CCV just arrived: Help with Tube changes please.

[Inca Roads]

Fantastic sounding amp, just a little
on the DARK side for me. Don't think I'm
diggin' the ARS power tubes and the Pre's.
What is the best recommendation for that
Gnarly Bite, Jose style Grind? SED Winged C's??
What type of Pre's would suite best?
Thanks Gentlemen

 

[King Guitar]

Before you pull tubes I would ask what speaker cab your using?

 

[Inca Roads]

Hey B,
Engl Pro 4X12 with V30's and G12H
in an X pattern.

 

[steve_k]

While the ARS tubes are going to be a bit darker than SED's, you should be able to dial up plenty of Jose and Gnarly with the clipping options. The SED's will hit a little harder but I actually don't notice much difference in my two Cameron's. One has SED's and the other ARS. As far as preamp goes, I leave the Chinese tubes in, except for V1, which I use an NOS RFT in both amps and a Tung Sol in V4. Dave and some others like EI's in V1.

Careful when re-tubing the preamp. V2 is the CF for HG input (V1) and V3 is the CF for the LG input (V4) and V5 is the PI. It is a little different than most and not cascaded. So, leave your Chinese tubes in V2/V3. Mark, if he was buying tubes for the amp prefers Ruby 12AX7AC5 HG+ tubes in the preamp section.

Steve

 

[Superunknown]

Power Tubes-SED EL34's
Pre-amp Tubes:
V1-Ei Gold
V2-Chinese 9th
V3-Chinese 9th
V4-Sovtek LPS
V5-Sovtek LPS

 

[steve_k]

V1 - NOS RFT
V2 - GT C8th
V3 - GT C8th
V4 - Tung Sol
V5 - LPS

 

[Gjeven]

Noob question, The LPS I understand in V5 but why a Tung Sol in V4?

 

[jerrydyer]

tasty tube for the tone stack ?

 

[steve_k]

Noob question, The LPS I understand in V5 but why a Tung Sol in V4?

Personal taste. It is the LG input tube. It will tighten things up a bit over a Chinese tube. I have also tried a TAD High Grade (similar to a JJ) and I tried Todd's set up with an LPS in V4 and V5 and actually liked this a lot. Running an LPS in V1, V4 and V5 really tightens the amp up. The CCV has spent most of its time out of the shell while I change tubes and play. Of course, it sounds just fine with Chinese straight across the board. But, I just like farting around with different combinations. The preamp tubes go a long way for tone tweaking in this amp.

Steve

 

[rokker]

I'm taking Steve K's advice...RFT in V1, chinese in 2 &3, and per KCA's reccomendation a NOS RCA in V4.
I don't think the JJ's that come with it do the amp any favors.
Will report back once I get a chance to install them...amp's arriving back home today.

 

[Gjeven]

Noob question, The LPS I understand in V5 but why a Tung Sol in V4?

Personal taste. It is the LG input tube. It will tighten things up a bit over a Chinese tube. I have also tried a TAD High Grade (similar to a JJ) and I tried Todd's set up with an LPS in V4 and V5 and actually liked this a lot. Running an LPS in V1, V4 and V5 really tightens the amp up. The CCV has spent most of its time out of the shell while I change tubes and play. Of course, it sounds just fine with Chinese straight across the board. But, I just like farting around with different combinations. The preamp tubes go a long way for tone tweaking in this amp.

Steve

Sounds good, may try that when I get some of those preamp tubes. I retubed with all the preamps tubes on mine with the Tung Sol's...mostly because that's all I had laying around when one of the preamp tubes failed recently.

Sounds fine with the tung sol's but always up for trying new tubes.

 

[glip22]

Noob question, The LPS I understand in V5 but why a Tung Sol in V4?

Personal taste. It is the LG input tube. It will tighten things up a bit over a Chinese tube. I have also tried a TAD High Grade (similar to a JJ) and I tried Todd's set up with an LPS in V4 and V5 and actually liked this a lot. Running an LPS in V1, V4 and V5 really tightens the amp up. The CCV has spent most of its time out of the shell while I change tubes and play. Of course, it sounds just fine with Chinese straight across the board. But, I just like farting around with different combinations. The preamp tubes go a long way for tone tweaking in this amp.

Steve

Sounds good, may try that when I get some of those preamp tubes. I retubed with all the preamps tubes on mine with the Tung Sol's...mostly because that's all I had laying around when one of the preamp tubes failed recently.
.
Sounds fine with the tung sol's but always up for trying new tubes.

The Tung Sols will die a very fast death in your V2 and V3 slots. Hell, I had ten of them go south very fast in regular non cathode follower slots. They sound really good but they don't last for shit. Nothing better than jamming and your volume dies because of those tubes. I had a few in an amp and was wondering why the amp didn't sound as good. I tested the tubes and their values were below good and I only used them for three months. Those tubes suck.I've been using some old Tesla Rosnovs for years now and they still test great. Over 1600 micromhos on each triode

 

[Gjeven]

Gotcha, just saw some other posts not to put the New Sensor type tubes in CF slots because they can't handle the voltage.

 

[Inca Roads]

Lot's of great advice here.....steve_k
psychodave, Superunknown
Seems like the CCV is definitely a Preamp
Tube Tweaker's Wet Dream!!

I'm taking Steve K's advice...RFT in V1, chinese in 2 &3, and per KCA's reccomendation a NOS RCA in V4.
I don't think the JJ's that come with it do the amp any favors.
Will report back once I get a chance to install them...amp's arriving back home today.

Let us know how that works out, I'm very
curious if it's a Big change from the stock ARS
Pre's.

 

[johnpace2]

Winged C EL34's biased around 60-65%
V1: Ei
V2-V5 Chinese 8th Gen.

I'm not familiar with the Ei tube. Could someone clarify the manufactuer? All I could find via google was a $49 tube that says it wasn't recomended for guitar amps (via the tubestore.com).

 

[rokker]

Will report back Inca Roads...forgot the mail is not running today so I won't get the RFT/RCA combo until probably Monday.
Had a few old mullards that were microphonic that didn't work out.
I'm hoping this is the ticket.

I don't find the CCV to be dark....just not overly bright.
I don't like dark amps or super bright ones either....CCV is just right to me.

 

[Inca Roads]

I don't find the CCV to be dark....just not overly bright.
I don't like dark amps or super bright ones either....CCV is just right to me.

Yeah, I hear ya. Maybe just Dark from what
I'm accustomed to. I've been Rockin' a 2010
Dual Recto and a Bogner and the Recto was
much Brighter than the Bogner. The CCV is
much Darker than my Bogner Twin Jet. I know
it has plenty to do with EL-34's VS KT-88's.

 

[Inca Roads]

Does the Pre Amp Tube layout on the CCV run
left to right, Starting with V1 furthest to the left?

 

[rokker]

Right it runs V1 all the way to the left near the input and goes to the right.

 

[johnpace2]

Thanks Dave, PM sent to the other Dave. haha