5150 Blockletter Questions.

[VWAS2009]

Just got my blockletter 5150. This thing is gnarly... I think it might need to be retubed it has some Electro Harmonix powertubes and lord knows what in the preamp. I am wanting to put in an Integrated Quad with KT88 and 6l6's & then JJ Preamp tubes. I think it will really give me a unique tone couple with my triple recto.

Now the question is does everyone's 5150 blockletter have a wire hanging out the back of it like this or do I need to open it up and see what some jackass has done to it.

Please help me out. I love the way the thing sounds so I might leave it alone. But If it has been modified I would like to see how well anything was done. Thanks in advance.

 

[RichMinerva]

mine does not have that hanging out of it looks like a bodge job!

and tbh it looks like an earth :/

 

[MatrixClaw]

Mine definitely doesn't, and I haven't ever noticed that on any of the other 8 or so 5150/6505/5150 II/6505+s I've owned. Looks like a ground wire for some weird mod.

Also - KT-88s are not safe to put in an unmodified 5150.

 

[VWAS2009]

Yea I know its a ground. Guess Ill have to tear it open and see if they fubar'd anything. Also I have a friend running 2 6l6 2 kt88 in his 5150 and it works fine. I will let yall know how it sounds as soon as I put it in.

 

[MatrixClaw]

Yea I know its a ground. Guess Ill have to tear it open and see if they fubar'd anything. Also I have a friend running 2 6l6 2 kt88 in his 5150 and it works fine. I will let yall know how it sounds as soon as I put it in.

Just because Bob at Eurotubes sells them as a set, doesn't mean that it's safe to run them. Running KT-88s in a stock 5150 runs a very good chance of taking out screen grid resistors, and you also run the chance of burning up your power transformer, because KT-88s draw twice the current of 6L6s.

Refer to the posts from JerryP (FJA Mods) and knucklefux (Titan Amps) here:

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?1047295-5150-w-KT88s
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?1168852-Are-KT88-tubes-plug-and-play-in-a-6505
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?2557286-5150-with-KT88-6L6-mix

 

[guitarguru777]

Also - KT-88s are not safe to put in an unmodified 5150.

If you do your research they run at the same plate voltage as a 6L6... been running 6L6 and KT88s in mine for over 10 years with no problems AT ALL. I should also note the compliments I get on a less muddy tone then most other 5150's on this forum.

KT88s are perfectly FINE to run in a stock 5150, I even spoke to Jim Brown who designed the amp for Peavey at Namm and he said it would be fine.

This debate is getting old.

As for the wire, thats some hack job. No 5150 has this, and further more the 5150 "Block Letter" vs "Signature" vs "6505" rubbish needs to stop they are all the EXACT same amplifier. Only difference between them is the power and preamp tunes they came with.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

To set things straight, KT88s while somewhat safe to run in a 6L6 amp, will not run at their full, 4 KT88s in a 120 watt amp will still be 120 watts. The load line will look pretty bad, meaning that the tone of the KT88s will not be all that great because they will be horribly under-powered. You can do it but it won't sound that great, and you cannot bias each tube separately which means the KT88 will be biased a bit hotter than the 6L6. They will distort at different parts of the signal as well.

As for the wire, looks like some cob job, I would tread lightly when it comes to fucking around with whatever surprise you have there.

 

[VWAS2009]

For now it sounds good so I am going to leave it. I am no amateur at ripping into amps and working on them so If the time comes I will reverse it all. I have a peavey windsor tha I have changed the tone stack in. Added a choke and done various other mods to. So i am not afraid to get an iron out and go to town. If something starts to mess up I will work on it.

I will be running 6l6 & KT88 in my amp and take a chance. I am fairly sure since I know someone who does it and gets a great tight tone from his that I will be fine doing so.