Blackheart Tube Changes

[just strum]

I was just curious if anyone here made a tube change their BH Little Giant? If so, what did you use and what were the results?

[tunghaichuan***]

Strum,

When I first got my BH Little Giant head the first thing I did was pull the chassis and swap out the power tube with a JJ EL84. It really didn't make a difference, which was surprising. Usually swapping out a stock Chinese tube with a better American/European tube improves the tone but in this case it didn't. It could be that the BH is voiced for the Chinese tube, which is just a guess on my part.

However, Chinese tubes tend not to be as long lasting or of the same quality as good American/Euro tubes, so it might be a good idea to swap out the Chinese tubes in the BH. I'd use a Electro Harmonix 12AX7EH and a JJ EL84.

tung

I was just curious if anyone here made a tube change their BH Little Giant? If so, what did you use and what were the results?

[Spudman***]

Strum,

When I first got my BH Little Giant head the first thing I did was pull the chassis and swap out the power tube with a JJ EL84. It really didn't make a difference, which was surprising. Usually swapping out a stock Chinese tube with a better American/European tube improves the tone but in this case it didn't. It could be that the BH is voiced for the Chinese tube, which is just a guess on my part.

However, Chinese tubes tend not to be as long lasting or of the same quality as good American/Euro tubes, so it might be a good idea to swap out the Chinese tubes in the BH. I'd use a Electro Harmonix 12AX7EH and a JJ EL84.

tung

I did the same thing and ended up leaving the stock Chinese tube in.

[rev156]

I left the power tube alone and first switched the 12ax7 to a tung-sol which I thought made a big difference. My tech, very shortly after, came across a NOS Jan 5751 which I installed. It is a lower gain tube so I can push the volume higher, which as I'm using pedals for crunch and distortion anyway, sounds great especially in pentode.

[ibanezjunkie]

replacing the chinese 12AX7 with a groovetubes 12AX7 doesnt need rebiasing right?

[markb]

replacing the chinese 12AX7 with a groovetubes 12AX7 doesnt need rebiasing right?

Right! Swap preamp tubes all day long if you want with no adjustments. You can fine tune the gain structure by swapping 12ax7 for 12ay7, 12at7 or 5751 types.

[kiteman]

I retubed my Handsome Devil with Mullard Reissues. At first it didn't sound like it makes a difference but when they're hot they're sweet.

[ibanezjunkie]

great, i was hoping to let the stock tubes die (which wonty take long with the amount i play daily) then swap them out for some groovetubes or something.

[kiteman]

great, i was hoping to let the stock tubes die (which wonty take long with the amount i play daily) then swap them out for some groovetubes or something.

Groove tubes are rebadged tubes. No telling what you'll get but when I had my Blues Jr combo it had groove tube red labels. My guess is that these are a hot set. There's also a blue and a white label groove tubes. I also replaced them with Mullard Reissues.

I don't know who makes these Mullards but when they get hot they sound better, a really good tone. I always buy 2x the power tubes with a set of preamp tubes.

My Windsor half stack came with Ruby power tubes and JJ preamp tubes so I'm ok there. Surprised me though I bought this new for $399. :

[markb]

...I don't know who makes these Mullards...

I wonder that too. I can remember when the UK Mullard factory closed down in about 1978 or 1979. The muso press was full of articles about the "death of classic guitar amps"

[tunghaichuan***]

I wonder that too. I can remember when the UK Mullard factory closed down in about 1978 or 1979. The muso press was full of articles about the "death of classic guitar amps"

The Mullard brand is now owned by New Sensor, so I would have to assume that they are made in the same factories that Sovtek tubes are. Definitely not made in the UK.

tung

[kiteman]

The Mullard brand is now owned by New Sensor, so I would have to assume that they are made in the same factories that Sovtek tubes are. Definitely not made in the UK.

tung

Now I remember reading about New Sensor, that's them.

Now they're called reissues so I don't know that means made to the specs of the original. Probably made with cheaper materials but as I said, when they get hot they sound good.

Sometimes I use the attenuator so I can cook the tubes and keep my windows.

[markb]

The Mullard brand is now owned by New Sensor, so I would have to assume that they are made in the same factories that Sovtek tubes are. Definitely not made in the UK.

tung

Valve manufacture wouldn't meet the environmental regulations in the UK. Or the USA for that matter.

[ibanezjunkie]

the only thing Machinehead sells (www.machinehead.co.uk, the guitar shop in my area) are groovetubes

i nipped i nthe other day, i had a look at te GT-EL84R or something like that. and the GT-12AX7R or something.

lol the groovetube models are werid...