Tweaker 40 combo tube and speaker upgrade advice

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kriskaudio

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I'd like some advice about upgrading the speaker and tubes in my used Tweaker 40 combo I just bought. I love the overall tone but when the tubes warm up, they get pretty muddy sounding. Probably just old, but I've never owned an amp with 6L6's before, so any advice on what brand and flavor would be great. This combo has the stock Celestion GH50 that is okay but I'd like to go for an upgrade. Maybe a speaker that doesn't break up so easily too? I play mostly rock with an edge (Foo Fighters type of stuff.) Guitar is a custom Don Grosh, mahogany body/maple top/maple-rosewood neck/DiMarzio PAF in the bridge.
 
kriskaudio":2gew8cze said:
I'd like some advice about upgrading the speaker and tubes in my used Tweaker 40 combo I just bought. I love the overall tone but when the tubes warm up, they get pretty muddy sounding. Probably just old, but I've never owned an amp with 6L6's before, so any advice on what brand and flavor would be great. This combo has the stock Celestion GH50 that is okay but I'd like to go for an upgrade. Maybe a speaker that doesn't break up so easily too? I play mostly rock with an edge (Foo Fighters type of stuff.) Guitar is a custom Don Grosh, mahogany body/maple top/maple-rosewood neck/DiMarzio PAF in the bridge.
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Obviously lots of speaker upgrade options out there. While I am personally fine w/ my Tweaker's stock speaker (as well as the stock Celestion in the Tweaker 112 ext. cab I run with it), I suggest looking for any good 12" that would sound best in an open/semi-open back combo. Plenty of opinions on the interwebs regarding that.

As to the tubes - readily available tubes from JJ, Ruby, Groove Tube, etc could help your tone, esp if the ones in the amp now are fading.

I for one immediately pulled the stock 6L6s out of mine & replaced them with EL34s. Gave the amp a more "British" flavor. Keep in mind that the Tweaker 40 combo & head will run on any octal-base power tube. A re-bias is of course needed after such a swap, but a relatively experienced user can certainly bias a Tweaker themselves. If not...why DIY when you can hire a pro?
 
As to the tubes - readily available tubes from JJ said:
I like that idea. I've always preferred more of a Marshall type of sound, so that rings true to me to try the EL34s. Years ago, I stepped away from that whole high gain scene in search of more variety in my tone and went and bought an amp that was more of a Fender thing. It met my needs at the time but I needed a change after a decade with that amp. I didn't want to go all the way back, so the Tweaker was sort of the best of both worlds.
What kind of EL34s did you throw in your Tweaker?
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I use Mullard reissue EL34's in my Tweaker 40's and they sound amazing,.... Well worth the $$$$$$
 
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