What tubes do you like in your Boogie Recto?

JakeAC5253

JakeAC5253

New member
I like Tung Sol preamp gain tubes, but how about for the PI, Power tubes, and Rectifiers? Looking to stay with 6L6, but what's a good upgrade tube?
 
For the solo heads I like the JJ E34L and the SED 6L6 for power tubes. The sovtek 12ax7lps is seriously very good in all positions. Especially V5. Ive ran the lps in all 5 slots many times in my solo heads. Not big on the TS in the solo heads though i like them in my tverb. The EH is very good sounding in certain positions too. And of corse C9's
 
Mine sounded GREAT with JJ pre's and JJ KT77's in the power section. GZ34 Rectifiers in my opinion sound much better than the stock 5U4's. They allow you to get almost the same tightness with the amp in Tube Rectifier mode as you get in Silicon Diode mode, but you get the "juicy" feel of the tubes.

Now I have some 9th gen Chinese in the preamp that Dave put in. Sounds killer.
 
I just stuck with Mesa tubes for all my Mesa's. Never had a problem with them, they are tested well.
Steve
 
I have JJ KT77 in my Tremoverb right now ..... but the old 6CA7's sound much better. I still have about 50 unused Mesa preamp tubes I bought from Mesa in the 80's. That is what I have been using in my Tremoverb and IV a long time .... I have tried various other tubes ... new and old and I just like the sound of them best.

About 20 years ago I was doing a lot of blow and the time line had convinced me that we would be looking at a post apocalypse world where you would not be able to find tubes (or clean water). So I went kind of crazy with stock piling tubes and other stuff to prepare for the end of the world ....
 
Winged Cs for power tubes and this cocktail of preamp tubes that Doug recommended:

V1 - TungSol
V2 - JJ Hi-Gain
V3 to V5 - 9th Gen
 
Rectifiers: That sounds neat about the GZ34 rectifiers, how they tighten up and all. I mainly use rectifiers on the crunch channel when I am going for a classic rock sound, so a little beef and sag may actually be desired in this case. Is this a general characteristic of GZ34's over 5U4's? Which would be the preferred tube for what I am looking for. Think Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Cantrell.

Power tubes: I'm pretty satisfied with the reviews that I am hearing about the SED's, but Doug sells them in three different flavors. Early breakup, average, and late breakup. This puzzles me, not on a conceptual basis, but on the basis that I really can't for the life of me decide which would be best :dunno: Like really what I don't want to do is change the way the Recto dials. It has that sweet point between fizziness and sagginess and I don't want to pick the wrong tube for fear of screwing it up. I feel like at that sweet point it'll either sound too clean and sterile or too fuzzy and indistinct if I choose the wrong saturation aspect.

Preamp tubes: I like the idea of mixing the tubes like that. This is just a blind guess, but would V4 be the FX loop tube, and V5 be the PI? And V3 being the final gain stage?
 
stephen sawall":auqk4e5n said:
About 20 years ago I was doing a lot of blow and the time line had convinced me that we would be looking at a post apocalypse world where you would not be able to find tubes (or clean water). So I went kind of crazy with stock piling tubes and other stuff to prepare for the end of the world ....
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Seattle sounds like a fun to be around that time period :thumbsup: Honestly that's got to be one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time hah :LOL: :LOL: The world as we know it is coming to an end within my lifetime, mankind is spiraling toward utter chaos and cannibalism, but I'll be goddamned if I'm going to be without replacement tubes for my guitar amp!

:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :D
 
Oh, I forgot about rectifier tubes. I have those huge ass ones that came stock in the original old models. I forget the name. Contact Doug about which version of the =C= you should buy for your recto. The manual says exactly what tube stages control what, but the V4 is the loop, and the V5 is the PI.
 
I would recommend the late break up with the power tubes. It has been my experience most people like this better in the DR's. It sucks you can not do a direct A/B/C with all three kinds.

No clean water is one thing ... but not having good tone is just is not a world I want to live in .... it's all about priority's.
 
My personal favourite is EHX preamp tubes with SED 6L6s, however new production Russian tubes (any type, including Tung Sol RIs) can't be used in the cathode follower positions (V3 and V4) of a Recto as they made some manufacturing changes back in 2008 and no longer tolerate the voltages present in those positions.

Mine is currently loaded with Chinese 12AX7s and Chinese 6L6s (Mesa SPAX7s and Mesa STR 440s) and it's produced good results thus far.
 
droptrd":2q3d61pn said:
The ruby 6L6GCMSTR is the same thing as the Mesa 440 I believe.
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That is what he said as well. Are they a desirable tube? Or should I stick with the late breakup SED's?
 
I don't really get hung up on the specific brands of tubes...I just know that I've had good luck with Sovtek 12AX7s and bad luck with JJs.

=C= power tubes are pricey, but they sound good and seem to last a long time.
For power tubes, I won't run anything but EL34s in my rectos...that shit sounds MAGICAL.
 
JakeAC5253":2q6z2xxe said:
droptrd":2q6z2xxe said:
The ruby 6L6GCMSTR is the same thing as the Mesa 440 I believe.
Click to expand...

That is what he said as well. Are they a desirable tube? Or should I stick with the late breakup SED's?
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Theyre not bad sounding. Thats the stock tube so...

But the SEDs are above everything currently made today. They last long too. The downside is it will cost you over $180 to retube your amps power section with SEDs :no:
 
I Also agree with Sixtonoize. 34s in rectos are the shit. I currently have some chinese ruby 34s in my tverb. I dig it.
 
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