Tube Rolling For ASL Hurricanes

Ecclectique wrote - "What I found most interesting about rb99's selection of drivers... was the order in which he combined them to "voice" his amps.Oddly enough...I use "exactly" the same tubes, and in "exactly" the same order in my amplifiers as well."

I tried virtually all combinations, including using all the same tube, i.e., three RCA grey glasses. The synergies of having difference tubes kind of surprised me. I alway thought the closer the matching of the drivers tubes the better. The strength of these three tubes combines to keep the tonality fairly neutral, but improved all other aspects of the sound. The biggest improvement is in the bass extention and control.

I have to note the ECC32 where very seductive - if someone prefered a warmer/lush sound these would be a good choice in leau of the Sly W metal bases.

The only 6sn7 I have still to try are the Raytheons and the National Unions. The NU are supposted to sound alot like the Ken-Rad Dark Glass, which I did not care for. The Raytheons could possibly be a good choice. I'll let you know.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with tube rolling in your ASL amp.

Best regards.

You should try some mil spec RCA 5692s if you can find some.

PS- I see they pulled the other Hurricane thread.

Kana813 - I wonder why?

I'll try RCA 5692s. Thanks.

Hmmm...I have to disagree with the poster who indicated that one needed to change the stock tubes to get "anywhere near" the performance capabilities of the Hurricanes. They are magnificent as they are: the imaging size of instruments in the back of the stage do not shrink AT ALL, which is quite different from any other amplifier I've ever heard -- and this with the stock tubes.
When someone says tubes need to be changed, what I hear is that they want a different "sound," but the sound of, say, a double bass has its own integrity and does not need a tube change for anyone to hear what a double bass sounds like. The idea in much of the tube rolling seems to be to orient the SOUND to what we want, not to orient an acoustic instrument: the instrument makes its own sound.
The amps need NO tube changing to sound excellent. They might need tube changing to improve EVEN FURTHUR their many excellences AS IS.
Pardon my opinions, but it seems that the SOUND is what many people look for, not the music. I rarely see anyone discuss how a tube change makes the harmonic overtones of the violins appear more vividly, or the body of a double bass, or the strike of a hammner on a piano string. It's always "better bass" (what does that mean?! I truly am puzzled about it).
Having said that, I am also experimenting with "tube rolling" for the first time, because I am fascinated by how change can take place in the amps, but I know what real instruments sound like, and if the tubes reduce that "realness" then they do not serve the music, and I take 'em out.

Right on, Gbmcleod. I have only changed the 6sn7's (big improvement but not the KT88's. My 'canes sound "wonderful"!