Best Twin Reverb Tubes.

[gshep92]

My '76 twin is long overdue for all new tubes, what in your opinions are the best tubes out there these days? And where can you get them at the best price/best tubes for the money? Also recently my red power light stopped working, is that something that is easily fixed at home or would it be wise to take it to a pro? Thanks in advance!

 

[bigmuff113]

Electro harmonix and Carvin's OEM tubes fro. The 90's

 

[fezz parka]

Sylvania STR 387's for NOS, Winged C for new production.

 

[jh45gun]

My '76 twin is long overdue for all new tubes, what in your opinions are the best tubes out there these days? And where can you get them at the best price/best tubes for the money? Also recently my red power light stopped working, is that something that is easily fixed at home or would it be wise to take it to a pro? Thanks in advance!

And you know this HOW? just because the tubes are old does not mean they are bad. Amps are all different on how much they have been used. Tubes can go for a lot of hours before they go bad. I would take them to a tech that has a good tube tester that can test under a load and have the tech evaluate the tubes you have first. Of course I would also ask around first and state you want a honest evaluation as if the old tubes are good you do not want to buy new tubes that may be not as good as the old ones. The light bub is an easy fix to replace.

 

[SoK66]

The GT 6L6GE are clones of the 60s GE 6L6GC and are excellent. TAD's two 6L6GC types are as well. Any of the three will be great in your Twin.

 

[spankdplank]

Going in another direction from boutique and NOS, Sovtek makes 5881 tubes which will sub for a 6L6. They are inexpensive and they sound a little softer and have a little less output, which in a TR can be a good thing. A while back I had a quad in my TR and liked them. Not "the best tubes out there", but a another valid option.

 

[max_twang]

I like Antique Electronic Supply (tubesandmore.com).

If I had to replace the RCA 6L6 blackplates in my Twin, I'd get the TAD replicas. But, as mentioned above, don't just chuck your old tubes without finding out if they're bad! The RCAs that came in my amp work perfectly well and they are OLD! I had some of the 12AX7s and 12AT7s go bad and microphonic, and I replaced them with various new ones, and NOS GE 12AT7s (but only b/c they were inexpensive.)

Having said that, I have serious doubts about whether my ears could hear much of a difference between one high quality tube and another. Not sayin' other people can't hear a difference, but I don't think I could.

 

[EricS76]

I put a matched quad of TAD 6L6CG-STR tall bottles in my '72 Twin. I like 'em!

As far as your power light, unscrew the red jewel, push in on the bulb a little and twist a little counter-clockwise. Should come out and you can see if it's burned out. The replacement bulb should be this:

http://www.tubesandmore.com/products/P-47

There's a local hardware store near me where I can buy them individually. If you have a similiar place, take the burned out bulb and they can match it up with a new one.

 

[gshep92]

And you know this HOW? just because the tubes are old does not mean they are bad. Amps are all different on how much they have been used. Tubes can go for a lot of hours before they go bad. I would take them to a tech that has a good tube tester that can test under a load and have the tech evaluate the tubes you have first. Of course I would also ask around first and state you want a honest evaluation as if the old tubes are good you do not want to buy new tubes that may be not as good as the old ones. The light bub is an easy fix to replace.

The thing is seriously underpowered vs other twins I've played, I bought it a year ago from a local shop it was a trade in, the tubes have developed that white/silver tint on the glass that old tubes have, after played for a little while it breaks up at lower volumes than it should, like a lot lower than a twin should. Trust me it's due!

 

[gshep92]

I put a matched quad of TAD 6L6CG-STR tall bottles in my '72 Twin. I like 'em!

As far as your power light, unscrew the red jewel, push in on the bulb a little and twist a little counter-clockwise. Should come out and you can see if it's burned out. The replacement bulb should be this:

http://www.tubesandmore.com/products/P-47

There's a local hardware store near me where I can buy them individually. If you have a similiar place, take the burned out bulb and they can match it up with a new one.

Thanks I'll look into that, hoping its just the bulb and not something else.

 

[max_twang]

The thing is seriously underpowered vs other twins I've played, I bought it a year ago from a local shop it was a trade in, the tubes have developed that white/silver tint on the glass that old tubes have, after played for a little while it breaks up at lower volumes than it should, like a lot lower than a twin should. Trust me it's due!

The tubes are supposed to have those silver spots on them. IIRC, they've got something to do with how the vacuum is created.

Have you ever change the caps?

 

[Mike Simpson]

The thing is seriously underpowered vs other twins I've played, I bought it a year ago from a local shop it was a trade in, the tubes have developed that white/silver tint on the glass that old tubes have, after played for a little while it breaks up at lower volumes than it should, like a lot lower than a twin should. Trust me it's due!

How old are the caps?

 

[jh45gun]

Yep Mike and Max beat me too it I would worry about caps first before I would worry about tubes. It needs the cap job first if it never has had one. Unless the tube is completely white which means it is busted and the vacuum has let out of it they are normal if there are them silver spots on them. Too many folks always suspect the tubes when it can be other things and low power most of us suspect the caps first. The Filter Caps, The Bias Cap need to be changed as a couple of other electrolytic caps on the board.

 

[gshep92]

Yep Mike and Max beat me too it I would worry about caps first before I would worry about tubes. It needs the cap job first if it never has had one. Unless the tube is completely white which means it is busted and the vacuum has let out of it they are normal if there are them silver spots on them. Too many folks always suspect the tubes when it can be other things and low power most of us suspect the caps first. The Filter Caps, The Bias Cap need to be changed as a couple of other electrolytic caps on the board.

Okay yeah that could be it as well, I have no idea when the caps were last changed. Is that difficult to do on your own or is it best to just take it in? Like I said I'm not very familiar with the insides of tube amps..

 

[jh45gun]

Well I normally say a cap job is pretty easy but if you have no idea about the guts of a tube amp then maybe you should take it to a tech. But if you do your research online and see pictures of what the amp guts look like and learn it identify what the Electrolytic caps look like and where they are located in your amp it is not that tough of a job if you take them out one at a time and replace them one at a time and all the time observing polarity as one cap is backwards compared to the others in the filter cap supply. If you do not want to mess with it take it in but if you feel you can do it after some research it can be done .Folks here are buliding their own amps from kits and never have messed with tube amps before. Just make sure the caps are discharged before you go messing around in the amp. Of course the power cord should be unplugged. You can buy a cheap digital multi meter set it to DC volts at a higher setting than the higher cap rating and monitor the caps discharging if you want or just check them to make sure they are discharged. Here is a good video you might want to book mark on your computer it is done by Billm who is a member here and it does a excellent job of explaining how to drain caps on any amp. http://billmaudio.com/wp/?page_id=1150

But by all means if you do not want to mess with it take it to a competent tech in your area. I would ask him what to you change with a cap job and if they say every thing (Caps) Walk away and find one that just changes out the Electrolytic caps.

 

[old goat]

A highly respected tech had me get the Sovtek 5881WXT's from tubesandmore for a BF Tremolux. Made no difference in the sound except that the rumble was gone. I didn't ask him why that particular tube. Only the second tube replacement that amp has had in 47 years, and the first time was back in the 70's and I only replaced one. Shocking but true.

 

[telex76]

I agree, get a cap job before you change anything else.
You can't tell anything without good caps.

 

[umasstele]

winged c's

 

[mabley123]

my friend richie hall of hall amplification..and who is considered 1 of the best and most knowlegable marshall guys in the country ( he and his brother also came up with the vvr for 50 watt and lower amps ) told me if i did not go with matched nos tubes that i should go with TAD tubes.

he and his brother dana hall have been messing with amps since the early 70's.

i went with the ge nos 6l6gc

 

[telerocker1988]

As far as new - I really like JJs in the preamp - Winged C in the power amp. I use the same in the Super Reverb too, FWIW.

As far as old - not real sure. I haven't used NOS tubes in my '68 Super Reverb or Twin Reverb reissue but I will in my '56 Deluxe. I need to learn more about them.