MrCurwen
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2015
- Posts
- 337
- Likes
- 133
Now I choose tubes based on linearity, gain and looks. I don’t build amps for tube rolling.
Good criteria.
If I may add, maybe also variance. Meaning, trying something different for a new build. Choose a less known tube type and take it as a challenge.
If you have the space, why sell tubes! I have thousands in my shelf. Someday I might need them for a project. Maybe I'll build a hundred guitar amps or something.
As an ironic sidenote, my workhorse uses 6E5P tubes. They've been in the amp about a year now, they see over 10 hours of use every day. I just have the amp on most of the day (turn-on and turn-off cycles are worst on the tubes). Anyway, the op point is pretty harsh for them, especially since the triode mode 'anode' is just a tiny tiny mesh grid.
It's started to get microphonic, sometimes if there is a loud transient in the sound there is an echo after it. It comes from electrostatic movement of the grids and their support structures.
I've got thousands of tubes in my shelf, but no more 6E5P. I have to buy some more soon or find time to solder another configuration. Maybe EL81, I've got dozens of them and they should be more rugged anyway...