

How much tracking of your tube bias do you do? Does your tech give you a matching spare tube for each side each time you get it serviced? How does that work?
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No, but that is a darn good idea, isn't it? I really should do that the next time I buy tubes.

Anyway, matching power tubes is a good idea to keep the wear more even on them and not cause one or another to work harder, but I have popped in a non-matching power tube in my SVT when one crapped out on me and it sounded and worked just fine. I don't recommend it, especially when I'm not a tech and in a position to recommend it, and I'm getting them replaced while it's in the shop for an unrelated problem, but if I need my SVT and only one power tube is bad, I'll pop a non-matching tube in there to buy some time. As long as it sounds good, that's all I really care.
 
#23
So was this made in China or not?

SVT-photo_zps9bebfb75.jpg
 
#24
Here's my take on the OP question ...... if the amp plays and sounds OK, then the issue of power tubes is somewhat settled .... if you feel the need to change tubes, I'd start with the phase splitter and driver tubes first, as those are the ones that seem to get overlooked by DIY's ... if the bias LED's light up your good to go, if not you need to check the screen resistors .... just play the amp and worry about stuff only when it breaks down ... IMHO

FYI .....
 
#25
JimmyM said:
I play rented SVT's of all eras, old, new, everything in between, and I own one of the first SVT's ever made. There is no bad era for the heads. As long as they're in good working condition, the tonal difference between any of them will be very small, and mostly based on what tubes are in them. Some prefer the CL and 2 Pro heads, some prefer the VR and vintage heads, but they all sound like SVT's to me.

But don't get sucked up into the tube vortex. When a problem with tubes arises, more often than not, it's only one that's bad and the rest will be fine. You might want to change three power tubes at a time if you have one that's bad just to keep the matching straight for that side of the amp, but there's no reason on earth you should ever have to do a full retube unless you're playing in a doom band with everything on 11 for a year straight. I've had many tubes last 10 years or longer.
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+1. I have a CL and I think the thing really, really kicks.
 
#28
Great Amp! Always liked the sound of mine before I went with the more vintage SVT II NP's. Still the same vibe and easier to work with the bias lights on yours.

And like Jimmy says, just use tubes as needed to keep it going good. With enough money, you can optimize things so that it works like a watch. But its not a watch. Power tube sections are in 3's.....so think of it as 3 tubes working together with their combined power output. Matched tube triplets will be more efficient, but if it works, who needs to bleed money into it. Like I said, it is not a watch.
 
#29
jastacey said:
Here's my take on the OP question ...... if the amp plays and sounds OK, then the issue of power tubes is somewhat settled .... if you feel the need to change tubes, I'd start with the phase splitter and driver tubes first, as those are the ones that seem to get overlooked by DIY's ... if the bias LED's light up your good to go, if not you need to check the screen resistors .... just play the amp and worry about stuff only when it breaks down ... IMHO

FYI .....
Click to expand...


Wow, super easy to bias. That's fantastic.
 
#38
4StringShooter said:
Thosed " Bias Lights " are in NO WAY accurate. Biasing MUST be done by VOLTAGE CHECK. NOT a dam light.
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I agree ...but most people don't have a tone generator and a resistor pad that will handle the output of 300+ watts to do the 40Hz in to get the 25 volts on the speaker output .... since this amp has no balance control I believe it is a good idea to have a good quality phase splitter tube and driver tubes ... there is also, just a little play in the green light travel/sweetspot, some leave it just before the the red LED comes on .... some leave it just before the green goes out .... on a side note almost all the components are made off shore, so maybe that's what the comment was about ... but back to the OP .... if it plays and bias OK use it, and bitch about dragging 90 pounds back to the house at 2:30/3:00 AM ... have fun with the amp, Oh if your going to retube, I always have had good luck and like the sound with the Sovtek 6550 power tubes
 
#39
This thread is a riot! Anyone know of an amp made after 1990 that isn't full of Chinese parts? Me neither. Even the Heritage B-15, which is predominantly American-made parts, has some Chinese parts in them.
 

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