just how crappy can an amp sound with old tubes?

it can get real crappy, I suppose. What amp are you talking about?

Besides loosing volume and frequencies you eventually will hear a "fuzzing buzz" specially when you play low end notes.

I understand electronic damage to the amp may also occur.

Buzzing is the alarm though, so you know it´s time for tube change.

SAfest way to maintain your amp is that whenever you feel like a tube change must be done have a technichian do it for you,insist on having all the tubes change and have the tube-bias checked for optimum performance.

Can depend on many things. I've had amps that sound crappy after a year of playing, but then I've also had old blackface Fenders that had original RCA tubes that sounded great.

In general, newer amps, using newer tubes should go through tubes faster.

H

...and in general, the power tubes will take a dump much sooner than the pre amp tubes.

quote:

Originally posted by rologibson:
Besides loosing volume and frequencies you eventually will hear a "fuzzing buzz" specially when you play low end notes.

I understand electronic damage to the amp may also occur.

Buzzing is the alarm though, so you know it´s time for tube change.

SAfest way to maintain your amp is that whenever you feel like a tube change must be done have a technichian do it for you,insist on having all the tubes change and have the tube-bias checked for optimum performance.

I'd have to disagree with this. As Jaydee said, the pre-amp tubes should last longer than the power amp tubes. And, if it has a tube rectifier, those either work or they don't. So, if it's working, no need to replace it.

If you meant change all of the power tubes, I totally agree. And, always have the bias checked.

well i dont think its absolutely craping out but, i play a 4502 jcm900 (i might be trading my paul for a budda sd 45 im still undecided) but the thing..its like it plays against me, and i absolutely have to fight it to get it to play the way i want it to play, seems like the louder it gets the worse it sounds (wtf lol)

Rob, I am in no way a tube expert and I will defer to comments made by a number of our friends here but I have a couple of thoughts on the subject.

First, it may have been me but I've played through a JCM900 a few times and could never bond with it (Even though I have always been a Marshall fanatic), partly for he reasons you described.

Even so, I would try to get a few, decent EL34s in and rebias the amp. These don't have to be NOS Mullard. Just recently I had to quickly get a couple of replacement KT66s when one of my NOS Genalexes fried (ALAS...)and I swapped them for a pair of Sovteks - because they were easy to get - and while these are clearly inferior tubes, they did not sound bad at all and I was very impressed. So, perhaps a power tube change with a decent, newer brand would help.

Even if it doesn't help much, try swapping one or more pre-amp tubes. My own small experiments with a lot of pre-amp tubes recently have opened my eyes to the impact these elements of the circuit have on the whole sound. They can help you tame a harsh beast, give it more mids, more bottom, more sustain, etc. These tubes, even some NOS, are not necessarily expensive and well worth investigating.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Stormbringerpurple,

Rob,

I'm a big time Marshall guy, but I have to be honest, and tell you that I've never been able to get any usable sounds out of the 900 series. When they came out I tried and tried to like them, but every one I tried just sounded bad.

Part of the problem with the 900's is that the tubes are not doing a lot of the work. It uses diodes to create most of the clipping.

H

storm and headshot i appreciate you guys both...i think im in denial lol....im trying to figure out a way i can afford a budda and keep my les paul at the same time. its a pain

I have no firsthand experience with the 900s, but I've heard the same experiences you described with them from those I know that have used them. I would say that it's not the tubes but the amp to blame for the things your experiencing.

It sounds like you need to find a way to bring that Budda home! I would try anything to keep the LP and get the Budda. What would be the fun of having a great Marshally amp without a LP?

D

quote:

Originally posted by jaydee:
...and in general, the power tubes will take a dump much sooner than the pre amp tubes.

...especially if you use an attenuator. Not because the attuator hurts anything, but because you use the attenuator to run the power tubes much hotter.

Even the best tube amp sounds like a dog with dead tubes (or the wrong tubes).

quote:

Originally posted by Big Rob:
well i dont think its absolutely craping out but, i play a 4502 jcm900 (i might be trading my paul for a budda sd 45 im still undecided) but the thing..its like it plays against me, and i absolutely have to fight it to get it to play the way i want it to play, seems like the louder it gets the worse it sounds (wtf lol)

DON'T TRADE THE LP!!!
You WILL regret it. Figure something else out.

Do you have any children or a girlfriend that you could trade? A spare internal organ that you don't use much? Think creatively, you'll miss the guitar.

Blunt tubes

damnit i wish i knew enough about amps i can afford, apart from the ones the big timers play...its hard you know?