replacing transformers in tube amps

[clovis]

Hey guys,

I was playing a gig Sat and my 2x12 5150 just died. It won't even turn on now. I know the bar we played wasn't wired the greatest and I was thinking maybe it blew a transformer or fuse. If so, how much does it cost to replace transformers and which should I buy? Or fuses...how much and which ones are the right ones to put in? Also, is there any trick to putting them in, or is it simply take out and install the new one?

I'm really pissed about this. Would a power strip have saved my amp? Unfortunately I loaned out the only one I had to the bass player so his chord would reach the wall. Would this have helped if I used one or would it not have mattered?

Thanks,

John R.

 

[Reeek]

I won't go into the trannie because that's subjective. But for the fuse(s), you need to go to Peavey's web page or the manual and replace any blown fuse with what is spec'ed. Exactly is best and safest and wise.

I don't know anything about modern Peaveys or 5150's but the Peaveys I've had in the past all had multiple fuses with some residing inside the chassis. If you have lights on the panel working but no power section, it may be an internal fuse. I blew an internal fuse on an 80's Peavey Triumph 60 head by simply plugging in the footswitch while the amp was in operate mode.

The amp went dead but the facveplate lights were still active when that happened.

A good surge protector PS "may" have protected you if you had a power surge.

Good luck!

 

[JerryP]

More than likely you had a power tube short and take out a fuse. I haven't seen a 5150 yet with a failed transformer and I work on a ton of them.
Jerry

 

[clovis]

Man if that's the case, I'm gonna be pissed. I just retubbed my 5150 with the low gain retube kit from Eurotubes. The first set of power tubes I got didn't stay in right even after I tried retensioning the sockets...and if a power tube blew and took out a fuse the other night....What a waste of $80!! I'm definately not buying from them anymore. Since you work on 5150's you say, what are some good tubes that I should use in them that will last a long time? I last had a set of Ruby tubes in them and they lasted forever...but I didn't like the tone of them.

Thanks

John R.

 

[JerryP]

I use JJ's all the time. Any tube has a chance of shorting, it's not just the JJ brand. My favorite power tubes in the 5150 are JJ followed closely by Svetlana and SED. Anything but Sovtek! I find them bright, harsh, and thin. Ruby is like Groove Tubes, they re-label tubes. Depending on which tube you buy from them it could be a JJ. The majority of the Ruby tubes sold are Chinese. I love Chinese preamp tubes, but hate the power tubes. I won't use them here.
Jerry

 

[Enzo]

And just to be fair, I like the RUby 6L6GCSTR in this amp. Only some of their tubes are CHinese - including the one I like. They also sell all the other brands. But I do agree with Jerry that JJ makes a fine tube, and Bob at Eurotubes is all about customer service. There is no brand you can buy that won't come up with a bad tube now and then. Especially after the tube bounces across the country getting to you.

 

[trdlasvegas]

I think the Ruby 6L6GCSTR, while being Chinese is made just for them. At least that's what Ruby says.

-Tony

 

[JerryP]

The Chinese tubes I've used didn't sound bad, I just had a lot of reliability issues with them. Glass bottles coming off the bases, microphonics, internal parts rattling, shorts. I think they'd be fine if the amp stayed home and wasn't moved around, on the road I can't see them lasting very long.
I have to admit, I haven't tried them in a couple years so they may have improved.
Jerry

 

[clovis]

I actually had Ruby tubes in my 5150 before the JJ's. They lasted years with no isses what so ever. But...I didn't care for the tone...esp in the drive channel. The drive channel was almost unusable because of all the distortion. Fast runs on that channel would just run together. The JJ's, when they worked for a time, would be clear and anything I played that was fast was always clear and distinct. I'm really at a loss as to what tubes would be best for this amp. There was NO clean channel at all. When I did back off all gain on the rhythm channel, the sound was not a clear clean...just muddy as hell. And it would break up really easy.

I'm honestly thinking of buying a Carvin Legacy 2x12. Does anyone know how good their clean channel is? I know they are drive monsters like the 5150. But the drive I've heard from them I like. The 5150 was just all noise. Does anyone have any clips of the Legacy's clean channel? I really want to hear some before dropping the $1000 for one.

Thanks,

John R.

 

[rockon1]

Originally posted by clovis
Hey guys,

I was playing a gig Sat and my 2x12 5150 just died. It won't even turn on now. I know the bar we played wasn't wired the greatest and I was thinking maybe it blew a transformer or fuse. If so, how much does it cost to replace transformers and which should I buy? Or fuses...how much and which ones are the right ones to put in? Also, is there any trick to putting them in, or is it simply take out and install the new one?

I'm really pissed about this. Would a power strip have saved my amp? Unfortunately I loaned out the only one I had to the bass player so his chord would reach the wall. Would this have helped if I used one or would it not have mattered?

Thanks,

John R.

http://forums.peavey.com:8080/~Amps

 

[daneswede1]

I just installed RUBY BSTR's quad set into my 2203x Reissue Marshall and they sound fine. Good tubes I recommend them. Iver been playin Marshalls for 20 yrs. Jj r good too.