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Post by Johnkenn on Oct 28, 2016 10:50:17 GMT -6
Who knew  Had a Rectifier tube go out on my sta-level and replaced it. Immediately sounds like a luscious, godly vixen again. My guess is that it has been sick for a while. |
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Post by wiz on Oct 28, 2016 16:19:38 GMT -6
interesting....
what was the symptom that lead to you changing it?
i.e. what did the STA stop doing?
cheers
Wiz
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Post by EmRR on Oct 29, 2016 2:36:09 GMT -6
I've seen a lot of 6AL5 sidechain rectifiers go bad in compressors, and make for poor distorted compression. They always test fine, I don't understand the mechanism at play exactly, as they aren't weak. Related, but different from the power rectifier.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2016 4:21:16 GMT -6
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Post by Johnkenn on Oct 29, 2016 7:39:51 GMT -6
The meter wouldn't fire up and go to zero and it wouldn't pass audio.
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Post by EmRR on Oct 29, 2016 8:37:22 GMT -6
Oh, truly dead. Like filament failure or something.
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Post by Johnkenn on Oct 29, 2016 9:39:48 GMT -6
I also had mismatched 6V6s - which I have no idea how that happened. Might have mistaken the one black colored 6v6 for the 5y...and just left it there. I now have new EH6v6s in there.
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Post by jimwilliams on Oct 29, 2016 11:45:59 GMT -6
I yanked out the rectifier tubes in my old Fender amps decades ago. Reliability problems, mushy transient response, under rated power issues were all solved. Fast recovery diodes were used, I got a few more volts and a few more watts too. The amps now sound tight like I prefer. I first did that back in 1976.
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Post by wiz on Oct 29, 2016 17:00:57 GMT -6
I yanked out the rectifier tubes in my old Fender amps decades ago. Reliability problems, mushy transient response, under rated power issues were all solved. Fast recovery diodes were used, I got a few more volts and a few more watts too. The amps now sound tight like I prefer. I first did that back in 1976. Hey Jim so do you mean you use a solid state rectifier, or something else? cheers Wiz |
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Post by popmann on Oct 29, 2016 17:40:07 GMT -6
Yes. That's what diode rectifiers are.
I would point out that solid state AMPs provide better specs all together, Jim. Feel free to use them.
Tube rectifiers are part of most good amp designs, IME. No one gives a shit or can even tell about losing 5 wts....and you say "transient softening" you say that like it's a bad thing. I prefer it be switchable...I did like the Bassman with the diode rec better--but that amp WAS about attack--funky slappy clean attack. As soon as I wanted to drive it--I wanted the gz34 back.
Side note...if you have gear that needs a gz34, buy TAD. I've had some trouble with amps....that's the one that will hold. Once you get a GOOD JJ, it will hold, but I've had them blow within the month....TAD will guarantee it to RETAIL replacement. Worth the extra few bucks that I've literally never had to take them up on it--but, allegedly, you take the dead one to a TAD dealer, and they hand you a new one...meanwhile, I've probably blown 4+ JJs in the last 8 years or so...in multiple amps....
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Post by wiz on Oct 29, 2016 18:00:12 GMT -6
Yes. That's what diode rectifiers are. I would point out that solid state AMPs provide better specs all together, Jim. Feel free to use them. Tube rectifiers are part of most good amp designs, IME. No one gives a shit or can even tell about losing 5 wts....and you say "transient softening" you say that like it's a bad thing. I prefer it be switchable...I did like the Bassman with the diode rec better--but that amp WAS about attack--funky slappy clean attack. As soon as I wanted to drive it--I wanted the gz34 back. Side note...if you have gear that needs a gz34, buy TAD. I've had some trouble with amps....that's the one that will hold. Once you get a GOOD JJ, it will hold, but I've had them blow within the month....TAD will guarantee it to RETAIL replacement. Worth the extra few bucks that I've literally never had to take them up on it--but, allegedly, you take the dead one to a TAD dealer, and they hand you a new one...meanwhile, I've probably blown 4+ JJs in the last 8 years or so...in multiple amps.... I should have been more clear.. I was wondering if it was one of those diode rectifiers in a tube thingies.... cheers Wiz |
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Post by jimwilliams on Oct 31, 2016 9:38:21 GMT -6
If you use one of those or hard solder diodes across the rectifier tube pins like I did you will need to check the voltages as they will increase. The mains caps may be under rated like in my old Deluxe Reverb. 16 uf at 450 volts was useless so I used 100 uf/500 volt caps everywhere, tight sound, zero hum.
I first jacked up my 1966 Deluxe Reverb back in 1976 by replacing the 6V6 tubes with 6L6GC, installing the diodes and resetting bias from -35 volts to -52. I got about 40 watts that way. It now has a pair of GE 6550 power tubes and 100 watt transformers, it does about 80 watts running at 475 volts.
It looks stock, it's my Boogie killer.
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