"N"AD - Engater Tweaker 15

  • Thread starter Srini
  • Start date
  • This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.

Srini

Tele-Meister
Joined
May 24, 2014
Posts
225
Location
Bethesda, Maryland
I had a Tweaker 15 combo that I bought as a floor model and used for about 10 years, including many trips in the trunk of my car and a couple of hot garages. The only thing that ever went "wrong" with it was a tube that went bad. I replaced it and on we went.
I have to say, if this amp isn't a sleeper, I don't know what is. I have absolutely no complaints about the way it sounds, except that it took me a little (are you ready for this?) tweaking to get it, but it was there. The best thing I can say about this amp is that it, well, sounds like me.

Srini
 

Srini

Tele-Meister
Joined
May 24, 2014
Posts
225
Location
Bethesda, Maryland
Final comment (famous last words,eh?) on tweaking the Tweaker with tubes. I got my JJs today, with a 24-hour burn in before matching, from Tube Depot. I know this is going to sound like a letdown for a lot of people - it sort of was for me too. I honestly cannot tell the difference between the JJs and the RCAs. If you held a gun to my head, maybe I'd say the RCAs were, maybe...just maybe, a tad more "delicate"? Then I'd take it back.

The JJs are very quiet and, to me, sound like good 6V6s - no worse than the RCAs. I know some people talk about the JJs sounding like a hybrid between 6V6s and 6L6s, but I don't even know what that means. I used to have a single ended amp where I ran a 6L6, and it sounded nothing like the JJs, if memory serves. Maybe the single ended nature of the beast changes the tone, but all I can say is, these JJs sound like very good 6V6s, as do the RCAs.

Disappointed?

Srini
 
Last edited:

zeke54

Tele-Afflicted
Joined
Sep 13, 2011
Posts
1,954
Location
central calif.
Played a Tweaker 15 head for years. Great little amp. Sovteks aren’t “junk” tubes. They’re generally very robust and reliable. I’ve used them tons. Mesa, GT, and several others test, match, and relabel them. They’re solid IME.

One of the coolest things about the Tweaker is that it will accept any octal power tube pair without rebiasing or any modding. I found I liked mine best with EL34 bottles. But I’m much more of a Brit amp guy than F style. I have a friend who runs his on a pair of KT66 bottles and it’s a beast!

Congrats on a cool amp. Have fun with it!
Jakedog , I think I read a post of yours 4 or 5 years ago about power tube switching . I had " tweaked and tweaked " my Tweaker 15 trying to find a tone I really loved , and found it after I put in EL34s . I highly recommend this mod , if I recall , I had to remove the vent cover to get them in . Unfortunately I sold mine a couple years ago , a result of my divorce . I had to downsize , but I kept my very best stuff !!
 

Wendelgee2

TDPRI Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2021
Posts
39
Age
48
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Another quick update, guys, I'm afraid I may have egg on my face. Just to satisfy my curiosity, I played the amp for about 15 minutes with almost zero amp hum, then put the RCA 6V6s back in. I can't explain it, but the RCAs were dead quiet too. So, it must have been something else - maybe I didn't put the tubes in fully, or whatever - mea culpa.

The RCAs actually do sound very good, and the two main differences are that the RCAs have a little less low end - some might say more even sounding - and the note separation is better. Probably both good things, but the differences are pretty subtle. I have a pair of JJs coming in later this week, I'll let you all know how that turns out.

Amp-wise, I honestly couldn't be happier.

Srini
Putting them in and out effectively cleaned the tube sockets.
 
Top