JJ Apex matched 6V6's

[schmee]

While working on dignosing my Princeton reverb issues, I decided to go ahead and put a new set of JJ's in. The old set had been used a while and were 3-4 ma off being matched... which is pretty good really.
I bought a new set from CE Distributing just as the tube prices were going nuts early last year. They were back ordered after I placed my order, but then they came back and said "they have some more" and can fill it.

I bought an Apex Matched set of JJ 6V6S tubes. Labeled at 29ma.
Trying to bias them today, I discovered they weren't even close. 12 ma apart and the more they warmed up, the more they got worse.
Now I have a useless set and prices are way up.

 

[slider313]

Well that sucks!

I always test tubes within two or three days of receiving them, whether I'm going to use them or not.

 

[Jasonpatrick]

Just buy them from Eurotubes. They do a wayyyyyy better job matching and checking for everything else then Apex hands down.

 

[Jasonpatrick]

OR…Call up antique electronic supply and get a replacement...they good peeps

 

[Jasonpatrick]

6V6S - Eurotubes

www.eurotubes.com

 

[peteb]

I feel your pain.

tubes increasingly seem unreliable and the price for good reasons keeps going up.

I solved the problem with my Princeton by lowering the plate voltage, sub 400 V, no consequence in tone.

have you considered lowering the operating voltages to help the tubes out?

 

[2L man]

While working on dignosing my Princeton reverb issues, I decided to go ahead and put a new set of JJ's in. The old set had been used a while and were 3-4 ma off being matched... which is pretty good really.
I bought a new set from CE Distributing just as the tube prices were going nuts early last year. They were back ordered after I placed my order, but then they came back and said "they have some more" and can fill it.

I bought an Apex Matched set of JJ 6V6S tubes. Labeled at 29ma.
Trying to bias them today, I discovered they weren't even close. 12 ma apart and the more they warmed up, the more they got worse.
Now I have a useless set and prices are way up.
View attachment 1076542

Cross change the tubes to verify whether the tubes or place is causing the difference? There is always possibility that socket connection was not 100% or that other coupling capacitor leaks?

 

[Jasonpatrick]

I feel your pain.

tubes increasingly seem unreliable and the price for good reasons keeps going up.

I solved the problem with my Princeton by lowering the plate voltage, sub 400 V, no consequence in tone.

have you considered lowering the operating voltages to help the tubes out?

The jj are rated to 500. No need to lower anything. I’ve had a set of clear RCA GTA in my 1965 PR for five years now running 420 volts with not one issue.

 

[schmee]

OR…Call up antique electronic supply and get a replacement...they good peeps

I have emailed them yesterday, but it's been nearly a year since I bought them, April last Year IIRC.

I feel your pain.

tubes increasingly seem unreliable and the price for good reasons keeps going up.

I solved the problem with my Princeton by lowering the plate voltage, sub 400 V, no consequence in tone.

have you considered lowering the operating voltages to help the tubes out?

I have a browner lowering voltage 7% I normally use.

Cross change the tubes to verify whether the tubes or place is causing the difference? There is always possibility that socket connection was not 100% or that other coupling capacitor leaks?

Did that first thing, the high ma follows the tube.

The fact that they back ordered them, then "came up with some" leads me to believe maybe they found some returns trying to come up with tubes during the shortage.... these places never seem to believe you know what you are doing and blame returns on "operator error". I know I had a bad CE cap can a few years back and it was like pulling teeth trying to get it replaced.

 

[Jasonpatrick]

I have emailed them yesterday, but it's been nearly a year since I bought them, April last Year IIRC.

I have a browner lowering voltage 7% I normally use.

Did that first thing, the high ma follows the tube.

The fact that they back ordered them, then "came up with some" leads me to believe maybe they found some returns trying to come up with tubes during the shortage.... these places never seem to believe you know what you are doing and blame returns on "operator error". I know I had a bad CE cap can a few years back and it was like pulling teeth trying to get it replaced.

Yep, they hoped you wouldn’t actually check and just plug em in and go. (Guitar center is also another party who does this religiously with everything ) If it was 6l6 I’d be like meh, 12 is cool, but on a 6v6, that’s a decent spread. Even 5 is a decent spread on a 6v6 amp tbh.

 

[chas.wahl]

You haven't given AES a chance. Possibly more productive to complain to them rather than complaining about them.

 

[schmee]

You haven't given AES a chance. Possibly more productive to complain to them rather than complaining about them.

As I said, I did that. Here is their response:

"Hello,

These tubes are well outside of our return period of 90 days. We will be unable to facilitate a replacement for these tubes at this time.

See our store policies here - https://www.cedist.com/customer-service/store-policies"

 

[Jasonpatrick]

As I said, I did that. Here is their response:

"Hello,

These tubes are well outside of our return period of 90 days. We will be unable to facilitate a replacement for these tubes at this time.

See our store policies here - https://www.cedist.com/customer-service/store-policies"

Can you contact apex? I mean I get where they are coming from but if I’m a shop and I ordered 100 pair of matched tubes and paid xtra for said service to match , I’m not gonna check each ******* box that comes in as I expect them to be Fkn matched regardless of how long they sat .

 

[slider313]

Can you contact apex?

I believe Apex matching is the use of a series of testers CE Distribution/ AES uses to insure a very tight match with sets of power tubes they sell.

 

[Jasonpatrick]

I believe Apex matching is the use of a series of testers CE Distribution/ AES uses to insure a very tight match with sets of power tubes they sell.

Apex is it’s own company. And if that was the case, then obviously some work is needed in the “tightness” sector as regards to the OP spread of numbers

Home | Apex Tube Matching

www.apexmatching.com

 

[tubedude]

While working on dignosing my Princeton reverb issues, I decided to go ahead and put a new set of JJ's in. The old set had been used a while and were 3-4 ma off being matched... which is pretty good really.
I bought a new set from CE Distributing just as the tube prices were going nuts early last year. They were back ordered after I placed my order, but then they came back and said "they have some more" and can fill it.

I bought an Apex Matched set of JJ 6V6S tubes. Labeled at 29ma.
Trying to bias them today, I discovered they weren't even close. 12 ma apart and the more they warmed up, the more they got worse.
Now I have a useless set and prices are way up.
View attachment 1076542

I just bought a KT-88 pair of Apex matched tubes from AES. Within 3 mA at install, 42mA difference in 5 minutes. Matching is great. If you warm up the tubes long enough to stabilize. No more Apex for me!

 

[schmee]

Can you contact apex? I mean I get where they are coming from but if I’m a shop and I ordered 100 pair of matched tubes and paid xtra for said service to match , I’m not gonna check each ******* box that comes in as I expect them to be Fkn matched.

Isn't "Apex" just a service they perform? Are you thinking it's an outside company?

yes, I guess they are saying "any tubes you buy you better install in an amp soon and check the bias that you paid to be matched is actually matched"!

 

[chas.wahl]

As I said, I did that. Here is their response:
"Hello,
These tubes are well outside of our return period of 90 days. We will be unable to facilitate a replacement for these tubes at this time.
See our store policies here - https://www.cedist.com/customer-service/store-policies"

My apologies; I missed that.