Time to replace tubes?

Pickups, pedals, amps, cabs, combos

Moderated By: mods

User avatar
izodiak
.
.
Posts: 1568
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:26 am
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Time to replace tubes?

Post by izodiak »

My AC4tv is started to buzz while being turned on.. quite hardly,sounds like an fan/ventilator.

And Ive been playing it for a year (not very much), and given it to few friends, played small venues with it (I suspect that maybe its been a display model in the store and they have 'found a fool to buy it' that fool being me :( )
But as far as I know the 'full volume' has been used very little. I always use the 4w/1/2volume mode to get a clean sound.

So my question is, maybe its time to change the tubes the buzzing and getting a 'clean' sound on the 1/2 or 1/4 watt settings is
almost impossible..
And would it be possible for me to change the tubes ?
► Show Spoiler
kim wrote:plankton people will be plankton people
User avatar
Gabriel
.
.
Posts: 3178
Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2010 8:46 pm
Location: NYC

Post by Gabriel »

My AC30 buzzed like mad when the valves needed replacing. Don't know if that helps or not. Either way the JJ EL84s I put in it were really nice and a huge improvement over the stock Chinese valves.

It's really easy to change valves too, just do a bit of googling about re-valving the AC4 and you'll find a guide somewhere. EL84 is usually fixed bias too so it's really easy to swap out valves.
User avatar
izodiak
.
.
Posts: 1568
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:26 am
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Post by izodiak »

So, ok, then Im ordering a set of the pre-amp and power tubes/valves, I read that the JJ power tubes are good, but the JJ preamp tubes
give more gain, and Im more of a clean sound lover,so I was thinking of EHX or Mullard..

Because it has only 1x12AX7 and 1xEL84 I dont need to do re-biasing or something like that ?
kim wrote:plankton people will be plankton people
User avatar
Gabriel
.
.
Posts: 3178
Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2010 8:46 pm
Location: NYC

Post by Gabriel »

If you really want more cleans have a look at the JJ 5751, it'll give you a bit more headroom.

I'm fairly sure the AC4 is fixed bias so you won't have to mess with a re-bias.
User avatar
GreenKnee
.
.
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:23 pm
Location: Sheffield

Post by GreenKnee »

izodiak wrote:So, ok, then Im ordering a set of the pre-amp and power tubes/valves, I read that the JJ power tubes are good, but the JJ preamp tubes
give more gain, and Im more of a clean sound lover,so I was thinking of EHX or Mullard..

Because it has only 1x12AX7 and 1xEL84 I dont need to do re-biasing or something like that ?

Try 12AY7 or 12AT7 in the preamp position for more clean headroom. I always go for clean headroom in my valve amps, and I've used EHX tubes since I first retubed an amp, never had anything bad to say about them.

Jack
User avatar
Sloan
Sexy Predator
Posts: 11797
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 3:02 am
Contact:

Post by Sloan »

it is always time to replace tubes
User avatar
izodiak
.
.
Posts: 1568
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:26 am
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Post by izodiak »

Sloan wrote:it is always time to replace tubes
This has convinced me ! absolutely !
kim wrote:plankton people will be plankton people
User avatar
Bacchus
Whatever's handiest
Posts: 23590
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:10 am
Location: wandering

Post by Bacchus »

Here's the thing: I've had my Valve Junior now for about six years I reckon. I play with it fairly regularly and used to gig a fair bit with it. I've never had to change the tubes in it.

Why's that? Luck? Are these ones made from asbestos or something?
Image
User avatar
izodiak
.
.
Posts: 1568
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:26 am
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Post by izodiak »

maybe im playing too tough ?
► Show Spoiler
Main complaint is the loud buzz..no squeel etc, but the loud fan noise its generating :/
Last edited by izodiak on Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.
kim wrote:plankton people will be plankton people
User avatar
paul_
.
.
Posts: 10306
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:38 pm

Post by paul_ »

BacchusPaul wrote:Here's the thing: I've had my Valve Junior now for about six years I reckon. I play with it fairly regularly and used to gig a fair bit with it. I've never had to change the tubes in it.

Why's that? Luck? Are these ones made from asbestos or something?
I've had a 50-watt JCM900 since 1997 I haven't touched the tubes in that works fine. It was my only amp for 5 years and then my brother gigged with it for about 5 months. Every time I flip the switch on it I expect to get blown away BTTF style.
Aug wrote:which one of you bastards sent me an ebay question asking if you can get teh kurdtz with that 64 mustang? :x
robertOG wrote:fran & paul are some of the original gangstas of the JS days when you'd have to say "phuck"
User avatar
JohnnyTheBoy
.
.
Posts: 542
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 2:39 pm
Location: Middle England
Contact:

Post by JohnnyTheBoy »

paul_ wrote:
BacchusPaul wrote:Here's the thing: I've had my Valve Junior now for about six years I reckon. I play with it fairly regularly and used to gig a fair bit with it. I've never had to change the tubes in it.

Why's that? Luck? Are these ones made from asbestos or something?
I've had a 50-watt JCM900 since 1997 I haven't touched the tubes in that works fine. It was my only amp for 5 years and then my brother gigged with it for about 5 months. Every time I flip the switch on it I expect to get blown away BTTF style.
My 1980's Fender Super 60 was exactly the same as this! bought it back in 1994, with the original valves in it way up until last year..they looked like they had coffee burned onto em...and seemed to be loose in their holders...
I too went for matched pairs of EHX from Hotrox in Notts in the end...and the same for my 100w valve head...i guess it was a trust thing, as well as price...
Not sure what ill replace the original RCA tubes in my 62 Bandmaster with tho...
User avatar
izodiak
.
.
Posts: 1568
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:26 am
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Post by izodiak »

Ok, Ill try to order the valves/tubes next week.. hope it helps, are there any other things that could be wrong ?
kim wrote:plankton people will be plankton people
User avatar
Pens
less dickface
Posts: 13982
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:51 pm
Location: South St. Louis

Post by Pens »

My Twin buzzed like fucking crazy when the valves went bad.
euan wrote: I'm running in monoscope right now. I can't read multiple dimensions of meta right now