Best tubes for Fender Twin Reverb?

[Aeon]

It's time for me to replace the tubes on my Twin. I've had the amp (an early 70s silver face) for about 4 years now, and have yet to replace anything. Today I was jamming with some friends and suddenly had a significant volume drop on the Vibrato Channel. The normal channel works just fine, however.

I called the guitar store up and described the problem. They suggested I replace the tubes with a matched quartet of 6L6s, and possible the the small ones too. So I'm looking for advice on which matched quartet to buy. Price is not really an issue as I want -good- tubes, but I am looking for the best deal and not exactly interested in paying top dollar for NOS.

I am also planning on having their amp guy perform the "black face mod" on my Twin, so hopefully when it comes back it will be better than ever! Thanks in advance for any and all help!

[øøøøøøø]

try this:

The first two preamp tubes (the ones farthest from the power tubes)... swap 'em with each other.  The problem will move to the normal channel and the vibrato channel will be fine.  Unless you have a non-tube-related fault.  Sometimes the tube just needs to be re-seated or the socket cleaned, as well.

It's impossible that power tube issues could affect one channel and not the other, because the power tubes come after all channels have been summed.

[Aeon]

Thanks for the advice, I will try swapping the tubes with each other.

The guitar store just said to bring it in and they'd take a look at it. They would quote me before doing anything. And they even said to buy your own tubes -- which I did, btw, order the Svetlana matched quad 6L6GCs. But I do think I'd like the blackface mod -- I've played real 65 Twin Reverbs and they are in a class of their own.

These tubes are groove tubes, so they're not original. But I think they are probably about to go -- 4~ years of playing at volume would do that, I imagine.

edit: they -are- the originals, for some reason I thought they were groove tubes

[Mr. Peabody]

Sort of on topic...

who do you like for amp repairs in NY?

[RumorsOFsurF]

I don't think you'll really want to have your amp "blackfaced" once you get it working properly.  I'd never even think of doing that to my '71 Twin.  I think it sounds great stock....

[RumorsOFsurF]

I don't think you'll really want to have your amp "blackfaced" once you get it working properly.  I'd never even think of doing that to my '71 Twin.  I think it sounds great stock....

Ever played a great, tip-top blackface twin?  Just curious if you like the silverface as well by comparison. 

If so, you'd be the first one I've met!   :)

I've played a Blackface Super, and it was amazing....

I'm still 100% satisfied with my Silverface.   If it's good enough for Junior Brown, it's good enough for me. 

With all due respect, I still don't buy in to Blackface snobbery...Regardless of how much better you say the componentry is.  My Twin has survived 37 years with only tube and cap changes, and it sounds great.  That's pretty damn good, as far as I'm concerned.

[Aeon]

It's not about the reliability. Blackface circuitry really does sound better.

I've been happy with my Twin for a long time, but I LOVED the way a real blackface sounded and would love to get that tone out of mine. I figure if I'm going to get it serviced, might as well go the whole nine yards.

BTW, I tried swapping the two tubes with themselves... the normal channel is still fine and the vibrato channel is still messed up. So while it might not be a problem with the tubes, the amp needs to be looked at. Funny enough, the tubes in this one are the ORIGINALs from the 70s! I think it might be time for a swap, haha.

[RumorsOFsurF]

"Blackfacing" an amp is a little overrated.  Changing the circuit to the AB763 circuit WILL get you a long way toward that blackface sound you love, but it's not everything.  If it was all about the circuit, the reissues would sound just as good as the originals, and they don't.

The tube chart on the inside of my 1971 Silverface Twin says it's an AB763 circuit....

Thoughts?

[øøøøøøø]

"Blackfacing" an amp is a little overrated.  Changing the circuit to the AB763 circuit WILL get you a long way toward that blackface sound you love, but it's not everything.  If it was all about the circuit, the reissues would sound just as good as the originals, and they don't.

The tube chart on the inside of my 1971 Silverface Twin says it's an AB763 circuit....

Thoughts?

Probably an old tube chart.

Chances are they had printed up a bunch of tube charts, and just used them all up until they ran out, since the tubes and their locations were the same.  That's why you can never rely on what's stamped on the tube chart to tell you what circuit is in there.

[RumorsOFsurF]

That's what I figured.