NOS Pre tubes need to break-in?

[strat64]

Hello everyone !
I bought clean NOS Tesla E83CC tubes and just installed to my 64 Deluxe Reverb.
Those tubes sounds big ,clear and beautiful but makes pop and crackle noise .
Do you think break-in could solve the problem ?
or I just got the bad one .....

 

[rockon1]

If you have some contact cleaner you might want to lightly spray the pins and work it in and out of the socket a couple of times. It could be making poor contact due to slightly oxidized pins. If that doesnt do it it might be a dud. Bob

 

[strat64]

If you have some contact cleaner you might want to lightly spray the pins and work it in and out of the socket a couple of times. It could be making poor contact due to slightly oxidized pins. If that doesnt do it it might be a dud. Bob

Hi ! I have already done it though . I'll try for break-in for a couple of days and see
Thanks anyway !

 

[strat64]

Tubes don't need to break in. Much the opposite actually, they have a usable lifetime that can only be reduced. Possible you got a bad one, especially if you got from ebay or a tube vendor that doesn't test their tubes enough.

If the amp was good before, and is now making noises, the culprit is almost certainly what you changed, which was the tube.

I see ... I should have talked to you about it first .

 

[donnyjaguar]

I have to everso mildy disagree with John. My experience with NOS power tubes is they often improve over an hour or so worth of use. After that they seem to settle down. The theory I heard was WRT to burning off impurities within the envelope from many years of no use. Mind you, this could be unique to the big bottles.

 

[recto-robbie]

Hey Gents, the title caught my eye and I couldnt pass without looking further. I felt that I should share with you some paperwork supplied to me that came with some NOS preamp tubes after ordering from a place called Brent Jesse Recording & Supply Inc. I found this info interesting but cant claim that it matters at all because I personally dont know a damn thing about any of it. I can only take the word from the Pro's.

CARE AND FEEDING OF NEW TUBES: BREAK-IN
New tubes need a break-in period before they can fully exhibit their true sonic character when used in audio circuits. Preamp tubes especially benifit from a good break-in. This period may vary widely, but NOS vintage tubes usually need at least 48 hours of use, sometimes up to 100 hours. New current production tubes need 24-48 hours typically.
Good break-in can be accomplished by either leaving your tube unit turned on in a no-signal condition for 2 days, or you can just enjoy the tubes for several hours each evening and they will be broken in after several weeks. New tubes, especially NOS vintage tubes, may sound a bit edgy at first, but after the break-in period will mellow out and sound wonderful.

CARE AND FEEDING OF NEW TUBES: WEIRD NOISES
On Rare occasions, NOS vintage tubes may hiss, pop or crackle at random during the break-in period, especially small preamp tubes used in a high-gain circuit such as a phono circuit. While this may sound alarming, it is usually all part of the break-in. Sometimes, oxidized tube sockets in vintage equipment can contribute to noise. You may clean these by unplugging your unit, carefully wiping the tube pins with a good non-residue contact cleaner, and re-inserting the tube. Noise in the tube will typically vanish after 48 hours of use.

I hope this may help some, but if you dont agree please dont hold the middle man responsible,,, my tubes I bought from him sound great so I never needed the paperwok that this info came from.

 

[Blue Strat]

Things ABSOLUTELY DO happen when a tube is first powered up. The heat burns off coatings and possibly impurities, stresses in bent metal pieces are affected, idle current in power tubes can shift and stabilize, etc.

Whether or not this helps tone or reduces noise (I have experienced this) could be the subject of debate, but whatever's going to happen is going to happen. Not using the tube is the only thing that will prevent that

 

[jrigg]

I have had several NOS tubes snap, crackle, and pop once every 10-15 minutes or so in the first few hours of use that settled down eventually.