Vox type module - tube recommendation

[drewiv]

PSA: Anyone that doesn't want to test their tubes and is going to throw them away - ship them to me, I'll take them. I'll cover all shipping and packaging fees. Thanks. :wink:

 

[Jaded Faith]

I should also mention I went with a set of Mercury Hadon-style replacement trannys and added a choke. Killer amp now.

Which amp are you using?

Do you find the output transformer replacement and choke to be major upgrades to an RM100?

Thanks in advance, Rob!

The Hadon-style Mercury's went into my Vox AC30.

As for the MTS stuff, I just just received the last of the custom JFM transformers yesterday after working with them for the past 6 months. They are part of their APS line of modern transformers. There were several significant design goals that we kept in mind to achieve improvement over the stock iron. Among them:

- More reliable performance
- Optimized for today's production tubes, which can be all over the map
- Less ear fatigue by optimizing even-order harmonics, providing a more musical amp
- Improved operating capacities provide better bass, less fuzzed-out mids and treble that's not dark or dull
- Custom Chokes developed to fine tune the feel and response of the power supply for a more vintage or modern feel to suit the individual

I posted some pictures on my Facebook page in the past few weeks showing the differences between my series and cheap stock iron. Take a look, it's not subtle!

On a final note, I posted this on Facebook in response to a customer inquiry. I agree with this 100%:

"The audio circuitry of your amp is completely dependent on the quality of its power supply. The very first component in this food-chain-of-tone is the power transformer. It makes the necessary connection between your amp and the power company. How it behaves sets the standard for your amp's performance. The PT has a profound affect on your amp's sonic characteristics especially its ability to handle musical dynamics. What this means to you is crisper note attack, better note separation, and added sparkle in the upper mids and treble frequencies. And keep in mind that with a properly-designed power transformer you'll hear all-around higher definition with the amp's clean and dirty tones."

For those of you who have spent thousands of dollars on custom modules over the years, why not make this change which will improve EVERY module you use with your amp? It will have a bigger impact than any single module ever could. The goal was to address all the comments made here throughout the years about why folks MTS amps were not quite up to par with the amps from other manufacturers. Your transformers are the heart and the lungs of your amp. The stock iron is the same brand and quality used in all the cheapest amps out there, which is not good.

 

[Jaded Faith]

PSA: Anyone that doesn't want to test their tubes and is going to throw them away - ship them to me, I'll take them. I'll cover all shipping and packaging fees. Thanks. :wink:

You read my mind my friend! :lol:

 

[drewiv]

I need to get me a tube tester one day, I have so many tubes lying about

Any brand recommends?

The Orange Tester is good for making sure you have good tubes. Is it "the best"? Probably not, but it's quick, simple and effective. It has saved me well above the cost of the tester itself at this point.

 

[drewiv]

I should also mention I went with a set of Mercury Hadon-style replacement trannys and added a choke. Killer amp now.

Which amp are you using?

Do you find the output transformer replacement and choke to be major upgrades to an RM100?

Thanks in advance, Rob!

The Hadon-style Mercury's went into my Vox AC30.

As for the MTS stuff, I just just received the last of the custom JFM transformers yesterday after working with them for the past 6 months. They are part of their APS line of modern transformers. There were several significant design goals that we kept in mind to achieve improvement over the stock iron. Among them:

- More reliable performance
- Optimized for today's production tubes, which can be all over the map
- Less ear fatigue by optimizing even-order harmonics, providing a more musical amp
- Improved operating capacities provide better bass, less fuzzed-out mids and treble that's not dark or dull
- Custom Chokes developed to fine tune the feel and response of the power supply for a more vintage or modern feel to suit the individual

I posted some pictures on my Facebook page in the past few weeks showing the differences between my series and cheap stock iron. Take a look, it's not subtle!

On a final note, I posted this on Facebook in response to a customer inquiry. I agree with this 100%:

"The audio circuitry of your amp is completely dependent on the quality of its power supply. The very first component in this food-chain-of-tone is the power transformer. It makes the necessary connection between your amp and the power company. How it behaves sets the standard for your amp's performance. The PT has a profound affect on your amp's sonic characteristics especially its ability to handle musical dynamics. What this means to you is crisper note attack, better note separation, and added sparkle in the upper mids and treble frequencies. And keep in mind that with a properly-designed power transformer you'll hear all-around higher definition with the amp's clean and dirty tones."

For those of you who have spent thousands of dollars on custom modules over the years, why not make this change which will improve EVERY module you use with your amp? It will have a bigger impact than any single module ever could. The goal was to address all the comments made here throughout the years about why folks MTS amps were not quite up to par with the amps from other manufacturers. Your transformers are the heart and the lungs of your amp. The stock iron is the same brand and quality used in all the cheapest amps out there, which is not good.

Rob, would you find this upgrade to improve the Egnater MOD amps significantly?

 

[Jaded Faith]

Drew: Egnater used Heyboer for most of their modular amps if not all. Heyboer are good transformers, but tend to feel softer and slower than Mercury's do in general. They are still a very high quality brand made here in America and I use them at times for more traditional players wanting a softer feel. I have never installed one in an MTS amp, but have used plenty in Egnater modular amps.

A little nugget of trivia: Most all of the RM80 amps I have seen actually used Heyboer iron in place of the cheap Chung Mai stuff in the rest of the Randall line. The RM80 was shipped with 6550 tubes and the first batch of 50W Randall transformers couldn't safely handle this. Later RM50's had the OT75 transformer to handle big bottles. As such, an RM80 will have better stock iron right out of the box. The trade off: the combo speaker enclosure on these amps is TERRIBLE and it's almost impossible to make them sound good with any speaker swap. I'd build a head shell for them.

 

[drewiv]

Drew: Egnater used Heyboer for most of their modular amps if not all. Heyboer are good transformers, but tend to feel softer and slower than Mercury's do in general. They are still a very high quality brand made here in America and I use them at times for more traditional players wanting a softer feel. I have never installed one in an MTS amp, but have used plenty in Egnater modular amps.

Thanks. I feel with your description that the Heyboer transformers probably suit me just fine. I will say that the "feel" of the MOD100s I have owned in the past.

 

[Mike P]

PSA: Anyone that doesn't want to test their tubes and is going to throw them away - ship them to me, I'll take them. I'll cover all shipping and packaging fees. Thanks. :wink:

I'll definitely keep this in mind. I know it sounds like I'm "throwing the baby out with the bath water". But (fortunately!) I'm so busy with deadlines and producing music that it's easier to have fresh tubed that have been tested by ARS sent to me for replacement and burn in than to painstakingly pull tubes, test and replace at any given point in time.

I was shocked to hear the sonic difference last year when I replaced tubes last August. I can't tell you whether it was a single power tube or all four or module power tubes but replacing them made a huge difference to the point of "Duh. I need to get on a solid schedule".

 

[withmittens]

I'm probably ignoring bigger things than preamp tubes....

I'm quite enjoying the new Creamback speakers I got...previously I'd been using v30s/G12h30s.....speaker probably has a bigger impact on tone than a preamp tube.

Other thing is more volume...I'm guessing that would be something to try...every AC30 I heard was ungodly loud.

I recently got a Creamback 65 to pair with my Reeves Vintage Purple in a new 2 x 12. The cab is very deep. This combo, and I'm sure has a lot to do with the Creamback, sounds very much like Vox land with my Super Vox mod. I mean very close, with by Keeley boost-treble turned up- i really get there and am happy, I'm using 6L6's, old black plate GE. I'll try the yellow Jackets as soon as I get them out of another amp. I did not like the Yellow Jackets in the RM50 previously but with this new cab It may deliver enough bass to make it a go

 

[thanster2000]

Heard good things about the creambacks.