Model t tubes

[Justin O)))]

Hello forum. This is my first post on here, my name is justin, so this is my introduction post I suppose. I'm going to follow my introduction with a question for this board. I have a gen 1 model t I just purchased on its way to me. In good working order, in pretty good shape as well. I am told all but one tube are original so I will be swapping new tubes in. I would like to get the boards opinion on which brand is preferred, and what website would be best to go through.

Found myself on tubesandmore.com as they sell the kits of tubes specific to all amplifiers. Should i buy the $175 kit i see on here? I got this head for the loud, big, warm, thickness that it provides so well. I used to play through a 73' ampeg v4 and I'm back to another Another classic vintage tube head for good. These modern day amps produce such thin sound, and so I hope the model t will fill that void.. I will be pushing it with a Gibson sg, rat pedal thrown in front, and using it for a loud, crustpunk/sludgy project. think Isis, fight amputation. If you're unfamiliar, take a listen to them on YouTube.

Tubesandmore description of what I'm seeing states:
(1) T-6550-JJ-MQ, which includes:
(4) T-6550-JJ
(4) T-12AX7-S-JJ

Does this look ok? I'm assuming they mean JJ as in JJ tubes which I know have a great reputation. I would appreciate the help and info. Thanks all.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Howdy Justin O))) and that's a clever moniker for a Sunn fan! Before throwing a pile of money at your old Model T - in tubes - I'd hope you consider replacing old electrolytic filter capacitors instead. They have a habit of going bad after 30-40-50 years and are #2 on my list of preventive maintenance items on old amps, right after changing out AC power cables that often get stiff and start losing their insulation after a similar time in service.

Tubesandmore do a pretty good job of supplying parts of all sorts. Vaunted "reputation" aside, JJ's actually have a sort of spotty reputation, sorry to say. Mostly for 6L6 and EL34 varieties, and I've often found 12AX7's that make tik tik tik Geiger counter noises and/or add hum. But the ones that don't are excellent. I have used their KT88 successfully, and perhaps their 6550 would also be good. There have been an number of long running (and occasionally heated) discussions on this site concerning quality & reliability. It seems these vary according to who is selling the tubes, strangely enough. Most folks who buy JJ's directly from Eurotubes in Portland OR report good results. One correspondent reports Mojo to sell reliable JJ's to pro customers - repair shops & builders who get discounts and generally buy in quantity. What the ordinary punter gets . . . I don't know. CE/Antique (tubesandmore) made a decision some time ago to not accept complaints about microphonic tubes BUT more recently there was a report on these pages that some of the CE staff and MEF correspondents had a pow-wow and CE promised to change their tune and do a better job culling microphonic tubes and sorting out complaints. There does seem to be a consensus that tube dealers who test their tubes for matching have a better record of supplying reliable ones, the idea being any tubes that are bound to fail, will do so during the matching process.

Your Model T should be just the thing for sludge-rock. I recently had a customer who had the same needs and I got him happy with his rig. I also put an early Gibson "Dirty Fingers" pickup in his SG tuned CGCGBE and plenty of solid low frequency response in your "T" will get those low notes thru just perfect. I don't know what you have for speakers but you may want to think about 15 if you're not already using 'em.

[Justin O)))]

Thank you. What other brand of tubes do you recommend? As far as cabs go, I have a 1984 marshall JCM800 2x15 with original sidewinders, and an avatar 4x12 loaded with vintage 30's. However.. I have my eyes on a sunn 6x12 to replace the 4x12, as well as an acoustic 4x15. Will make for a nice wall behind me if these dudes off craigslist would answer their emails that is...

[Leo_Gnardo]

Thank you. What other brand of tubes do you recommend?

I'm sure others will chime in on this. Haven't used these yet but New Sensor's (expensive) Gold Lion KT88 are supposed to be the bees knees. Some claim, better than the original item. Expect to spend @ $65 each. Originals . . . well a friend just sold a pair of NOS Genelex KT88's for $1500.

Some prefer Chinese Shuguang 12AX7's for an extra bit of zip in the high frequencies. Something you may or may not want. I get JJ 12AX7A HiGrade+ from Ruby. Selected for low noise - the "fade to black" when there's no signal is a nice feature.

As far as cabs go, I have a 1984 marshall JCM800 2x15 with original sidewinders

Oh my, just what the doctor ordered!

and an avatar 4x12 loaded with vintage 30's. However.. I have my eyes on a sunn 6x12 to replace the 4x12, as well as an acoustic 4x15. Will make for a nice wall behind me if these dudes off craigslist would answer their emails that is...

A couple years back there was an Albany NY based band called Jaws that did the wall-of-sound thing. And after I hipped 'em to getting their speaker arrays all-in-polarity per instrument, sounded that much better. Looks like you're aiming for the same sort of thing. Just make sure your speakers are all moving the same direction at the same time. The band in the photo below did, and had a fair amount of popularity - in fact thousands of their fans followed them from gig to gig. Who knows, maybe it'll work for you!

[soundmasterg]

I've had good luck in the past with all of the JJ power tubes I have gotten, and specifically in Sunns, I have had great reliability and sound with JJ KT88's. I've also put in some of the reissue Genelex KT88's in a couple Sunns for a customer. Two ended up dying early deaths, and the others worked fine, but the JJ's sounded better. For the JJ's I have purchased, I got them from CE Dist/AES until the last year or so when I started to get them from Eurotubes. I haven't had any problems with any of the JJ's but perhaps I've been lucky. The St. Petersburg Svetlana (Winged C) 6550C and KT88's were probably the best modern production, but they have been discontinued, though there are still some around for sale new. They are expensive but reliability is likely a cut above other modern stuff, and the sound is on par with the JJ's.

Greg

[cbass]

A couple years back there was an Albany NY based band called Jaws that did the wall-of-sound thing. And after I hipped 'em to getting their speaker arrays all-in-polarity per instrument, sounded that much better. Looks like you're aiming for the same sort of thing. Just make sure your speakers are all moving the same direction at the same time. The band in the photo below did, and had a fair amount of popularity - in fact thousands of their fans followed them from gig to gig. Who knows, maybe it'll work for you!

Dang Leo I didn't know you was in the greatful dead.
Seriously that's bad ass.I guess you guys weren't just playing little bars.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Dang Leo I didn't know you was in the greatful dead.
Seriously that's bad ass.I guess you guys weren't just playing little bars.

Good to see you over here cbass! Nah, I wasn't in the Dreadful Grapes, but my college band played some of their songs & I still jam with some guys who do. You know me - I just steal ideas from the best in the biz. And pass 'em along to those who need 'em.

Jaws did pretty well for themselves with their wall-of-sound in the Albany area 2006-8. Their lead guitarist Ryan Rapp moved to Florida and now to California. Then recently I heard of a Cal band called Dawes, hmmm, sounds like Jaws, good music, but it ain't him.

Anyways, it pays to stay in phase. Heck, the Jethro Tull "Thick as a Brick" album even credits "In-Phase Eileen." Part of what it takes to be successful.