Tube Rolling For ASL Hurricanes


Any experiences in tube rolling for these amps yet? I find it hard to believe Chinese KT88s can be the best option.
redkiwi
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"!
Gbmcleod:

It's been sometime since your post. What has been your experience in changing the 6SN7s? Do you prefer the stock tubes?

I would be interested to hear which tubes you've tried.

My experience is the NOS tubes I wrote about (still using the same combination) improved every aspect of the sound while remaining nuetral in terms of the "stock" sound.

I would love to hear your comments
I have been considering a Hurricane. What happens to the amp when a tube fails? Does it blow a resistor or you simply replace the bad tube? Are there any reliability problems?
I lost one tube KT88). I never realized it. I found out when I tried to biais it. The meter read 000. I just got a new tube and that was that.