I think tubes could become a new currency, anyone have change for an EL34

[Dave Scepter]

4 hours ago, LucSulla said:

organ pulls

Ouch!.. 🤣

[veatch]

Sooooo... (can't believe I'm asking this)

What solid state amp emulates the feel of a tube amp best?  Not a modeler or digital, just a straight up transistor amp. Thinking it is time to save the tube amps just for gigs and use a solid state to practice and rehearse. But (important) I still want to use the same pedals in front and have it behave similarly...

Asking too much?

[DaveH]

1 minute ago, veatch said:

Sooooo... (can't believe I'm asking this)

What solid state amp emulates the feel of a tube amp best?  Not a modeler or digital, just a straight up transistor amp. Thinking it is time to save the tube amps just for gigs and use a solid state to practice and rehearse. But (important) I still want to use the same pedals in front and have it behave similarly...

Asking too much?

The Roland Blues Cubes do a decent (i.e. acceptable) job.

Example:

https://reverb.com/item/38660438-roland-blues-cube-bc-60-60-watt-3x10-guitar-combo

 

[DaveH]

6 hours ago, django49 said:

I wonder what my Mesa 2-Ninety with EIGHT 6L6s is worth this week.......

Prolly a lot more than 4 weeks ago!

[jwhitcomb3]

10 minutes ago, veatch said:

Sooooo... (can't believe I'm asking this)

What solid state amp emulates the feel of a tube amp best?  Not a modeler or digital, just a straight up transistor amp. Thinking it is time to save the tube amps just for gigs and use a solid state to practice and rehearse. But (important) I still want to use the same pedals in front and have it behave similarly...

Asking too much?

Quilter amps are straight-up transistor amps. And don't knock DSP amps. Just think, digital amp modeling is now reaching the same maturity level as the tube technology that produced what are now considered the classic tube amps. 

 

[Disturber]

There was a company just some years ago that launched a new technique that incorporated some very small "tubes", like solid state small. Was it Boss or Roland, anyone remember what I am talking about. 

Edit: found it. It's the Roland NuTube technology. Anyone tried it? Does it feel and respond like ordinary tubes? https://korgnutube.com/en/

These are only for pre-amps, rather than in the power-amp section, right?

[duncans]

Years ago Ronnie Montrose used a Gallien-Krueger amp, a 1x12 combo  kinda high gain type of thing. Never heard one live, on recordings it didn't sound too bad. Where are they? Lots of Peavey Bandits were mfg'd, didn't sound too terrible. Buddy of mine used one for years with his Tele. Should be lots of older solid state amps to use with pedals.

Dutchman mentioned Russian Black Market. Did they stop importing to USA only or North America? Could someone run down to Mexico and import them there? Canada? Tube Amp Dr. is in Germany. Guess we'll see how it plays out.

 

[Biz Prof]

31 minutes ago, duncans said:

Years ago Ronnie Montrose used a Gallien-Krueger amp, a 1x12 combo  kinda high gain type of thing.

I know he also used a Pearce G1, which while short-lived, was an incredible sounding solid state design. Allan Holdsworth was another endorser. I tried one out at the Music Connection in Raleigh and was floored at how good it sounded.  It was also quite expensive.  Another example of you get what you pay for.  Here's more information that anyone probably needs to know about that amp line. https://aionfx.com/app/files/docs/Pearce_Lab-Amps-History.pdf

[tbonesullivan]

14 hours ago, veatch said:

Sooooo... (can't believe I'm asking this)

What solid state amp emulates the feel of a tube amp best?  Not a modeler or digital, just a straight up transistor amp. Thinking it is time to save the tube amps just for gigs and use a solid state to practice and rehearse. But (important) I still want to use the same pedals in front and have it behave similarly...

Asking too much?

The best I have played are unfortunately currently out of production: the Tech 21 Trademark Series. They sound great. Not "sound great for having no tubes". Just, great.

[django49]

14 hours ago, jwhitcomb3 said:

Quilter amps are straight-up transistor amps. And don't knock DSP amps. Just think, digital amp modeling is now reaching the same maturity level as the tube technology that produced what are now considered the classic tube amps. 

 

I have been a fan of Quilter for quite a while. I DO have some great tube amps, but I have played out with a couple different Quilters (using only my fave single OD pedal) and did not think I gave up a thing......The first time I brought along my best Mesa just in case I was wrong. I did not even have to turn it on.

Note that their latest has 2 channels, either of which can be "voiced" for one of 6 classic amps.....3 F style, 1 M, 1 V and one D style. With footswitchable distortion/boost, limiter, reverb and tremolo, as well as FX loop. Footswitch between 2 different voices or select your two faves to blend.

[tbonesullivan]

Well, the tube store website is down, and most other tube reseller websites are running slow as hell as panic buying accelerates.

[Biz Prof]

25 minutes ago, tbonesullivan said:

Well, the tube store website is down, and most other tube reseller websites are running slow as hell as panic buying accelerates.

Toilet paper, ammo, hand sanitizer, bulk chicken, and now vacuum tubes.  This is why we can't have nice things.

[woodpile]

9 hours ago, Biz Prof said:

I know he also used a Pearce G1, which while short-lived, was an incredible sounding solid state design. Allan Holdsworth was another endorser. I tried one out at the Music Connection in Raleigh and was floored at how good it sounded.  It was also quite expensive.  Another example of you get what you pay for.  Here's more information that anyone probably needs to know about that amp line. https://aionfx.com/app/files/docs/Pearce_Lab-Amps-History.pdf

Ronnie Montrose also used Lab Series 5 SS amps and so did Ty Tabor. Their sounds were pretty good. Would love to find one of those in decent condition.

 

 

[Hbom]

This has been on CL for a couple of weeks. Price hasn't changed as of this morning.

 

 

 

But is gone now! Don't know if it sold or if he went into wait and see mode.

[Biz Prof]

3 minutes ago, woodpile said:

Ronnie Montrose also used Lab Series 5 SS amps and so did Ty Tabor. They're sounds were pretty good. Would love to find one of those in decent condition.

 

 

Yeah, I'm not at all surprised at Montrose having played the Lab Series amps, since Pearce was on the Moog team that designed and engineered those circuits.  I was a King's X fan BITD, and I much later found Ty Tabor's specific utilization of his L5 as a preamp (with the compressor turned off) into a Crown power amp to be rather intriguing.  His tone on the first four King's X albums was just so different from nearly anyone else at that time. 

[Travis]

A patient of mine is an operations manager for Guitar Center. He just told me last night that a guy tried to place an order for $16,000 worth of tubes…

I assumed the would be customer was going to turn right around and try to sell them at a significant markup. 

Can’t kill the entrepreneurial spirit. 

[Dutchman]

7 hours ago, duncans said:

Years ago Ronnie Montrose used a Gallien-Krueger amp, a 1x12 combo  kinda high gain type of thing. Never heard one live, on recordings it didn't sound too bad. Where are they? Lots of Peavey Bandits were mfg'd, didn't sound too terrible. Buddy of mine used one for years with his Tele. Should be lots of older solid state amps to use with pedals.

Dutchman mentioned Russian Black Market. Did they stop importing to USA only or North America? Could someone run down to Mexico and import them there? Canada? Tube Amp Dr. is in Germany. Guess we'll see how it plays out.

 

I used a GK I bought from Monte Berhinger. It was ok, had a 2 x 12 JBL cab that I wish I still had. I sold it too my son. He used it for a couple years. I went back to my Boogie, and hung with that for years.

[RobB]

I think ya’ll are trippin. 

[BubbaVO]

8 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

The best I have played are unfortunately currently out of production: the Tech 21 Trademark Series. They sound great. Not "sound great for having no tubes". Just, great.

The TM60 does a really good job at getting close to that tube vibe, durable and  it’s so light.  There may be better options for studio work, but I wouldn’t hesitate to grab it for a jam session. 

[crunchee]

On 3/14/2022 at 1:56 AM, crunchee said:

I started getting into tube amps in the early '90s, a few years after US tube production ended, and I remember hearing about guitar players getting concerned about US-made tubes becoming scarce back then.  The sky still hasn't fallen yet, they (NOS tubes) just keep getting expensiver and expensiver.  

Like I said before, the sky still hasn't fallen yet...in spite of US tube production ending in the late '80's, or RFT apparently no longer making tubes because of German reunification, or the original Czech Teslas no longer being made, or 'Winged C' tubes no longer being produced.  In some cases, new tubes have been made using manufacturing equipment from former manufacturers (such as JJ using Tesla tooling, supposedly).  Seems like these 'Chicken Little' moments tend to pop up every few years for whatever reason.  The writing on the wall regards new tube production for guitar amps was showing up 30 years ago if not earlier, so if you're only concerned about it now, then you're kinda late to that game.  

About 20~25 years ago, I was on a Blackface Fender amp buying binge, but not for the expensive 'popular' models, but instead for the less-in-demand amps that were often found for less than $400 each at the time in excellent used condition, and a relative bargain as compared to the pricier ones; these were mainly Champs, Vibro-Champs, and Bassman heads.  I eventually sold them off as the luster kinda wore off of playing 'vintage' amps...but not before I swapped out the original US (and sometimes Euro)-made 12AX7s/7025s/ECC83s with Chinese 12AX7 tubes.  Even though the original tubes were 'used' tubes with an unknown number of hours on them, I've yet to have one of those tubes crap out on me in an amp; besides, I got ownership of them when I originally bought the amps, and who's to say the next owner of these amps wouldn't have done the same thing if I didn't?  Or worse, throw the original tubes in the trash and replace them with all new tubes?  

I used to have a couple of Deluxe Reverbs (an original '65 and a '75) also (I got a handful of good original 12AX7s and a few 7025s out of those, too)...they were good amps, but they wouldn't distort much unless the volume was turned up considerably.  A secondary reason why I got rid of those amps, is that the voltages on the 6V6s in a DR are pretty high, supposedly exceeding the specs for a US-made 6V6; and may have been a contributor to it not distorting much without cranking it.  In any case, they're hard on 6V6s when used often and cranked, so that was a consideration too.  Gotta know your gear!

Which brings me to Russian and Chinese tubes...in the early '90's, they were starting to show up for sale in the US as 'alternatives' to discontinued US and Euro tubes, but they were almost always considered by 'musos' to be 'inferior' to US/Euro NOS, and basically a choice of last resort.  The '6V6' tubes that Sovtek was selling at that time (I don't know if it's changed since or not) were apparently a sturdier 6L6-type, as anything else that was 'lighter duty' wouldn't last long in an amp such as a DR.

Funny how things have changed since then.  Or haven't.  Just my two cents.

[Disturber]

Pvane is a Chinese company that was started by emplyees from Shugang. They are still making tubes it seems. The TAD EL34 redplates seems to be a rebranded Psvane EL34. I ordered a set this week. We'll see/hear how they sound.

https://premiumvacuumtubes.com/who-is-psvane/

https://www.acmetube.com/brands/psvane/

https://hifihaven.org/index.php?threads/psvane-tube-factory-in-china.5003/

 

 

[Dutchman]

This guy should know!

 

[dhuber]

The last time I ordered 12AX7's five to ten years ago I paid $9.99.  With inflation I could see $19.99.  However this is insane.

Edit:  I should have taken a screen shot.  They were listed at $89 and they've now dropped them back to $49.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133027648143?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3De7096484fc0d4a2bae5be14b44e9375e%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D294864758393%26itm%3D133027648143%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26brand%3DJJ+Electronic&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A6ad7dc23-a52f-11ec-8700-16a0739d28a8|parentrq%3A92fa73b817f0ad333af55b64ffffd392|iid%3A1

[Dutchman]

28 minutes ago, dhuber said:

The last time I ordered 12AX7's five to ten years ago I paid $9.99.  With inflation I could see $19.99.  This is insane.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133027648143?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3De7096484fc0d4a2bae5be14b44e9375e%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D294864758393%26itm%3D133027648143%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26brand%3DJJ+Electronic&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A6ad7dc23-a52f-11ec-8700-16a0739d28a8|parentrq%3A92fa73b817f0ad333af55b64ffffd392|iid%3A1

People buying JJ's at those whore house prices aren't paying attention. JJ's are made in Slovakia, a NATO nation. They're behind but still shipping!!!

[tbonesullivan]

The problem is availability. The primary customers of the tube manufacturers are always going to be the OEM market. You can bet your butt that Marshall, Fender, Peavey, Mesa, etc were all on the horn with JJ ASAP after the Russian sanctions started, and probably have most of the supply earmarked for them.