Does a rectifier tube affect tone? Different rectifier designs, and different rectifier tube types, can have a significant impact on an amp’s playing feel in particular, and as most guitarists know,
“feel” tends to have a notable impact on our impression of “tone.”
What does the rectifier tube do?
An amp’s rectifier is there to
convert the AC (alternating current from the wall) into DC (direct current that the amp needs to operate)
. The key to a rectifier working is a little device called a “diode”.
When should I replace my tube rectifier?
Power Tubes are generally at their best 1 – 1.5 years. Rectifier Tubes are generally at their best
3 – 5+ years
.
Are tube rectifiers better?
Do preamp tubes change tone?
More to the point here, though, is the fact that
the gain of the first preamp tube—often referred to as a “gain stage”—very directly impacts the tone that you achieve from the amp as a whole
.
Is a tube rectifier better than solid state?
Solid state rectifiers have much less, if any, voltage drop and can deliver more current more quickly
(which is why they are used in higher wattage amplifiers, where tube rectifiers are rarely seen in amps over 40 Watts). Sonically, this yields a tighter sound with much less sag.
Do rectifier tubes need to be matched?
Tubes Do Not Have To Match
These tubes may also blow out, but it really does not happen too frequently. Signal tubes like the 12AU7, 6922, or the 12AX7 need to be replaced after about 10,000 hours of use. Similarly sized rectifier tubes such as the 5AR4 last just about the same amount of time.
Do driver tubes affect sound?
The rectifier tube is not the direct cause of the quality of the sound in the power supply
. The whole design of the power supply is what affects the sound quality. i personally would say as long as the rectifier tube is working properly, that is all it can do.
How do I know if my amp needs new tubes?
- Excessive noise (hiss, hum) including squealing or microphonic tubes.
- Loss of high end. …
- A muddy bottom end; Sounds like there is too much bass and note clarity is lost.
- Erratic changes in the overall volume. …
- The amp doesn’t work!
Do different tubes really make a difference?
Actually, it’s not the just tube— The difference you hear is tube/amp interaction. A certain tube only sounds a certain way in a certain amplifier. And to make things even more complicated,
no two tubes will react exactly the same way in the same amp
.
How can I make my tube amp sound better?
The method I use with tube amps is fairly simple. I
turn the volume up on the amp as high as it goes, and then use the volume controls for my guitar pickups to control the volume on the amp overall
. If your amp has a master volume knob, it can be used to get a similar sound at lower volumes.
Is a rectifier tube a power tube?
Basically a Rectifier Tube will have no control grids. It will conduct fully in one direction and not in the other.
A Power Tube is just a high power amplifying valve
. This will have one or more control grids which control the flow of current through the valve.
What is rectifier sag?
The rectifier:
If a vacuum tube rectifier is used, sag is generated because of the internal resistance of the tube
. Unlike a solid-state rectifier, a tube rectifier exhibits a fair amount of voltage drop which varies with the amount of current passing through the tube.
Does the phase inverter tube affect tone?
As mentioned earlier, the phase-inverter (PI) tube
doesn’t affect the tone of your guitar signal in a conventional tone-shaping manner
, but its gain factor does determine how hard it drives the output stage.
Do tube preamps sound better?
As a tube creates distortion it produces harmonics which are known as ‘even harmonics’. Essentially these are tones which are the same note but are produced higher in octaves. This is why
typically a tube amplifier is said to sound better
, because the harmonics it produces are much more pleasing to the user’s ear.
Should you match preamp tubes?
Preamp tubes are, in the majority of cases, self-biasing. Therefore,
they do not require matching
. Only tubes that are in a push/pull Class AB circuit need to be matched because they share a common bias voltage. Power tubes are an example of this.
Are tubes solid state?
The physical difference between a solid-state amp and a tube amp is that a solid-state machine derives amplification from electronic transistors, while
a tube amp uses vacuum tubes
(also known as valves).
Is it OK to touch vacuum tubes?
How important is tube matching?
How do you know if your tubes are matched?
To be specific,
mis-matched tubes can be bias-adjusted so that output sound is centered
. However, if the tubes aren’t a true match, then one channel will not sound as “lively” as the other – sort of like a dead can. With experience, this is easily discernable by ear.
How does a tube amplify sound?
A vacuum tube amplifies because of it’s
thermionic control characteristics
. Vacuum tubes modulate a stream of electrons that flow from the tube cathode to the tube plate by impressing a control voltage on the tube grid.
How long does it take for a tube amp to warm up?
As a rule of thumb, your tube amp needs to be warmed up for
20 to 30 minutes
at least before you can start playing your guitar. Most of the time, tube amps have warm up specifications included in their instructions for use.
How long do tubes last in an amplifier?
Why does my tube amp sound fuzzy?
“Fuzzy” usually means
too much gain too soon
. ^ yeah. and if it’s too fuzzy, turn the bass down. Another option is to buy an overdrive pedal to boost it- that’ll cut the bass and tighten things up and helps a lot with saturation at home volumes.
What does a bad preamp tube sound like?
A bad preamp tube will become very noisy and produce
hiss, crackle, and pop sounds
, or create volume drops or loss. In some rare conditions, the tube can also lose its vacuum and fail completely. Bad preamp tube symptoms can lead you to the faulty one if you know what to look for.
Why does amp lose volume?
Bad tubes
will make volume drop and tone sounds will be dulled. When a tube goes bad, this is exactly what happens. Turn off your amp (like before) and after 10 minutes you can wiggle and pull down the tube.
Which 12AX7 sounds best?
The best current production 12AX7 tubes for metal are:
JJ ECC83S
: If you like a darker rhythm sound, this tube can be great for that. They are more warm than bright and pretty aggressive. JJ ECC803S: This version that JJ has released is a more balanced sound.
Do tube amps sound better with time?
YES! A tube amp always sounds better over time
.
Do different preamp tubes sound different?
How can I make my guitar tone thicker?
Why do tube amps sound warmer?
Tube amps sound warmer because
they distort audio signals in a pleasant way
. They are less susceptible to electromagnetic interference since they don’t need inverters and their speakers don’t produce electrical signals. Also, they tend to clip at higher frequencies, creating musical sounds.
Why do vacuum tubes glow blue?
How often do guitar amp tubes need to be replaced?
On average, tubes can last from 500 to 1,000 hours, so if you play with your amp two to three hours every day, you can safely expect to get
around a year or less
from your vacuum tubes.
How long do 12AX7 tubes last?
Small signal tubes like a 12AX7 or 6922 will work well on average for about
10,000 hours
. If you leave your equipment on 24 hours a day, well you do the math: There are 8,760 hours in a year.
What is the Dual rectifier sound?
Do tube amps compress?
Do tube amplifiers really produce a compressed ‘spongy’ sound?
Yes they can do, but not all tube amplifiers do
. So it is incorrect to assume that because an amp has valves in it, that it will automatically exhibit this characteristic.
