oggy669

Hi,
I've got a DSL 401 amp and had it for about 2 years. When should I change my tubes to get the best performance out of my amp? Or do I wait until when blows?? Cheers

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kdickinson

Are you the orginal owner of it? Typically you replace the tubes when you notice popping, hissing or sound quality degridation. Worse case within the tube itself you may notice a burn spot (very intense red hot uneven burn marks) when powered on.

oggy669

Yeh I'm the orignal owner.
The sound quality is good. But there's a bit of "humm" but that might be from my guitar/effects set up...??
When the amp is on, the tubes glow red, but they all glow with equal intensity.

Chris

A simple guide is to replace the power tubes twice as often as the preamp tubes, because they wear out more quickly. An amp that is used every day should expect to replace its power tubes every one or two years. If you notice lower output, strange noises, or a "muddier" tone, your tubes probably need replacing.

kdickinson

I agree Chris, but there are so many varibles with tubes, playing every day is just one. Playing hard every day (5+). Environment (moist vs dry). Power source conditions etc. The list goes on and on. It all comes down to sound performance and the ear of player.

Chris

Come on man, you should'nt make playing guitar out of a Marshall brain surgery or should I call it Brian surgery. It's very simple and it is not a good idea to confuse a novice.

kdickinson

Not trying to confuse anyone, just stating the obvious Chris. Its not brain surgery I agree, but it is expensive to re-tube an amp even for a novice, I was merely trying to educate not confuse folks.

Chris

It is very simple when preamp tubes are bad the gain drops, the bigest clue of them all, but even before that, your tone remains somewhat the same but with a background noise "Highs"( like you have no control over it). I (quote) preamp tube can be expected to perform well far longer and are usually reliable and problem-free for many years. Unfortunately, even preamp tubes degrade with time, which leads to a loss in clarity and dynamic, usually in the lows and highs. Above all, the definition is lost, which can lead to muted bass. A further problem is that the degradation occurs gradually, and one quickly gets used to the "new" sound. The difference doesn't become obvious until new tubes are installed, and suddenly the amp sounds "fresh." This quote comes from the only web site that I find to have some integrity elite vacuum tubes preamp and power tubes section.
Home Page

Elitevacuumtubes

Thanks Chris it feels good to know theirs people out there who understands me. By the way when you think your preamp tubes are bad just remove your V1 tube ( the one furthest away from the power tubes) and replace it with one of your backups. If that doesn’t refresh your tone replace all of them.
Keep on rock “N”.
ART.
EliteVacuumTubes

Morrir

Thank you, gentlemen, for your usefull advice & information. I also have a JCM2000 DSL 401, which I've owned for about 1 1/2 yrs, from new. Lately, I have noticed it's a bit "Muddy" and I assumed the tubes needed changing; I sold a guitar last night(it's alright, she went to a good home, a recording engineer who will take good care of her, I was assured), and now I am flush with cash, and eager to get to the job. Do you have any recomendations as to what replacement tubes I should use? Someone recommneded Groove Tubes to me, but I'm not sure which ones to go for. I am a hobby guitarist, just messing around in my living room and my amp never leaves the house. My guitars are gibson SG classic(P90's), Fender American Standard HT Strat, Fender American Deluxe Telecaster, Tokai Love Rock(LP copy)w/Gibson burstbucker Pro alnicoV pickups, jackson SLSMG Soloist w/active EMG's, Gretsch G5120, and the ever-popular First Act VW guitar. So, you can see, I play a lot of different instruments & styles through my amp. any suggestions for a set of tubes that would suit a wide variety of musical needs? Thanks in advance for any help!