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Valves

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2018 10:41 pm
by arienapache
I've never realised that the valve's are recommended to be changed yearly.....
I've got a Rocker15 Terror so where and what are best.
When I had my AC4C1-12 I purchased a speaker & valve kit from Derek at Watford valve's.
I've noticed he's got 2 valve kits one says cleaner sound using Harma's which is more my thing & another for more crunch I believe but just want to get the thought of you guys as I'm a novice & all the help would be much appreciated......
Many thanks in advance....

Re: Valves

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2018 12:30 pm
by Les Paul Lover
Valves dont need to be replaced yearly.
They need to be replaced when they start to degrade - which can be difficult to spot as it is very gradual.

The Harma valves are pretty good. They are rebranded valves, but will have had a quality screening along the way.

Power valve degrade faster than preamp valves, preamp valves will typically last 3 or 4 times longer than power valves.

It is good practice to have spare valves (And fuses of the correct rating) for your amp if you think you're going to keep it long term. But in all likelihood, unless you run your amp pretty hard and very regularly, your power valves should last longer than 12 months.

Re: Valves

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2018 3:16 pm
by arienapache
Thanks for the information.
I read it on orange website & I was thinking it going to be a expensive practice giving it a yearly valve service...
Derek's at Watford valve's a really knowledgeable helpful guy so probably will give him a call tomorrow.
But not up on valves I just thought I'd see what's available to me.....
With the fuses where and what do I get????
Many thanks for helping......😀

Re: Valves

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2018 10:58 pm
by Les Paul Lover
The fuse needed is probably written right next to the fuse holder. On the rare occasion when one of the power valves die suddenly (or something else), the fuse dies too protecting the rest of thw circuit and transformers.

I'm not talking about the plug fuse.

Re: Valves

Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2018 12:24 am
by arienapache
Many thanks for taking the time out to give advice.
Much appreciated.......

Re: Valves

Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2018 7:07 pm
by arienapache
These are the valves side by side so if someone could give a bit of feedback I'd be grateful...


https://photos.app.goo.gl/92679romXuzNgSDE9

Re: Valves

Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2018 10:45 pm
by Les Paul Lover
It's very difficult to tell young a set is better than the other for your own purpose.
In both cases they very likely are rebranded EH or JJ valves.

If there are differences, they are most likely quite small.

Personally, I've been buying Russian NOS 6P14P EV instead of EL84 and found a Russian seller that has supplied me with excellent NOS RFT and tungsram ECC83 that I've found vastly superior to new production for around $20 each.... so that's what i think would be better..... :wink:

In all likelihood, you'll probably be very happy with either set.

Re: Valves

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 11:19 am
by arienapache
Thanks for that, how do we get hold of these valves then is there a link you can post??!
Many thanks.....

Re: Valves

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 11:43 am
by jontheid
Les Paul Lover wrote: ↑
Sun Dec 02, 2018 12:30 pm
Power valve degrade faster than preamp valves, preamp valves will typically last 3 or 4 times longer than power valves.
I'd say good preamp valves last even longer than that. Years and years if you are lucky.

Re: Valves

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 5:38 pm
by arienapache
That's good to know as it was looking expensive,
I think I get a set from Watford valve's to put inside my amp and just put the factory ones out the way for spares..

Re: Valves

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 10:22 pm
by Les Paul Lover
arienapache wrote: ↑
Wed Dec 05, 2018 5:38 pm
That's good to know as it was looking expensive,
I think I get a set from Watford valve's to put inside my amp and just put the factory ones out the way for spares..
Sounds like a good idea.

I'm quite happy to share the sellers I bought mine from, but they come with disclaimers. I don't expect they'll take it return, or shipping them back to eastern Europe/ Russia will be expensive, you could be hit by import VAT (I havent) and they use tester that don't test vakves for guitar amps.

That said, I've bought over 20 valves. 12 6P14P EV valves and around 10 mixed RSD branded RFT and Tungsram ECC83 valves. RSD was like Harma valves in the 50s/60s/70s (and still now I think), selling rebranded valves. RFT and Tungsram preamp valves have distinct construction features that makes them easy to identify.


The ECC83 I've bought were from this seller, here a pair of tunsgram:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3547784227

He doesn't seem to have any RFT for sale at the moment. The RFT ECC83 have a harder break up, the Tungsram are much smoother. Both really nice though, and sound really full, and present more high end, and smoother at it than EH, Sovtek or JJ.

The seller I bought the 6P14P EV seems to have sold out, though he isn t the 9noy eBay seller to have some. They're around the same price as JJ/EH EL84, but so much richer sounding.

Re: Valves

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2018 2:27 pm
by arienapache
Thanks ever so much for all your information and time to reply to me it's much appreciated.
I think though for me it would be a safer option to buy off of Watford valve's.
It's a much simpler process as I've got no experience with valves at this stage I suppose it's like anything having a few different brands and swap them to find what suits your ear...
I'm tempted to go for the clean ones advertised as I use the tumnes for a bit of crunch......
Thank you once again