6550's?

[richedie]

Do any of your have tubes that drift? One day my 6550s will br 45/49, the next 44/49, the next 46/48, etc.....sometimes I'll spot check during playing and it is the same...jumps around.
They have been fairly steady at 46/48, checked them today after practicing, they were 41/49!!!

Is there something wrong with my amp?

 

[jmgman69]

Do any of you have tubes that drift? One day my 6550s will br 45/49, the next 44/49, the next 46/48, etc.....sometimes I'll spot check during playing and it is the same...jumps around.

Yes but they still sound good and they don't drift much further than say 4/5mv

 

[richedie]

Do any of your have tubes that drift? One day my 6550s will br 45/49, the next 44/49, the next 46/48, etc.....sometimes I'll spot check during playing and it is the same...jumps around.

Yes but they still sound good and they don't drift much further than say 4/5mv

Yep, mine still sound good too. What tubes you useing Jason???

So, if mine go from 86/88 to 83/49 or something..this is normal? How often should they be checked. I don't want to them to drift into danger areas! LOL!!!!

I also found out it is important to change the phase inverter when you change the power tubes....assuming the power tubes are shot and ready for change. Learned too that we should be using a balanced triode tube in PI.

 

[Gripp]

Hi!

Another happy but forumwise pretty silent M4/2902 owner here.

Just a thought re drift in bias.
It might be that your incoming line voltage is fluctuating quite a bit too.
I don't know what the allowable tolerances are in the US but here in Sweden its -10%/+6%.

/Best!
Pelle

 

[richedie]

Great point. I have a power conditioner but not a voltage regulator. Do you recommend one?

Hi!

Another happy but forumwise pretty silent M4/2902 owner here.

Just a thought re drift in bias.
It might be that your incoming line voltage is fluctuating quite a bit too.
I don't know what the allowable tolerances are in the US but here in Sweden its -10%/+6%.

/Best!
Pelle

 

[jmgman69]

Do any of your have tubes that drift? One day my 6550s will br 45/49, the next 44/49, the next 46/48, etc.....sometimes I'll spot check during playing and it is the same...jumps around.

Yes but they still sound good and they don't drift much further than say 4/5mv

Yep, mine still sound good too. What tubes you useing Jason???

So, if mine go from 86/88 to 83/49 or something..this is normal? How often should they be checked. I don't want to them to drift into danger areas! LOL!!!!

I also found out it is important to change the phase inverter when you change the power tubes....assuming the power tubes are shot and ready for change. Learned too that we should be using a balanced triode tube in PI.

Eric turned me on to svets an have been really happy with them,I guess drifting I mean that when I check them they are pretty much the same of about 45/50 44/48 and this set is the worst as for being matched and sounds as good as the set that is 48/50.You are probably all right,as far as the balanced triode PI crap,that's entirely up to rich,it may be true in some applications but I have 3 eggie amps and not one has a balanced PI anymore,it just didn't do it for me.If you feel that a balanced PI will work better than I say go for it

 

[richedie]

Thanks Jason.

WOW, you bias as high as 50? Isn't that too high? I guess the only threat is they may not last as long, right? I used to get the tubes in my H&K biased real hot for tone but didn't care about having to replace them often.

on the PI.......I have been doing some tube amp reading and an example is on http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/
He has an article stating the PI should always be replace when the power tubes are replaced. I assume he means you should replace at the end of the power tube life. He recommends the Sovtek12AX7LPS for the PI.
Doug's Tubes and others say the same thing.

The balanced triode thing I heard from Eurotubes. They said an Egntater Mod 50 has a long tail PI and needs a balanced tube to sound best, because the sustain will be much more even. I don't know if I hear this though!

 

[jmgman69]

Thanks Jason.

WOW, you bias as high as 50? Isn't that too high? I guess the only threat is they may not last as long, right? I used to get the tubes in my H&K biased real hot for tone but didn't care about having to replace them often.

on the PI.......I have been doing some tube amp reading and an example is on http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/
He has an article stating the PI should always be replace when the power tubes are replaced. I assume he means you should replace at the end of the power tube life. He recommends the Sovtek12AX7LPS for the PI.
Doug's Tubes and others say the same thing.

The balanced triode thing I heard from Eurotubes. They said an Egntater Mod 50 has a long tail PI and needs a balanced tube to sound best, because the sustain will be much more even. I don't know if I hear this though!

You should ask Bruce rich,.

 

[aeroic]

Thanks Jason.

WOW, you bias as high as 50? Isn't that too high? I guess the only threat is they may not last as long, right? I used to get the tubes in my H&K biased real hot for tone but didn't care about having to replace them often.

on the PI.......I have been doing some tube amp reading and an example is on http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/
He has an article stating the PI should always be replace when the power tubes are replaced. I assume he means you should replace at the end of the power tube life. He recommends the Sovtek12AX7LPS for the PI.
Doug's Tubes and others say the same thing.

The balanced triode thing I heard from Eurotubes. They said an Egntater Mod 50 has a long tail PI and needs a balanced tube to sound best, because the sustain will be much more even. I don't know if I hear this though!

You should ask Bruce rich,.

Way I look at it...if if Bruce / Jeff thought it would make a difference, then they'd have that tube the stock tube in the PI. Who knows though

Eric

 

[richedie]

Well, what comes stock in the head? Mine are all gone! I know Jeff said their big concern was reliability and durability when choosing tubes so I don't think it is necessarily chosen for tonal qualities. That said, it would have been easy to use a balanced tube.

From Tube Depot:
Yes we do recommend adding balanced triode testing for phase inverter tubes, this eliminates noise issues in the amp.
Let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you.

 

[jmgman69]

Well, what comes stock in the head? Mine are all gone! I know Jeff said their big concern was reliability and durability when choosing tubes so I don't think it is necessarily chosen for tonal qualities. That said, it would have been easy to use a balanced tube.

From Tube Depot:
Yes we do recommend adding balanced triode testing for phase inverter tubes, this eliminates noise issues in the amp.
Let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you.

It's only 2/3 bucks extra for there test,try it it out and report back.

 

[MarcoR]

From Tube Depot:
Yes we do recommend adding balanced triode testing for phase inverter tubes, this eliminates noise issues in the amp.

Being the MOD50 is about the most noise free amp I've ever owned I would guess it's not as much of an issue.

 

[richedie]

Yea, some say it helps with noise and more even sustain. I don't have those problems, LOL!

I like Doug at Doug's tubes, the man is honest:
"I don't see any point in have a balanced phase inverter, the long-tailed PI is a self balancing circuit."

However, he agreed the Sovtek 12AX7LPS is one of the best for the PI. I'll let you know.

 

[EWSEthan]

I bias my 6550s at 48, right in the garbage next to two empty TS 5881 boxes.

 

[aeroic]

I bias my 6550s at 48, right in the garbage next to two empty TS 5881 boxes.

LOL....so 6550s are garbage eh?

Eric

 

[jmgman69]

If you guys could only experience the 6550 and E34Ls together as they eat the Mod50 up with 5881s,I hate to say

 

[jmgman69]

I'm trying really hard not to sell the 50

 

[aeroic]

I'm trying really hard not to sell the 50

hahahaha. yeah i hear you there. I still just prefer the 6550s 100% in my rigs. Second, I like the E34Ls and 5881s equally still

Eric

 

[richedie]

If you guys could only experience the 6550 and E34Ls together as they eat the Mod50 up with 5881s,I hate to say

The Svet 6550s ate the TS 5881s alive in my Mod 50. No comparison, bigger, fatter, warmer, rounder, even the band was like....wow, what did you do? Just sounds like the tone is wider.
5881s had a cardboard crunch I couldn't dial out. Maybe if I just played clean I'd like them.

Now I have to get some KT88s after experiencing my friend's amp with those.

 

[jmgman69]

If you guys could only experience the 6550 and E34Ls together as they eat the Mod50 up with 5881s,I hate to say

The Svet 6550s ate the TS 5881s alive in my Mod 50. No comparison, bigger, fatter, warmer, rounder, even the band was like....wow, what did you do? Just sounds like the tone is wider.
5881s had a cardboard crunch I couldn't dial out. Maybe if I just played clean I'd like them.

Now I have to get some KT88s after experiencing my friend's amp with those.

I have to agree in a sense that the 6550 sound fucking huge by themselves in the mod 50 but I am really loving the get ready..............................................TAD 6L6wgc in the mod.I even bought a brand new set of TS 5881s for a shootout and I seee\med to favor the 6L6s,but I'm not saying I don't like the TS cause that would be a lie and there is not to many tubes I really dislike except the 6L6GEs that I tried a while back!The amps handle tubes well and it makes me so much happier that I chose EGNATER FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!and with that fucking GnR OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so what was this about again???