Members alexisherenow Posted July 30, 2008 Members Share Posted July 30, 2008 Hi! I'm looking for some advise. I'm looking to have an inventory of tubes for my VOX AC15. This is my first experience with an all tube amplifier and I've heard that from time to time tubes may fail unexpectedly. While trying to buy a tube replacement I saw several brands. I sincerely appreciate any help you can provide on which is(are) the most reliable brand(s). All the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flummox Posted July 30, 2008 Members Share Posted July 30, 2008 The tubes your AC15 came with are really quite good. The power tubes are Electro Harmonix EL84s, and the preamp tubes are 2 Tung-Sol 12ax7s and a Chinese 12ax7. Some people change the Chinese one for a Tung-Sol. Some people also spend ridiculous amounts of money on NOS tubes - but I think you should enjoy your amp the way it is for now. It's a wonderful little amp right out of the box. If you're going to get rid of anything, replace the speaker with a Celestion Greenback or Blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Japetus Posted July 30, 2008 Members Share Posted July 30, 2008 hey alexishernoww I would get a few sets of JJ EL84's. They are really durable. I used EL84 amps for a good while, and they go through tubes much faster IMO than EL34 and 6L6 amps. I would keep the tubes in your amp until they start sounding shoddy, and then go with the JJ's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flummox Posted July 30, 2008 Members Share Posted July 30, 2008 I like the JJs also. They make great 12ax7s as well. To give you an idea of how long the stock tubes should last, I ran my AC15 dimed through an attenuator for over a year, playing 1-2 hours a day, before the EH's began to audibly go out. I've been playing tube amps for 30 years and I don't think I've ever had a tube go out without warning. Output transformers, yes, but not tubes. They've been making them for 100 years - it's a pretty well-proven technology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Japetus Posted July 30, 2008 Members Share Posted July 30, 2008 I have found EL84s start making nose long before they go out. They start screeching like an eagle!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phyrexia Posted July 30, 2008 Members Share Posted July 30, 2008 There are only two 12AX7s in a new AC15. Mine had a Tung-Sol and a Chinese. I had an NOS RFT ECC83 in V1, a JAN Philips 5751 in V2, and two Bugle Boy/Amperex EL84s in the power section and it was very nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alexisherenow Posted July 30, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 30, 2008 Thank you all for your advise on this! I play basically Beatles music (I have a Beatles Tribute band in Mexico), so always I've been looking to find that 'Beatle tone'. I have had a couple of Vox Valvetronix, but this VOX AC 15 really sounds good! Thank you again for your help! All the best, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flummox Posted July 30, 2008 Members Share Posted July 30, 2008 There are only two 12AX7s in a new AC15. Mine had a Tung-Sol and a Chinese. That's right. Getting forgetful in my old age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FastRedPonyCar Posted July 30, 2008 Members Share Posted July 30, 2008 I've tried JJ's EL84's in my brother's V32 palomino and they didn't sound any different (both at bedroom and stage volume) than the stock junker groove tubes. I put a quartet of mullard reissue EL84's in my V30 and noticed an increase in clarity at high gain/volume, a bit more clean headroom and better composed low end at high volume/gain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.