Mini Rectifier Tubes Set Tung Sol vs JJ vs Mesa
- Thread starter engange
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Welcome to the forum.engange said:
I'm guessing that you are referring to preamp tubes only?
The current Mesa 12AX7's are JJ's.
Overall I find the Tung-Sol a bit clearer in the lows, and the JJ smoother in the highs. I like the Tung-Sol in V1 and a JJ in V2.
Dom
domct203 said:
Thanks Dom
I was actually thinking about changing all of my tubes , I just got a used Mini Rectofier and the tubes are dying.
I saw Tong Sol and JJ full sets on Ebay.
Only thing is the JJ are not 12a7x, they are ECC83s
afu
Well-known member
Preamp tubes should last a long, long time. Change the power tubes and see if the problem persists. In the preamp, V3 and V4 may fail due to high voltages on the cathode, because the high voltage cathode follower circuits, but the power tubes are usually the culprit.
With the amp still attached to a speaker, run the FX send to a unit you can hear with headphones or to another amp's return socket. If it works fine, you don't necessarily have to retube the preamp.
With the amp still attached to a speaker, run the FX send to a unit you can hear with headphones or to another amp's return socket. If it works fine, you don't necessarily have to retube the preamp.
afu said:
Thank you
I replaced the V2 and it start working fine, I'm just afraid that every few weeks now Ill have an issue with the amp and would need to start dealing with it, thought replacing everything.
Power amp tubes are v1 and v2?
V1 is usually always the input gain stage in a tube amp.engange said:
Power tubes are V6 & V7.
Page 21 of the manual shows the amp's tube layout and functions. If you don't have one you can download it from Mesa's website.
I agree with changing just the power tubes first. I recommend using Mesa branded tubes so you will have a good point of reference of how it sounds with stock EL84's.
Dom
afu
Well-known member
engange said:
By the way you stated that, it sounds like you replaced an EL84. If so:
it's best to replace them as pairs which are matched to each other by a tube supplier (or a person with a tube tester), specifically buying the Mesa brand if it's under warranty, because it is a Class AB power amp. This means one tube is amplifying the sound while the other is not and then it switches states to the opposite condition. With Mesa's type of fixed bias, the tubes need to at least be matched for plate current (PC#) so they turn on and off opposite of each other at the same time and have about the same basic sound, since it cannot be adjusted.
It probably will not hurt it if it's slightly mismatched for a short time, but it will extend the life of the tubes and sound better when they are matched. Tubes change their electrical characteristics over time. Even if you had a single tube replaced with the same PC and TR numbers, the old, remaining tube may not be at those specs if enough time has been put into using it. Short of testing the good tube and matching it to another tube on the same test equipment, a pair is the only way to go for the long term.
afu
Well-known member
I see.
In general, power tubes are the biggest part of preventative maintenance for a catastrophe that blows the amp. Instead of forking over that much money to replace tubes that may not really need it, I would recommend the power tubes and a couple of 12ax7s for emergencies. You can always get more preamp tubes later if you want.
Also, I've found some great deals on Amazon. If you decide to do the whole thing, Doug's Tubes has a special preamp set for Rectos that works to the amp's strengths. The set from Doug are a little more money, but it is a great set.
Whatever you decide, good luck, man.
In general, power tubes are the biggest part of preventative maintenance for a catastrophe that blows the amp. Instead of forking over that much money to replace tubes that may not really need it, I would recommend the power tubes and a couple of 12ax7s for emergencies. You can always get more preamp tubes later if you want.
Also, I've found some great deals on Amazon. If you decide to do the whole thing, Doug's Tubes has a special preamp set for Rectos that works to the amp's strengths. The set from Doug are a little more money, but it is a great set.
Whatever you decide, good luck, man.
chris_barnes
Member
Hello guys. I am new to the forum, too. I recently bought a used DR and am thinking of retubing it. It is currently with MESA tubes, so I was thinking of getting the preamp tubes Doug suggests (from a local dealer here) and Tung-Sol EL34B's for the power amp.
I am looking to tighten the lows and enhance the mids. I used to play a 5150 so now I wish to have my Mesa cut a bit better through the band mix.
Please share your thoughts.
I am looking to tighten the lows and enhance the mids. I used to play a 5150 so now I wish to have my Mesa cut a bit better through the band mix.
Please share your thoughts.
afu
Well-known member
chris_barnes said:
No matter what you buy, run the bass control a little lower than where you think you need it, or turn the mids up, or both. Then it cuts.
chris_barnes
Member
Thanks! I run the bass around 9 o'clock and the mids around 12, will play with the settings a bit more once I change the tubes.
afu
Well-known member
chris_barnes said:
Your current settings are fine. I'm used to hearing people running bass at 2:00 or something and mids at 8:00.
chris_barnes
Member
Thanks!
So I retubed the amp.
For the preamp I used:
V1: Tung-sol 12AX7
V2: JJ ECC83 S
V3: 12AX7B hand selected by Diezel (Chinese)
V4: 12AX7B hand selected by Diezel (Chinese)
V5: 12AX7 Mesa, it was originally in V1 in the amp from Factory (some Russian tube)
Tung Sol EL34B power tubes.
I hated the sound. Gave them a couple of hours chance and removed them from the amp. I was so pissed off that I've spent $160 and the result was horrible. Tweaking the settings did not help at all. The amp became very bright and did not have the original grunt. The sound was thin. Eventually I removed all tubes and put back the MESA ones.
So I retubed the amp.
For the preamp I used:
V1: Tung-sol 12AX7
V2: JJ ECC83 S
V3: 12AX7B hand selected by Diezel (Chinese)
V4: 12AX7B hand selected by Diezel (Chinese)
V5: 12AX7 Mesa, it was originally in V1 in the amp from Factory (some Russian tube)
Tung Sol EL34B power tubes.
I hated the sound. Gave them a couple of hours chance and removed them from the amp. I was so pissed off that I've spent $160 and the result was horrible. Tweaking the settings did not help at all. The amp became very bright and did not have the original grunt. The sound was thin. Eventually I removed all tubes and put back the MESA ones.
afu
Well-known member
You need EL84s, not the EL34s. Those first two preamp tubes are pretty good changes. V3 and V4 tubes might have benefited from being 12ax7a, but stock Mesa tubes in those positions would be fine if you still wanted to change V1 and V2.
chris_barnes
Member
Thanks. I got the 12AX7B's as that's what Doug suggested on his website. I do not wish to experiment anymore with power tubes, will get TungSol 6L6GC's for sure. Do you think I should put back the V1 and V2? What I didn't like about the amp, except the tone, was that it was way noisier than what it used to be with the OEM tubes.
afu
Well-known member
Chris, the Mini is an EL84 amp and is meant to only use those types of tubes in the power section. The EL34 or 6L6GC types will not work correctly and could damage the amplifier. If you can get those EL34s tested, sell them to recoup some money, but you absolutely need to use EL84s.
chris_barnes
Member
Oops, sorry, I now noticed that the title of the thread said Mini Recto. Mine is a Dual recto 2009 
