Bugera 333xl-212 retubing

[harrisxr650]

Hey guys. i'm about to do a full retube on my bugera. and i was wondering if anyone knows or has a diagram of which tube is first and last.(v1,v2,v3,v4) as well which one is PI. i recently opened the chassis to replace a burned standby led and remove the power molex and solder it but i dont remember if tubes were marked on the pcb..any info or tip is more than welcomed.
thanks

[Muskratt]

Old thread but the Tube slots are marked. You can easily see it once you get the chassis out.

What Tubes did you retube with?

[harrisxr650]

really old thread hehe.. but will answer anyway. Opened today the amp to clean the chassis for dust etc. Noticed that the preamp tubes are marked V8, V7, V6 and the one sitting next to the power tubes is V5 i guess.
So V5 stands for the first preamp tube or V8? Any info will be appreciated.
I choose the following preamp tubes after some time of reading and testing...here it goes.

V1:Tung-Sol 12AX7 / ECC83 Reissue V1
V2:JJ ECC803 Selected GOLD
V3:JJ 12AX7 / ECC83 Selected GOLD
V4:JJ 12AX7 / ECC83 Selected GOLD

and for the power tubes a matched set of
Tung-Sol EL34B-Reissue or EH 6CA7.

[Muskratt]

really old thread hehe.. but will answer anyway. Opened today the amp to clean the chassis for dust etc. Noticed that the preamp tubes are marked V8, V7, V6 and the one sitting next to the power tubes is V5 i guess.
So V5 stands for the first preamp tube or V8? Any info will be appreciated.
I choose the following preamp tubes after some time of reading and testing...here it goes.

V1:Tung-Sol 12AX7 / ECC83 Reissue V1
V2:JJ ECC803 Selected GOLD
V3:JJ 12AX7 / ECC83 Selected GOLD
V4:JJ 12AX7 / ECC83 Selected GOLD

and for the power tubes a matched set of
Tung-Sol EL34B-Reissue or EH 6CA7.

Hi, You have the the one tube nearest the power tube is know as the Phase inverter. Looking at the back of the amp the other three Pre tubes From Right to left is V1 V2 V3 Then the Power tubes had V4 next to it.
You can also download the PDF of the 333xl from Bugera, Look for the one on Biasing it. It should have the layout of it within.

[harrisxr650]

Ok if i'm correct you mean like in the image bellow right? the pdf doesnt say anything..only biasing instructions
crappy resolution i know but i couldnt find my cam at the moment.

[Enzo]

Um...

On the 333XL, the power tubes are V1-4, and the phase inverter is V5. Preamp tubes V8,7,6 start at the input jack end, so yes V8 is the first tube.

[harrisxr650]

Great. I just sit and wait for my tubes to arrive .
Btw i was checking peavy's JSX schematic along with 333xl pcb and they seem almost identical...I knew Bug it was copy but didnt expect to be "that much" identical
Anyway once again thanks for the help

[Muskratt]

Great. I just sit and wait for my tubes to arrive .
Btw i was checking peavy's JSX schematic along with 333xl pcb and they seem almost identical...I knew Bug it was copy but didn't expect to be "that much" identical
Anyway once again thanks for the help

It would have been nice if they actually modified the Power section and made it wider to allow the use of the big KT's. Since they kept the same spacing they are just to close and would pose a major heat issue.
I am running KT-77 JJ's right now and all JJ ECC83S Pre's. I still don't like my gain.. It is way way overboard. I just wonder if there may be a rather defective component that is a culprit.

Anyways it plays and is just way to much gain in the Lead channel. I find the Crunch channel is bright and cleaner, it is way more defined per notes, but switching to the Lead channel it is much less defined more cascading gain over gain making it just run together with less smooth tone results. My tone for the EQ is completly different. It is more blanketed sounding even with a EQ pedal in the loop.

I still enjoy the amp. If I could trust the place I got it from to do the warranty work right I would send it off for a going over.

[harrisxr650]

Old thread but... i change all tubes (4 months ago) did a bias ( the correct way not with the rca plug) and give a shot...first impression....wow!!! clean channel its now crystal clean, no annoying boomy bass (which was actually the major problem i had), crunch channel had a great improvement also, became more clear with a very nice note definition fizzines and unwanted noise has gone away and its dead quite even with gain settings high and cuts through the mix nice and smooth now, didnt give a shot to the lead channel since i dont use it at all but it gave the impression that it has quietened a lot as well but as Muskratt said "switching to the Lead channel it is much less defined more cascading gain over gain making it just run together with less smooth tone results" i'd say "much" less smoth results.
Now While the clean channel is awsome ( i guess the Tung-Sol 12AX7 is responsible for that) and has that "loudness" effect ( or 3-D) i dont like the way it cuts through the mix, i'm not sure how to describe this... maybe lack of mids? I mean its wonderful when only the guitar plays but... I'm thinking of putting a JJ 12AX7 / ECC83 Selected GOLD in V1 position to give more emphasis on the mids and since i mostly play classic rock and blues maybe the jj will do the job better. what do you think?

[Muskratt]

Old thread but... i change all tubes (4 months ago) did a bias ( the correct way not with the rca plug) and give a shot...first impression....wow!!! clean channel its now crystal clean, no annoying boomy bass (which was actually the major problem i had), crunch channel had a great improvement also, became more clear with a very nice note definition fizzines and unwanted noise has gone away and its dead quite even with gain settings high and cuts through the mix nice and smooth now, didnt give a shot to the lead channel since i dont use it at all but it gave the impression that it has quietened a lot as well but as Muskratt said "switching to the Lead channel it is much less defined more cascading gain over gain making it just run together with less smooth tone results" i'd say "much" less smoth results.
Now While the clean channel is awsome ( i guess the Tung-Sol 12AX7 is responsible for that) and has that "loudness" effect ( or 3-D) i dont like the way it cuts through the mix, i'm not sure how to describe this... maybe lack of mids? I mean its wonderful when only the guitar plays but... I'm thinking of putting a JJ 12AX7 / ECC83 Selected GOLD in V1 position to give more emphasis on the mids and since i mostly play classic rock and blues maybe the jj will do the job better. what do you think?

Glad the Tung-Sol set is doing the trick for you. Despite retubing mine I still have the cascading issue and everything bleeds together. I have to say I have tried to communicate my amps issue but local techs tell me if it is china made they won't even take it in. I paid for a 4 year extended warranty and they place won't honor it either.. Besides I moved 800 miles south of them so I just have to eat it.
All the techs online beat you down cause you can't describe what exactly it is doing. Since it is that way I guess all the blame is on me. It is biased right and no matter what I do the amp still sounds like a solid state POS and that is has no defined separation that you can hear every note.. It isn't me it isn't the guitar, it is the amp and something in it that is causing it. I replied in another forum and got banned for posting a old post, but you know they should delete the old post rather then punish someone what just created a account with them and made on post.. So I can't post to others that have this amp cause all the threads are old or dead, and none of the forums want to hear it cause it is China made and that just says to bad..
None of the tech seem to help, so Badda Bing.. its a boat anchor!
I now can only hope to find a sucker to buy it.. as I am tired of trying to be honest about it. It was fun while it lasted..

Good Day!

[Jazz P Bass]

[QUOTE=Muskratt;325758] I have to say I have tried to communicate my amps issue but local techs tell me if it is china made they won't even take it in. QUOTE]

These 'tech's are certainly working themselves into a corner.

Sell it!