Muchos Gracias

[Scrapinger]

A big thanks to those who answered my posts about my Mark IV blowing tubes. I gleened tons of good info and am forever indebted.

Well, I got my Mark IV back from Boogie. The head checks out fine and the issue according to them it was a bad power tube. The original issue I had was that the head blew 2 power tubes within a week of each other. First an EL34 then a 6L6, both Boogie labeled. They did their usual back to front check and all they found was one of the tubes I sent it back with were bad. They put 4 brand new Boogie 6L6's in there, play tested and sent it back to daddy.

I got it back this past Tuesday and put it through it's paces that very day. I ran it loud and long, switching in and out of class A, triode-pentode etc etc and it worked great. There was none of the crackling, popping hissing and hum I had previously noted before the tubes failed.

Just before Boogie said to send it back I had purchased new Tung Sol EL34's and 6L6's to replace the bad tubes. I was afraid to put these in the Mark IV and have them blow too. But after the Boogie 6L6's held during my shakedown cruise I gave them a try. OMFG what a difference in tone. I love the sound of these tubes. The Boogie 6L6's, what ever they are (Russian or Chinese) I am not sure, just have a nasaly, ratty, brash sound. I could not get a warm singing sound. But the Tung's did the trick.

So personal lesson here...I don't like the sound of Boogie tubes and given the fact I had two of them blow in a week and in the first three months of owning the amp had 4 Boogie labeled 12 ax7's go bad as well, I will not be purchasing anymore Boogie tubes.

 

[t0aj15]

I had the same thing happen to me with both my Mk IV and 50/50 power-amp and after taking them to a Boogie authorized repair shop I was told by the stores owner that he had a 50% return rate on bad Mesa tubes. Since I switched away from using Mesa tubes I've not had a single problem with either amp in nine years.

 

[Scrapinger]

Thanks for sharing my pain. Lesson learned about Boogie tubes. The sad thing is, about 10 years ago, I toured their factory and scored some sweet power tubes for my Mark IIB, but they were the last of the batch they had and they just have not sold, IMHO, anything worth the money since.

 

[Platypus]

I've had problems with all brands of tubes.. most of them being JJ

Surprisingly never had a bad boogie tube.


BTW it's 'muchas'

 

[Scrapinger]

BTW it's 'muchas'

Oooopss. I'm a pale red headed Irishman from NY. All I know about spanish is mostly food. :lol: