Mesa Strategy and Prodigy discontinued. Also PH cabs.

[mikeswals]

I've never heard a standard wedge that didn't make bass sound like crap. Side fills with subs, is little better.

I know you haven't, and I sure haven't, but we both know there lots of players that don't care and are completely content with crappy tone from wedges.

 

[agedhorse]

There are also some outstanding wedges available in the pro world that most here would not be familiar with. Of course they are not small, or inexpensive.

 

[mikeswals]

I love the Strategy, but my last retube cost me around $700, plus $175 to have the screen resistor replaced and some minor repairs after one of my old tubes failed and arced out.


There’s a reason I’ll continue to fork over money to maintain this amp, but if someone were to find a way to create this level of player/bass/amplifier interaction in a more economical package I’ll be lining up to give them my money.

That seems like a lot!!!
I used my 1/2 off coupon to buy my replacement Mesa Strategy tubes once I discovered that Mesa switched to JJ tubes from the Shugaungs that were in the early Strategy/Prodgy. But to be honest I'll go back to buying from Bob at Eurotubes, he sells JJ and does the rigorous stringent testing like Mesa does with their tubes, Bob is a brilliant guy he comes to Seattle a lot and been dealing with him for 14 years now.
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[agedhorse]

It's kind of funny that folks will complain about the cost of repairing a class D amp (which might run $250-$300 if it needs a new module) in the very likely event of a failure yet won't even blink when dropping that much or more for replacing a set of tubes (which is an ongoing maintenance item).

 

[Wasnex]

That seems like a lot!!!
I used my 1/2 off coupon to buy my replacement Mesa Strategy tubes once I discovered that Mesa switched to JJ tubes from the Shugaungs that were in the early Strategy/Prodgy. But to be honest I'll go back to buying from Bob at Eurotubes, he sells JJ and does the rigorous stringent testing like Mesa does with their tubes, Bob is a brilliant guy he comes to Seattle a lot and been dealing with him for 14 years now.
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The Mesa KT88s are $149 a pair which comes to $596 for eight.

 

[mesaplayer83]

That seems like a lot!!!
I used my 1/2 off coupon to buy my replacement Mesa Strategy tubes once I discovered that Mesa switched to JJ tubes from the Shugaungs that were in the early Strategy/Prodgy. But to be honest I'll go back to buying from Bob at Eurotubes, he sells JJ and does the rigorous stringent testing like Mesa does with their tubes, Bob is a brilliant guy he comes to Seattle a lot and been dealing with him for 14 years now.
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I'm happy with the matched sextet of JJ KT88s I got from Eurotubes for my Mesa 400...

 

[_Some Dude]

The Mesa KT88s are $149 a pair which comes to $596 for eight.

If you live in the US.

 

[Wasnex]

If you live in the US.

I personally think JJ KT88s are the best currently available, and I believe that is what Mesa is currently selling. Previously I believe they previously sold Shuguang KT98-88.

If you can't get JJ KT88s from a good tube vendor, your best bet is probably TAD KT88-STR. I believe these are Shuguang KT88-98 and in my experience TAD does above average as far as testing, culling, and matching tubes.

It is important that you buy from a vendor that does a burn in and extensive testing to weed out early failures. TAD should have a 6-month warranty...some of the better tube vendors also have a 6-month warranty.

 

[_Some Dude]

I personally think JJ KT88s are the best currently available, and I believe that is what Mesa is currently selling. Previously I believe they previously sold Shuguang KT98-88.

If you can't get JJ KT88s from a good tube vendor, your best bet is probably TAD KT88-STR. I believe these are Shuguang KT88-98 and in my experience TAD does above average as far as testing, culling, and matching tubes.

It is important that you buy from a vendor that does a burn in and extensive testing to weed out early failures. TAD should have a 6-month warranty...some of the better tube vendors also have a 6-month warranty.

I’m responding to the comments about my retube cost seeming high. You guys are quoting US prices, but I’m not in the US.

 

[Plastalmonus]

I’m responding to the comments about my retube cost seeming high. You guys are quoting US prices, but I’m not in the US.

I feel your pain. Are you in Australia? If so I feel it even more

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[_Some Dude]

KT88 is expensive, the 400+ with 6l6 is more lean on maintenance bill I think.

I wonder what an amp with 24 pairs of EL84s would sound like?

 

[Leo was right]

Or a hundred of 12ax7?

 

[Wasnex]

I wonder what an amp with 24 pairs of EL84s would sound like?

Probably a lot like an amp with 2 pairs, only louder. That is, until @BogeyBass starts stomping on the tubes for that magical popping sound he loves.

 

[agedhorse]

Or a hundred of 12ax7?

I designed an amp with 4 x 12AU7 as an experiment... I could get almost 4 watts from that amp.

 

[swarfrat]

I know not when. I know not for certain if. But I suspect the next 20 years tube use will gravitate towards this --^ push pull preamp tubes in low watt power sections slaved into big SS amps. I don't really see it as some horrible unavoidable outcome either. But the push-pull thing is critical to selling people on it IMHO.

 

[Wasnex]

I know not when. I know not for certain if. But I suspect the next 20 years tube use will gravitate towards this --^ push pull preamp tubes in low watt power sections slaved into big SS amps. I don't really see it as some horrible unavoidable outcome either. But the push-pull thing is critical to selling people on it IMHO.

I believe the Baer Valkyrie did exactly what you describe. Also consider the SWR Insterstellar Overdrive preamp which was intended for the same purpose but used a pair of EL84s in push pull.

 

[Wasnex]

I designed an amp with 4 x 12AU7 as an experiment... I could get almost 4 watts from that amp.

Imagine what a beast it would be if you threw in a quad of 12BH7s or ECC99s .

 

[mikeswals]

The Mesa KT88s are $149 a pair which comes to $596 for eight.

If he's the original owner like I am with mine, there is a 1st time 1/2 off tube coupon you can use. so for me it was $300.
After this I'll go back to Eurotubes where it's $316 for a set of 8 KT88's. Been using them for all my Mesa and Ampeg tube needs.

 

[Passinwind]

I designed an amp with 4 x 12AU7 as an experiment... I could get almost 4 watts from that amp.

I still have a cool little custom Mercury output transformer that someone sent me for building a single 6SN7 P-P guitar amp. One of these days...

 

[agedhorse]

I know not when. I know not for certain if. But I suspect the next 20 years tube use will gravitate towards this --^ push pull preamp tubes in low watt power sections slaved into big SS amps. I don't really see it as some horrible unavoidable outcome either. But the push-pull thing is critical to selling people on it IMHO.

For a few legitimate reasons too. Push-pull tends to be a more efficient way to drive the tube, to manage greater efficiency, and (if it's the designer's intent) to manage the distribution of harmonics and clipping behavior (especially when the amp is overdriven)

I believe the Baer Valkyrie did exactly what you describe. Also consider the SWR Insterstellar Overdrive preamp which was intended for the same purpose but used a pair of EL84s in push pull.

The Intersteller OD is probably the best known, but there are numerous examples of this type of drive set-up and derivatives throughout the years. I know I've experimented with a bunch of different approaches, some very promising and some that sit on the shelf of shame