Hey guys,
I've been shopping for a used tube amp, and it seems like every time I find an amp I'm interested in, it's got those blasted JJ tubes in it. So far, I've passed up a beautiful Cary, Conrad-Johnson, and ARC amp, all because they have JJ tubes in them, and the price wouldn't support throwing them in the garbage (the tubes, not the amp) and re-tubing with real tubes.
Why all this animosity you ask? Maybe I'm unlucky, but so far, literally every single JJ tube I've bought has failed in very short order, some dangerously. I can remember a lovely Marshall clone guitar amp whose front end was destroyed when a preamp tube randomly shorted out. I've lost countless power amp tubes (6L6, EL84 and EL34) in hifi amps, guitar amps, and PA amps. It seems to be the same phenomenon. Preamp tubes will be fine for days (usually last under a week) and then suddenly POP! Followed by a loud buzz and it goes dark. Like a light bulb that burned out. Usually if I look close I can even see burn marks on the glass. This on several amps.
The power tubes seem to be less violent, just very short lived, won't hold bias, get noisy, etc. I had a pair fail in a completely perfect Marshall JCM 800 in under 3 days, while a set of Siemens (beautiful tubes) lasted for years. Same with a neat old Knight hi-fi amp I used to have.
So my question is this: am I unlucky, or are JJ tubes just crap? I've noticed they're extremely cheap to buy, and figure there must be a reason for that. I guess I'm just used to buying quality tubes and having them last for years, so I have no tolerance for early failure.
I'm frustrated by how many sellers seem to throw them in an amp just to sell it, and advertise "New Tubes". They don't tell you that the tubes are basically garbage. I'm really looking for a tube amp that actually shows some pride of ownership.
Anyway, rant over..LOL. Guess my gripes are two fold tonight- cheap tubes, and their proliferation among amps for sale. Guess the seller's keeping the good tubes for himself!
-Jon
I've been shopping for a used tube amp, and it seems like every time I find an amp I'm interested in, it's got those blasted JJ tubes in it. So far, I've passed up a beautiful Cary, Conrad-Johnson, and ARC amp, all because they have JJ tubes in them, and the price wouldn't support throwing them in the garbage (the tubes, not the amp) and re-tubing with real tubes.
Why all this animosity you ask? Maybe I'm unlucky, but so far, literally every single JJ tube I've bought has failed in very short order, some dangerously. I can remember a lovely Marshall clone guitar amp whose front end was destroyed when a preamp tube randomly shorted out. I've lost countless power amp tubes (6L6, EL84 and EL34) in hifi amps, guitar amps, and PA amps. It seems to be the same phenomenon. Preamp tubes will be fine for days (usually last under a week) and then suddenly POP! Followed by a loud buzz and it goes dark. Like a light bulb that burned out. Usually if I look close I can even see burn marks on the glass. This on several amps.
The power tubes seem to be less violent, just very short lived, won't hold bias, get noisy, etc. I had a pair fail in a completely perfect Marshall JCM 800 in under 3 days, while a set of Siemens (beautiful tubes) lasted for years. Same with a neat old Knight hi-fi amp I used to have.
So my question is this: am I unlucky, or are JJ tubes just crap? I've noticed they're extremely cheap to buy, and figure there must be a reason for that. I guess I'm just used to buying quality tubes and having them last for years, so I have no tolerance for early failure.
I'm frustrated by how many sellers seem to throw them in an amp just to sell it, and advertise "New Tubes". They don't tell you that the tubes are basically garbage. I'm really looking for a tube amp that actually shows some pride of ownership.
Anyway, rant over..LOL. Guess my gripes are two fold tonight- cheap tubes, and their proliferation among amps for sale. Guess the seller's keeping the good tubes for himself!
-Jon