Valve Sounds

[Huw]

I've been offered a Fender Twin recently and decided to take up the offer. The previous owner says it needs some decent playing hours to kick out the cobwebs, but i was thinking of replacing the valves anyway.

This is where my problem comes... i'm completely lost as to what preamp/power amp valves make what noises (more clean or more driven). Somebody got the lowdown on what does what so i can understand too?

Any recommendations for what kind of valves to go for would be great too. i just like a sweet well rounded clean, which i will probably stick a TC overdrive and a rat in front of which i will probably upgrade to some sort of tube distortion unit later.

[Diesel]

I've been offered a Fender Twin recently and decided to take up the offer. The previous owner says it needs some decent playing hours to kick out the cobwebs, but i was thinking of replacing the valves anyway.

This is where my problem comes... i'm completely lost as to what preamp/power amp valves make what noises (more clean or more driven). Somebody got the lowdown on what does what so i can understand too?

Any recommendations for what kind of valves to go for would be great too. i just like a sweet well rounded clean, which i will probably stick a TC overdrive and a rat in front of which i will probably upgrade to some sort of tube distortion unit later.

Huw,

Go on to the Watford Valves website Watford Valves :: Watford valves is a U.K company that has become one of Europe's leading supliers of tested, graded and guaranteed valves to the professional music industry.

They have tonal descriptions of all the valves in stock and what amps they are suited for.

Svetlana's seem to be popular with Fender amps. I have JJ Tesla's (6L6GC's) in my Fender Super Sonic and they're great as well (the Svetlana's were out of stock at the time!).

[Soda Jerk]

After Watford Valves have given you the descriptions you need, make sure you get your valves from somewhere else. I (and many other people) have recieved Valves that have been dead on arrival, or damaged.

There's a good, cheap company based in Nottingham who have I used a couple of times but I can't for the life of me remember their name.

[Diesel]

After Watford Valves have given you the descriptions you need, make sure you get your valves from somewhere else. I (and many other people) have recieved Valves that have been dead on arrival, or damaged.

There's a good, cheap company based in Nottingham who have I used a couple of times but I can't for the life of me remember their name.

Good point - I meant to say to go elsewhere.

Bunch of arrogant wankers.

I boughi some stuff online and they emailed me an invoice with ALL my credit card details on it, including the full 16-digit number (no asterisks), security code and expiry dates.

When I pulled them up about it - as an IT veteran who knows more than a bit about data security - I got a really unrepentant and snotty email back.

My response to that was unpritable - even on this site

Cunts.

[andrew]

Try

Hot Rox UK - Computer Matched Valves Guitar Effects Pedals Jensen Speakers

[Soda Jerk]

Hot Rox! That's the company I was trying to remember. I was typing in Rock Box into google and getting nothing

[Diesel]

Try

Hot Rox UK - Computer Matched Valves Guitar Effects Pedals Jensen Speakers

Seconded!

Jerked me around a bit with my Engl footswitch, but otherwise good to deal with.

[sonhenry]

You need a matched quad of 6l6's, the ones modeled after the RCA blackplates are ideal, the old svetlanta's and the thick-bottom sovteks sound pretty good in fenders if you can find them.

There should be a tube chart in the cab that'll tell you what preamp tubes you need. Sovteks here again are fine, but try and find a good 12AT7 for the reverb driver tube. The sovtek's I've had didn't last long, so the NOS Phillips ones aren't bad.

You won't have any problem getting clean tones out of that amp, in fact if you don't you'll know it needs service....