Question about EL34 Tubes on Smallbox!

[Del Rei]

Hi,
I have a Smallbox (great tone!) and my EL34 tubes came with a "52" written on top of both tubes.
What is this "52"?

Can I change tubes normaly?

 

[John 14:6]

Hi,
I have a Smallbox (great tone!) and my EL34 tubes came with a "52" written on top of both tubes.
What is this "52"?

Can I change tubes normaly?

It is their rating. You can contact ARS Electronics if you have the JJ's installed and tell them you need EL34's with the 52 rating. They were $15 each last time I checked. Friedman recently switched to TAD tubes and I think you will need to contact Valve Queen for those. If you get the same 52 rated tubes then you will not need to re-bias your amp when changing power tubes. You can use any other EL34's as long as you reset your bias.

http://www.arselectronics.com/ARSWEB/fp2_1a.html

http://www.valvequeen.com/

 

[Del Rei]

Thank you, John!
I have already tried that, but there was no answer from ARS.

So, I can change to any tube brand, as long as I keep this 52 rate, right?
I can find JJ easyer. Maybe I'll try it...

 

[John 14:6]

Thank you, John!
I have already tried that, but there was no answer from ARS.

So, I can change to any tube brand, as long as I keep this 52 rate, right?
I can find JJ easyer. Maybe I'll try it...

You can put in any brand or rating of EL34 tubes as long as you re-bias your amp for the new tubes. Have an amp tech do it if you cannot bias the amp yourself.

 

[LP Freak]

Thank you, John!
I have already tried that, but there was no answer from ARS.

So, I can change to any tube brand, as long as I keep this 52 rate, right?
I can find JJ easyer. Maybe I'll try it...

That 52 was created by ARS so outside of them it means nothing. Just buy whatever you want from whoever you want and bias it to 32ma.

 

[Marco 2073]

Anyone know the proper bias setting with 220V? is it 32ma too?

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

Yes

 

[Del Rei]

Yes

Hey, David.
Do you still have this 52 ARS to sell?
I tried to contact you by email and Facebook, but no answer.

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

I won't use the jj tubes anymore. Very unreliable. I use Tad el34bstr tube now and they are great.

 

[Del Rei]

Ok.
So, for the bias adjust, can I usei this adapter for helping?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vacuum-Tube-Bia ... SwhcJWLwS6

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

Yeah that's fine

 

[John 14:6]

I won't use the jj tubes anymore. Very unreliable. I use Tad el34bstr tube now and they are great.

Is Valve Queen a good source for purchasing TAD's? And would TAD 12ax7's work well in the V2 and V3 preamp spots in my Smallbox? I am using an NOS RFT 12ax7 in V1.

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

Sure for valve queen, I use Chinese tubes from ars in the rest of the slots. If you have them now no reason to really change.

 

[LP Freak]

I won't use the jj tubes anymore. Very unreliable. I use Tad el34bstr tube now and they are great.

Is Valve Queen a good source for purchasing TAD's? And would TAD 12ax7's work well in the V2 and V3 preamp spots in my Smallbox? I am using an NOS RFT 12ax7 in V1.

The RFT's sound really, really good in v1 on the SB and BE100

 

[John 14:6]

I won't use the jj tubes anymore. Very unreliable. I use Tad el34bstr tube now and they are great.

Is Valve Queen a good source for purchasing TAD's? And would TAD 12ax7's work well in the V2 and V3 preamp spots in my Smallbox? I am using an NOS RFT 12ax7 in V1.

The RFT's sound really, really good in v1 on the SB and BE100

I agree about the RFT's. I am thinking about getting some NOS RFT/Siemens EL34's for my Smallbox also.