Need to retube my 5150!

[Mark_Palangio]

Hey guys, I have a block letter 5150 with what I think are the original tubes.

Sylvania power tubes and Chinese Preamp tubes, with a NOS RFT in V1 (that one isn't stock). I've been thinking about getting Svetlana power tubes and 9th Gen. Chinese preamp tubes, and keeping the NOS RFT in V1. Anyone have any better suggestions? I play low tuned melodic metal with a V30 loaded cab and Caparison guitars with passive pickups if that means anything. Thanks guys!

 

[Sweetnothing]

For power tubes I strongly recommend Sovtek...it's what I had on mine and that amp killed pigeons easily.
On the preamp I had a mix of Jan-Phillips and Sovtek LPS's. Avoid chinese tubes if you can

 

[kaomao]

People always suggest JJ's.
I bought mine months ago, they're not reliable as Sovtek, my Jj's got less power.
I mean the output is not as louder as with sovtek, maybe it's just me that I wasn't really lucky...
Go for sovtek or ruby or the mighty svetlana that are the best tubes in the world.

 

[Mark_Palangio]

People always suggest JJ's.
I bought mine months ago, they're not reliable as Sovtek, my Jj's got less power.
I mean the output is not as louder as with sovtek, maybe it's just me that I wasn't really lucky...
Go for sovtek or ruby or the mighty svetlana that are the best tubes in the world.

Yeah, I had JJ's in another 5150 before, I wasn't that impressed with them.

 

[nwright]

i've got JJ's inmine now and dig them, they sound more aggressive than the Sovteks that was stock. I tried Ruby's for a bit while I was waiting on the JJ's and they had a tad more thickness and were maybe a bit looser than the JJ's, they sounded pretty nice.

When it's time for a retube for me, I'd like SED's. From Doug's tubes website:

SED 6L6GC:
The legendary 6L6 formerly known as Svetlana, Made in St. Petersburg. Smooth silky tone with pleasant breakup and tons of punch. Sound very reminiscent of the large bottle RCA and Sylvania.

Also, according to Doug's Tubes website, the JJ's have been changed and supposedly don't sound as nice...His stock of JJ 6L6's is NOS at this point, which are the old design prior to the change (smaller pin size).

 

[Mark_Palangio]

i've got JJ's inmine now and dig them, they sound more aggressive than the Sovteks that was stock. I tried Ruby's for a bit while I was waiting on the JJ's and they had a tad more thickness and were maybe a bit looser than the JJ's, they sounded pretty nice.

When it's time for a retube for me, I'd like SED's. From Doug's tubes website:

SED 6L6GC:
The legendary 6L6 formerly known as Svetlana, Made in St. Petersburg. Smooth silky tone with pleasant breakup and tons of punch. Sound very reminiscent of the large bottle RCA and Sylvania.

Also, according to Doug's Tubes website, the JJ's have been changed and supposedly don't sound as nice...His stock of JJ 6L6's is NOS at this point, which are the old design prior to the change (smaller pin size).

Are the SED's too smooth though?

 

[nwright]

No idea, thus the reason I'd like to hear them.

 

[ApolloSpeed]

i had Ruby Masters 6l6s in my 6505+ and they sounded great until my singer dumped his drink on my amp!

So I replaced them with JJ 6l6s and it sounds nearly identical to my ears. Both are pretty nice tubes I must say.....nice and chunky!
But then again my amp is voodoo modded, may vary the sound a little from a 5150/6505 stock amp.

 

[Mark_Palangio]

No idea, thus the reason I'd like to hear them.

Oh, my fault. I read your post wrong.

 

[Kazrog]

I've got some new JJ's recently (pre and power) in my 6505+ and I prefer them massively over the stock Ruby power tubes and Electro-Harmonix preamp tubes.

 

[AStacy2]

I put some new JJ's in my Triple Rec and I think it sounds great. Highly reccomend them.

 

[ApolloSpeed]

I've got some new JJ's recently (pre and power) in my 6505+ and I prefer them massively over the stock Ruby power tubes and Electro-Harmonix preamp tubes.

Are stock ones Ruby Masters? I'm now running Ruby Masters in my pres, and JJ in my power.

 

[Mark_Palangio]

Out of curiosity, does anyone have any idea what kind of tubes Nordstrom uses in his 5150's at Studio Fredman?

 

[Mr. Brokenamp]

I think you're on the right track, winged svetlanas and chiniese 12ax7. If you were to measure a chinese tube to a russian , the chinese will have more gain.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I just had my amp re tubed. They stuck ruby tubes in sound great. For pre amp tubes I had to go with groove tubes cause they were the quitest. I trust there judgement after all they are a mod shop

Check them out they make some killer amps:

http://www.voodooamps.com/

 

[kaomao]

don't trust them so much because every amp custom modded by them sounds the same, no matter if you give em a Boogie apeavey or amarshall, they will all loose the original characteristic and sound as a voodoo amp.

 

[Noumenon]

Just ordered a set of JJ's for my xxx from eurotubes.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

don't trust them so much because every amp custom modded by them sounds the same, no matter if you give em a Boogie apeavey or amarshall, they will all loose the original characteristic and sound as a voodoo amp.

Ha I wish there mods made amps sound like voodoo amps? And actually most of there mods do little to change tone. Alot of what they do is make the amp sound clearer than they do (wich may or may not be good for this style of music). For the most part the original sounds is kept intact (in fact they hardly mess with the clean side). And there is no way they can make a 5150 sound like one of there hand made voodoo amps, that be like trying to turn a Mesa Triple rec into a marshall plexi just not gonna happin (there handmade amps sound alot like the vintage reissue marshalls to me). But to his/her own I guess I like them they did good work and the tubes sound increadible so I don't feel any shame in supporting what they do.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Besides there mods are done to order, you tell them what you want. But I didn't mod my amp just got it re tubed.

 

[kaomao]

For the most part the original sounds is kept intact (in fact they hardly mess with the clean side).

For what I've read on the net over the years, people always told me really the opposite. Give 'em a 5150 and it won't sound as an optimized 5150, it will loose all the original tone. Maybe I'm wrong, the only thing to do is to have an amp custom modded by them and see how it goes.