Time to retube my V8

[demon666]

So it's time for new tubes for my V8. Blew a power tube another one is on it's way out, a couple of the pre amp tubes are microphonic. So what should I get for power tubes? I like the re-issue Tung-Sols I have them in one of my SVT's. I've got EH 6550's in another they seem ok. Also I've heard that the Trace V-types can be picky about tubes. Any insight/opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Krügmeister]

Your post is nothing more than bragging about owning a V8

I would go JJ all the way!

 

[demon666]

Yeah it's great until you have to retube it.

I was thinking about JJ's it had GT KT-88SV's in it. I think they are rebranded JJ's not sure though.

 

[JimmyM]

i would rather go nos for the preamp tubes. they're not much more and i think they're generally more reliable. nos is tough financially for power tubes, though. if it were me, i'd just replace the two bad ones with tubes that match whatever other tubes they need to match. that's a big racket replacing every power tube because one or two goes out. just find out how your tubes are paired up and replace as few as you can.

winged c's and tung sols are supposed to be the top 6550 brands these days, but i have no experience with any of them. well, i probably do but i don't know it...don't own an amp with 6550's but i play a lot of rentals. times i looked at the brands: 0

 

[demon666]

Thanks Jimmy. I have a couple NOS Mullards and a JAN Phillips that I'm gonna try when I get her up and running again. It's kind a tough to go NOS for all 7 preamp tubes. I would just pop a pair of power tubes in there but I'm pretty sure the rest of them are pretty rough. I've had it for about 4 years and before that it was heavily used on tour and I never changed anything in it. Now it runs 2 banks of 4 (I think) so if I was to just replace the 2 bad tubes would I balance them out 1 per side or keep them as a pair (ex V3+V4)?

 

[JimmyM]

depends on how they match up. this is where a tech with a tube tester comes in handy.

 

[demon666]

Gotcha. Could I use a bias probe and do it that way? Seeing what each tube is drawing.

 

[JimmyM]

um...i gotta go.



you've about tapped out the extent of my knowledge. i'm sure someone will come along, though.

 

[demon666]

No problem thanks Jimmy.

 

[zachoff]

I have Svetlana powers in my SVT and have gotten nothing but praise.

Oh, and sometimes it's cheaper to take it to a tech. When I re-tubed my Bassman, a local dude gave me such a smokin' deal on the tubes that paying for the tubes, install, and bias ended up being cheaper than if I'd bought the tubes online.

 

[geezerjpj]

I just had my Peavey Classic 400 retubed w JJ KT88s. The tech at Main Drag Music (a shop near me that has a good rep)said that they'd been having all kinds of quality control issues w/Sovtek, EH and Tung Sol 6550s blowing the first time they were cranked. It wasn't an attempt to make an extra buck off me either as I got the tubes from Tube Depot. I really like em...more bass and low mids.

When I lived in Providence there was a tech who was sort of a go to guy for a lot of local indy musicians. I wish I could remember his name. He retubed my 72 SVT w NOS GE 6550s but that was in 1995. He had a whole slough of old NOS stuff at that time.

 

[TheNightLife]

i had my svt-cl retubed with winged c 6550's and that acutally made a big difference. it felt and sounded much more powerful. im ordering JJ's for my preamp section this week.

 

[demon666]

Thanks for the info. geezerjpj are you talking about Bob in Pawtucket?

 

[geezerjpj]

Bob sounds right. From Pawtucket sounds right too.......older guy.

 

[zachoff]

Bob sounds right. From Pawtucket sounds right too.......older guy.

There once was a guy from Pawtucket... :lol:

 

[zachoff]

Huh, apparently Svetlana is now being made under the guise of EHX... Had no idea, but cool by me

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[johnk_10]

throwing another KT88 in the mix, i can highly recommend Valve Art Kt88's (or KT100's). they are very rugged tubes, with a high build quality, and my favorite sounding non-nos 6550A/KT88 tube. they can take alot of volts too.
they are actually made by Shuguang, and i never thought in a million years that i would recommend a Chinese tube, but i like them as much as my nos GE 6550A's, and more than the Genalex Gold Lion Reissues (which, IMO are very good), Winged C's, Sovteks, JJ's and EH etc.

i'm running 4 of them in my Sound City Bass 150, and my Sunn 2000S, and after A/B'ing them with the GE's, i actually like the Valve Art's better as they have a bigger, more extended and smoother low end, very even mids, and clearer, sweeter highs. the GE's have just a little more of that famous mid growl that they are known for, but i really don't miss it at all with the Valve Arts.

 

[demon666]

Whats the difference between the Valve Art KT-88's and the KT-100's

 

[johnk_10]

from what i understand, the Valve Art just tests them and selects the best spec'd Shuguangs, then relabels them after testing. and i think that i read somewhere, that that the KT100's are the same as the KT88's, but just more of the cream of the crop (i.e. have highest current and tranconductance). alot of the esoteric tube hi-fi guys also think that they're best new KT88's available. their glass is thick, their metal bases are polished and very tight (no rattles) and the internals very robust (also no rattles or microphonics). i think that their bottle is also shaped more like an original GEC. the standard Shuguangs are great too though.

a few years ago, i tried alot of reissue 6550/KT88's and compared the Valve Arts to my vintage Tung-Sols and GE's, and Winged C's, Sovteks, JJ's and EH's, and i'm really glad that i stumbled onto them.

 

[demon666]

Thanks for the info johnk