As rock music was demanding louder and larger amplifiers, makers started using larger power tubes. Here come the 6550, KT88, KT66, and KT77. They are known for more headroom and a harder edge when they eventually distort.
How do I know if my rectifier tube is bad?
Sometimes you will hear strange sounds, loss of power, or heavily distort sound. These are signs that a tube is failing. Often power loss that seems like the amp is performing at half power or less will be one or more bad power tubes, or even a dying phase inverter tube.
Are rectifier tubes interchangeable?
They’re all interchangeable within limits. Every amp and each type of power tube has different limits so there are no general rules that apply universally.
When should a rectifier tube be replaced?
Tube Life Span
Power Tubes are generally at their best 1 – 1.5 years. Rectifier Tubes are generally at their best 3 – 5+ years.
Do rectifier tubes affect tone?
rectifier tubes don’t really affect “tone” directly, like power and (especially) preamp tubes do. they’re not in the audio signal path and only affect the sound of the amp in a roundabout way. in the case of guitar amps, a rectifier’s only job is to convert AC voltage to DC voltage.
What color should power tubes glow?
Check the Filaments Glow!
Within your tubes, sits a heater filament and when working optimally, will illuminate with a satisfying warm orange glow.
Do rectifier tubes glow?
While they may not glow as brightly as audio tubes, because they are conducting power, they will get hot and it is pretty easy to determine that they are working. … If at that point though the amp’s performance is weak or you blow a fuse, a rectifier tube is one possible suspect. They will wear out over time.
What does a microphonic tube sound like?
One common symptom of a microphonic tube is hearing a lot of static or a feedback sound. … Lightly tap on each tube with the eraser end of a pencil and listen for a ringing or rattling noise. Tubes that are not microphonic will be quiet. bad, microphonic tubes will sound like a bottle with springs in it.
Why do different tubes sound different?
Actually, it’s not the just tube— The difference you hear is tube/amp interaction. A certain tube only sounds a certain way in a certain amplifier. And to make things even more complicated, no two tubes will react exactly the same way in the same amp. … It’s due to minute physical differences in the tube’s structure.
What’s the difference between preamp tubes and power tubes?
Power amp tubes are much larger than preamp tubes. … While they don’t shape your tone as directly as preamp tubes, different matched sets of power amp tubes can further shape the sound of your amp and provide different levels of touch responsiveness to your playing.
Can I replace power tubes without biasing?
To change preamp tubes, all you’ll need is a screwdriver and a little know-how. … With preamp tubes, you don’t need to worry about things like biasing or using matched pairs as you do with power tubes. As long as your new tube is the same model as what you’re replacing (12AX7, 12AT7, 6SN7, etc.), you’re good.
Is a rectifier tube a power tube?
Basically a Rectifier Tube will have no control grids. It will conduct fully in one direction and not in the other. A Power Tube is just a high power amplifying valve. This will have one or more control grids which control the flow of current through the valve.
Why are tubes better than solid-state?
Tubes, like analog recordings, have a more full-bodied sound than transistor gear. There’s a “roundness” to tube sound that solid-state gear never equals. Tubes are less forgiving about mismatches, so to get the best out of a tube amp it must be used with just the right speaker.
Is a dual rectifier a tube amp?
This term refers to the selectable solid-state/tube rectifier found on certain Mesa/Boogie amplifiers. Most modern tube amps use solid-state rectifiers to convert AC current to DC. This feature allows players to choose between “tight” and “loose” amp response characteristics. …
What is the difference between amplifier and rectifier?
An amplifier is used to increase the strength of an electric signal whereas a rectifier allow current to pass in only one direction and is used to produce DC. from AC.
Do all amps have a rectifier tube?
What is a rectifier? A rectifier is simply an electronic device that converts AC voltage to DC voltage. All amps run on DC voltage so all amps have a rectifier to convert the AC voltages coming from the power transformer to DC voltages your amp circuit can use.
Why do vacuum tubes glow blue?
A tube that is glowing blue is often wrongly perceived as a defect, however, it’s really just a side effect of a power tube — a fluorescent glow in the blue spectrum. The tube is fine! It actually indicates that the vacuum inside the tube is very good, which is what allows this phenomenon to occur.
How long do valves last in guitar amps?
“In theory, a valve should have a working lifespan of anywhere between 1,000 and 5,000 hours for common types, and up to 8,000 or so for the more rugged industrial/mil-spec variants.
How often should you change tubes in amp?
You can expect a conventional amplifier tube to have a service life ranging up to 10,000 hours. Tubes with military specifications are built to last up to 100,000 hours.
How can I make my tube amp sound better?
The method I use with tube amps is fairly simple. I turn the volume up on the amp as high as it goes, and then use the volume controls for my guitar pickups to control the volume on the amp overall. If your amp has a master volume knob, it can be used to get a similar sound at lower volumes.
What does a solid state rectifier do?
The job of the rectifier is to convert AC waveforms into DC. This happens in a diode. A diode can be in a tube, or it can be a silicone (solid-state) diode.
What does solid state rectifier mean?
Solid state rectifier also known as rectification thyristor or rectification diode, which converts AC current into DC current (Pulsating Direct Current) through an internal solid state rectification circuit (consisting of solid state diode or solid state thyristor).