Would you buy a tube amp if you were unable to use vintage tubes in it ?


Not available or too expensive.

Hmm.., I don't think I have a definitive answer for myself, but I would do my best to avoid such amps. There is no substitute for great tubes, I guess, especially if you value sophisticated sound.

 

inna

Showing 2 responses by wolf_garcia

I love tube amps and have learned that the worst thing you can do with one is turn it on and listen to it. Sure, it might sound great, but that leads to tube rolling from the audio geek compulsion to change stuff, and wear and tear on the tubes. Just put the amp there and leave it off...you can still look at the tubes and feel like you know what you're doing and are part of the tube freak world. But by no means should you actually use a tube amp...it will just lead to trouble.

I stumbled into NOS GE 6SN7GTB small tubes years ago and haven't looked back. They last REALLY long, use 'em in my Freya and Had Firebottle. Nothing sounds better to me (emphasis on "me"). Power tubes get changed around for fun and are all newish...Gold Lion KT whatever, Sovteks here and there, cool looking huge Chinese rectifiers, and sometimes weird transistors in my Pass XA-25...those things sound like tubes sort of so they get mentioned...sorry.