I don't have a Bassman, but a friend does and he was asking me about tubes for it. A couple of years ago, I had a Ltd and had ordered the same tubes Chris Michalek and Jason Ricci were using.
I think the rectifier was a 5u4 from Electro Harmonix, the tubes were 6L6s, and the preamps were all 12ax7's. However, I can't recall for sure. I also don't remember the brands, which I know make a difference.
Anyone happen to know the info? I had played through both of their amps with those tubes (otherwise stock) and found the combination to be great.
If you have a Bassman RI, which sounds like what you're talking about, the first ones came with 3 12AX7's, a pair of Chinese made 6L6's and a solid state rectifier. The Bassman RI LTD still uses 3 12AX7's, a pair of Groove Tube 6L6's that are one of the few US made ones now withthe design based on the GE 6L6's, which mellowed out the inherint trebliness of many of the 60's Fender amps, and a 5AR4/GZ34 rectifier tube. If you're gonna use a different power tube or rectifier tube, make sure you get the bias properly adjusted first. The LTD has a bias adjustment but the original RI's don't have one.
For the sake of comparison with a real '59 Bassman, which I own, the tubes are 12AY7/6072, a pair of 12AX7's, a pair of 5881's and a 5AR4/GZ34 rectifier tube. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Yeah, he has an Ltd, which is what Chris had...I think Jason had the earlier reissue. I thought I had a receipt for the tubes, but I can't find it...it was at least three years ago that I had one and ordered those tubes.
They were all current production, but the rectifier and power tubes they had were for sure not the Groove Tubes that come stock. I don't remember about the preamp tubes at all. A Googling of said topic came up empty. ---------- Mike Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas Updated 2/24/11
If you want to retube it more like the original, you'll probably want to get a set of the new reissue Tung Sol 5881's (those were the original equipment power tubes). I still don't care for the new production 12AY7's and prefer either the NOS versions made by either RCA or GE, but as for modern 12AX7's in a Fender amp, probably JJ's are the better choice. I'm also unimpressed with the new stock of 5AR4/GZ34 rectifier tubes and either an NOS Mullard (which is gonna be crazy expensive now) or GE (cheaper but still better than the newer stuff) are still better and you'll find you get more real bottom end of the amp with either of those. The LTD uses the Jensen reissues and they don't come close to sounding like a real one and the early RI's uses Eminences, which sound more like a real P10R Jensen. The cabinet on the LTD is like the real one with a finger jointed pine cabinet ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
yeah, and get it rebiased, and if the amp tech is willing bias a bit cold so it sounds a little less bright (bring the mic you use and play some as the tech messes with the bias within the acceptable voltage ratings)
3 12AX7's makes a terrible, edgy, feedback monster. You have to lower the gain by subbing a couple of those for MUCH lower gain tubes. 12AU7's are the lowest, and for most people, myself included, 2 12AU's + 1 12AX is about right. This is the single most effective mod you can do to ANY fender amp with 3 12AX7's in the preamp circuit.
5881's are lower power tubes - they can sound great but you may well lose max available volume. ---------- /Greg
Mic being used is relevant, if using a RE10 or SM57 with an IMT & moderate output 3x12AX7 might sound fine? I even know guys who use 3x12AX7 whatever mic they use, must admit, I find a bassman a bit woofy with 3x12AX7.
Fender never fitted the "GT6L6GE" to RI bassmans, far too expensive, the GT6L6GE was made overseas, with some US made components, they (GT) never sold new production US made tubes (because there aren't any for guitar amps). The old RIs came with Russian "Sovtek 5881WXT/6L6GC" tubes, the RI Ltd's came with Russian "GT 5881WXT/6L6GC" tubes. They were the same tubes, made in the same Reflector Saratov (who also make the Tung Sol RI) factory, the GT tubes were just graded & had "GT" painted on them. The Russian/Sovtek/Reflector/GT 5881WXT are cheap, but one of my favourite tubes in 4x10. Bias current is more important than brand, as tubes iof even the same brand bias up differently & this has a big effect on tone & feedback.
If the amp functions OK with a SS rectifier or GZ34, then fitting a 5U4 is usually safe enough, bias current will drop by 5 to 10mA (with the same power tubes)...you're more likely to break something by using a tighter rectifier (changing a 5U4 for a GZ34/SS, or GZ34 for SS), but rebiasing is always a good idea when changing power tubes/rectifiers.
The stock "Sovtek/GT 12AX7 WA" are pretty weedy sounding, just about anything else sounds better, I like the JJECC83.
Chris used an eq and Jason has the Kinder (as do I)...12ax7's sounded great. Again, just curious as to the specifics on those particular rigs. I know there are a lot of schools of thought on the amp and its tubes in general.
I certainly haven't tried every combination but I've never found a situation where lowing the gain didn't help make the amp more manageable. ---------- /Greg
Greg wrote: "5881's are lower power tubes - they can sound great but you may well lose max available volume."
5881 started off as a lower power, but higher fidelity, millitary 6L6...however later production 6L6WGB tubes were rated at 30W, the same as 6L6GC. In a bassman you typically don't run idle currents anywhere near dissipation limits, so the power difference is pretty well moot. Most current production tubes nowadays don't meet 30W dissipation, the JJ does, but I don't like this tube in a Fender 4x10" (hard & sterile, good if you can run them at very high idle currents though). The Russian/Sovtek/Saratov/Reflector/GT 5881WXT is one of the sturdiest tubes about...there are few tubes that can chuck out as much sound from a 4X10". "5881" doesn't mean today, what it meant back in the late 50's, in the case of the Russian WXT it probably just got that tag from it's military origin & cleaner sound.
I have ProJr clone, I tried 12AY7 instead of 12AX7. Less feedback, but lifeless weak tone. Now I use 12AX7 in amp, MXR six band EQ and Rocktron Hush in pedalboard, no big feedback problems (only if stage is too small). ---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
On Brian Purdys "News Archive" page from his HarpGear website,he has a pic of Jasons "Egyptian" amp-definetly brown base Tung Sol 5881 power tubes,and it looks like a JJ GZ34 in the rectifier slot. Here is the link http://www.harpgear.com/egyptian1.jpg
Last Edited by on Feb 28, 2011 1:05 PM
I can't see any writing on the tube bases, can't see the length of the glass bottle either, they could be the TS RI 5881, or they could be the old "Svetlana/SED Winged C" (St Petersburg) 6L6GC?
I enlarged it 400X-Tung Sol 5881 and JJ GZ34-I can tell by the brown base color-that particular brown/red is unique to the Tung Sol. I can see the "GZ34" on the glass rectifier tube.
Last Edited by on Feb 28, 2011 1:38 PM
