Hotrod Deluxe: recommend some tubes please

Hello,
please recommend some replacement tubes for my Hotrod Deluxe (40w/1x12).
As far as I know I can just replace the existing tubes with the same kind without having to rebias.
Am I correct that if I put a different brand of tubes in, I'd have to rebias?
I am looking for tubes that make the amp a little warmer and smoother sounding at high volume. Less "harsh" sounding.

Hello,
please recommend some replacement tubes for my Hotrod Deluxe (40w/1x12).
As far as I know I can just replace the existing tubes with the same kind without having to rebias.
Am I correct that if I put a different brand of tubes in, I'd have to rebias?
I am looking for tubes that make the amp a little warmer and smoother sounding at high volume. Less "harsh" sounding.

I retubed mine with a full set of JJs from Eurotubes. I found that the JJ preamp tubes took the "life" out of the amp and I went back to the Groove Tube 12AX7s that were in it. The "life" that I missed may be the "warmer and smoother" tone you are looking for. The power tubes I liked.

I think it is a good idea to rebias whenever you chage your power tubes. The color coded Groove Tube sets are supposed to avoid this if you change to the same color, but I rebias anyway...it doesn't hurt!

Eurotubes (http://eurotubes.com/)

Also a nice site for HR Deluxe owners:

HR Deluxe Site (http://http://studentweb.eku.edu/justin_holton/)

(FYI - Pete Bradt thinks these amps are junk - :lol: )

I retubed mine with a full set of JJs from Eurotubes. I found that the JJ preamp tubes took the "life" out of the amp and I went back to the Groove Tube 12AX7s that were in it. The "life" that I missed may be the "warmer and smoother" tone you are looking for. The power tubes I liked.

I think it is a good idea to rebias whenever you chage your power tubes. The color coded Groove Tube sets are supposed to avoid this if you change to the same color, but I rebias anyway...it doesn't hurt!

Eurotubes (http://eurotubes.com/)

Also a nice site for HR Deluxe owners:

HR Deluxe Site (http://http://studentweb.eku.edu/justin_holton/)

(FYI - Pete Bradt thinks these amps are junk - :lol: )

Thanks for the links. I like the Eurotubes site and the cool bias videos.

After hearing a HRD at the Hard Rock Casino, I asked the guy after the show what was his set up. He ran a a USA Strat with a tube screamer to a Mexico made HRD using SED 6L6 Power tubes and in V1 nad 3 were JJ83's. V2 got a JJ81. I dine the same to mine and liked what I heard. It has been like that ever since (many years now). So...I got a HRC set up for my HRD !

From this and other threads my understanding is that I can swap out only the 12AX7 pre-amp tube in the V1 position on my HRD and possibly change the characteristics of the clean tone? Is this true?

My new HRD currently has the stock Groove Tubes and I think the clean sound is very harsh - especially the highs. I've not done anything yet because I don't want to buy a full set of tubes, pay to have the amp re-biased and maybe find out the cost and time didn't do anything for me.

If I can buy a couple different brands of 12AX7 for under 10 bucks a pop however and experiment without having to rebias that's a risk easily worth taking. If it doesn't change the tone I''ll simply have a couple spare tubes for down the road.

Is it this simple or am I misunderstanding the impact of changing the pre-amp tubes? My goal again is to warm the amp up a little and tame the highs. Not sure if this is a function of the pre-amp tubes.

From this and other threads my understanding is that I can swap out only the 12AX7 pre-amp tube in the V1 position on my HRD and possibly change the characteristics of the clean tone? Is this true?

Is it this simple or am I misunderstanding the impact of changing the pre-amp tubes? My goal again is to warm the amp up a little and tame the highs. Not sure if this is a function of the pre-amp tubes.

I think you are on the right track here.

As an aside here, do you use the Presence control? If so, I'd turn it WAY down or off. To my ears this control can add to the ice pick / harshness factor.

I have the stock GT preamp tubes in there right now and am getting a VERY pleasent sound. With my vintage style Teles I set it as follows:

Clean channel Volume to taste
Treble 4 to 5
Middle 7-8
Bass 2
Presence off
Reverb off (I felt the on board reverb is a little harsh)

I use a Boss RV-3 or a EH Holy Grail in the effects loop for reverb / reverb-delay.

My settings may not suit yout taste, but it works really well with my Teles.

Good luck!

You don't have to rebias changing the V tubes. Only with the power tubes do you rebias. In mine, I put JJ ECC81 (12AT7) in the V2 position. V-1 and 3 got JJ ECC83S (12AX7). I think you can play around with all of them to suit your ears. Also, like I said earlier, in the power tubes, I went with the SED Winged "C" 6L6GC tubes. Check out thetubestore.com (http://www.thetubestore.com). Lot's of cool info there.:cool:

-Craig





If I can buy a couple different brands of 12AX7 for under 10 bucks a pop however and experiment without having to rebias that's a risk easily worth taking. If it doesn't change the tone I''ll simply have a couple spare tubes for down the road.

I'm kinda curious to try some 6V6s in my HRD. Anyone use this setup? Mine is also a Special Run version with a Celestion G12P-80 speaker that sounds "hard" for lack of a better term. It may need some break in time or it may just be how it's voiced.

Steve

From this and other threads my understanding is that I can swap out only the 12AX7 pre-amp tube in the V1 position on my HRD and possibly change the characteristics of the clean tone? Is this true?

My new HRD currently has the stock Groove Tubes and I think the clean sound is very harsh - especially the highs. I've not done anything yet because I don't want to buy a full set of tubes, pay to have the amp re-biased and maybe find out the cost and time didn't do anything for me.

If I can buy a couple different brands of 12AX7 for under 10 bucks a pop however and experiment without having to rebias that's a risk easily worth taking. If it doesn't change the tone I''ll simply have a couple spare tubes for down the road.

Is it this simple or am I misunderstanding the impact of changing the pre-amp tubes? My goal again is to warm the amp up a little and tame the highs. Not sure if this is a function of the pre-amp tubes.

You can also try 12aT7's, 5751's, & 12aY7's in different positions. I've got a 5151 in V1, 12Ay7 in V2 and 12At7 in V3. Works for me. Still working on power tubes. The Sovtek's sound OK until I reallyturn it up.
As for biasing, get a mulimeter and do it yourself. The HRD site linked above gives directions, it's simple.

Surprised Pete hasn't chimed in here yet telling you to just blow it up! :wink:

....
As an aside here, do you use the Presence control? If so, I'd turn it WAY down or off. To my ears this control can add to the ice pick / harshness factor.
...

I have been thinking about this now all day. I'll try that this weekend at rehearsal.