Poll on Mesa Tubes

[GD_NC]

I've been using after market tubes for a while but thinking about going back to Mesa. Like to know what folks think about them.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Option 4: I usually use Mesa tubes.

I use them more than sometimes, but less than always.

 

[Fronzil]

I'm a SED winged C user myself, and a handful of mixed NOS preamp tubes.

 

[bhsbhswarp]

I voted"other brand"have'nt had any luck with the Mesa branded EL84's

 

[bigpine]

I've had good luck with Mesa tubes. I have a quad of el-84's in a Fisher X-100(home audio) for several years now. My Mark III Mesa power and a mix of nos pre's. TOV has all of the original tubes. M-180 all Mesa also.

 

[droptrd]

Ive had too many failures with mesa tubes. Dont know if its my bad luck or what, but I dont use them anymore.

 

[edmiller9999]

I've owned my MK IV for six months or so. I had a failure that was likely due to a screw up on my part. Mesa suggested I replace the power tubes as a first step. I bought new 6L6 440's from them to 'play it safe'. The problem was fixed, the amp sounds great and I'm happy. I can't say I might not be happier with something else, but I've never tried.

 

[JOEY B.]

As long as they are STR-442,454,415,or 416, I am fine with MESA power tubes. :wink:

 

[rocksalt7]

Depends on what sound I'm after... especially w/ my DC-2. My Ace though, it's where I like it!! TungSols in the power slots and Mesa's elsewhere. Juuust right!! :mrgreen:

 

[SonicProvocateur]

Tube cocktails for me. Mesa selects and matches pretty excellent tubes, but as others have said, sometimes "my" tone requires tweaking.

Edit: on the up and up, I have never had a Mesa tube miserably fail on me. Their selection process is definitely top notch.

 

[boogieman60]

Mesa tubes only...Have had 2 fail...had my amp for a little over a year, over 100 gigs..about half outside cranked...one power tube had a lightning storm inside the other started humming...I attibute both failures to the rough ride over NH roads. No preamp tube issues at all. They sound great.

 

[gonzald1]

I use Mesa's 6L6's in the power amp section but I mix my own cocktail in the preamp section. I like NOS RCA, Tungsol, JJ, Penta, Shuguang, Sovtek, EH and other's.

 

[bhsbhswarp]

We all know there Ruby and sovteks right?? :wink:

 

[droptrd]

Ruby is just a rebrander like mesa. And yes, they do offer a few of the same tubes.

 

[dodger916]

As long as they are STR-442,454,415,or 416, I am fine with MESA power tubes. :wink:

+1. For preamps I run more non-Mesa than Mesa.

 

[screamingdaisy]

We all know there Ruby and sovteks right?? :wink:

Sovtek is so 2008....

 

[Jared Purdy]

This is a good poll. I am only using Mesa tubes (and that's what I checked) as my amp was bought new in early December, so I might as well take advantage of the 6 month warranty on the tubes. In the time that I have had my amp, I have blown 3 5Y3 rectifier tubes, a ridiculous number. There is probably no other amp in the hostory of amp manufacturing that has had that problem. I have the forth in there now, and so far' so good, but I'm not holding my breath.

Customer support at Mesa told me that it was a bad batch of tubes, as my amp does not fall within the serial number range of amps that had tubes blow due to faulty resistors, which was apparently addressed a long time ago. However, they are not techs.

I have ordered another amp from another manufacturer and when it arrives, I'll be taking the LSS to the shop where I bought it for a check up. The Mesa 5Y3 that is in here now, is going about a week. I use a Sovteck as a back up, since the time when the first one blew. No issues with it. In the long haul, if I end up keeping the LSS, I don't think that I will deviate from it's stock construction, and recommendations. Too many tubes, too complicated in that regard. It's its own thing. Typical Mesa Boogie.