https://guitarnoise.forum/live-sound/some-funky-tubes-in-my-fender-hrd/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Fri, 05 Jun 2026 01:22:15 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/live-sound/some-funky-tubes-in-my-fender-hrd/#post-124850 Wed, 14 Sep 2005 03:13:19 +0000
Oh, and when you went out of the Pre-Amp Out on your original HRD into the Power Amp In on the new HRD, then you WERE using the power tubes on amp#2. You were not using the PreAmp section of amp#2. And because amp#2 has these low power substitutions, that is why you were not getting volume.

Also, make sure to get an EXACT match. A 6L6G tube is not the same as a 6L6GC. So check to get the exact correct tubes.]]> Live Sound Wes Inman https://guitarnoise.forum/live-sound/some-funky-tubes-in-my-fender-hrd/#post-124850 https://guitarnoise.forum/live-sound/some-funky-tubes-in-my-fender-hrd/#post-124848 Wed, 14 Sep 2005 03:10:34 +0000
According to the Hot Rod Deluxe manual, the stock HRD comes with three Groove Tubes GT12AX7 preamp tubes (the little tubes) and two Groove Tubes GT6L6B power tubes (the big tubes).

Here is a detailed article about which tubes you can and cannot use on the HRD. This is from the Unofficial Hot Rod Deluxe Owner's Guide.

http://studentweb.eku.edu/justin_holton/bias.html#tubes

If that link doesn't take you to the right place then click on Modifications and then click on Installing Different Power Tubes.

One thing that is surprising is that Justin at the HRD site says the GT6L6B tubes have had a lot of problems and does not recommend them in the HRD. Justin recommends 6L6GC power tubes. I think that is great advice.

Yeah, it sounds like the previous owner installed power tubes that brought down the power of your HRD significantly. I would replace those. In fact, I am surprised those tubes haven't caused problems for the amp.

According to Justin at the HRD site (very knowledgeable), the best power tube that will not present problems for the HRD is the 6L6GC tube. This is what I have in my HRD. I have never had a problem and my amp is SUPERLOUD.

I would put 12AX7s back in the preamp section. I have JJ ECC83Ss in my HRD. These are a direct substitution for the 12AX7.

Get the right tubes in that amp as soon as possible. You might also check the bias (read about that at the HRD site). It is easy to do with a meter, took me about 10 minutes total. But if you are not confident with electronics, take it to a amp tech. But read the article first, it is truly easy to do and safe if you take basic precautions.

Let us know how it comes out.]]> Live Sound Wes Inman https://guitarnoise.forum/live-sound/some-funky-tubes-in-my-fender-hrd/#post-124848 https://guitarnoise.forum/live-sound/some-funky-tubes-in-my-fender-hrd/#post-124845 Wed, 14 Sep 2005 02:50:08 +0000 Live Sound Ricochet https://guitarnoise.forum/live-sound/some-funky-tubes-in-my-fender-hrd/#post-124845 https://guitarnoise.forum/live-sound/some-funky-tubes-in-my-fender-hrd/#post-11677 Wed, 14 Sep 2005 01:29:12 +0000
Hasn't happened yet so I bought a second Fender Hot Rod Deluxe from a harmonica player about an hour from here. I got home that Sunday and set up my original blonde HRD and my new black HRD up on stands in my garage. I set up all my equipment and played for about an hour standing outside the garage.

My original blonde HRD has some modifications to the tone controls, a Jensen P12N Alnico speaker, and stock tubes. The new black HRD has a Weber Texas ceramic 12” speaker and some crazy tubes. He was tellin' me one of the tubes (don't know pre or post) is set up to only output like 40% of normal so you have to spin the volume knob up much higher to get volume like a normal HRD. You know how touchy the normal ones are. You put the volume on 1 you can't hear it, you put it on 2 and it's crankin'. I wish they'd make the volume up/down smoother.

Anyway, if you're looking at the amp from the back at the tubes from right to left we have

1. Sovtek KT66 (red letters)
2. Sovtek KT66 (red letters)
3. Electron 2AV7 (orange letters)
4. Jan Phillips 5814A (light blue letters)
5. Electro Harmonics 12AX7EH (yellow letters)

My original blonde amp has (I think) standard tubes you'd get:

1. 6T6L6B
2. 6T6L6B
3. Fender 12AX7
4. Fender 12AX7
5. Fender 12AX7

I don't know what harmonica players need for playing but I don't like the sound of this amp as much as my original. Also, I fed my original HRD out to the new HRD via an extra cable so my original amp would power the second. It says so in the manual. Well, the original amp was much louder even though the second amp's power section was not even being used. Weird. Don't get that one.

So I practiced for the hour and was at least satisfied. At practice Friday night with No Trace I let the other guitar player plug in. He put the 2nd overdrive channel; hit the volume to 12 and it didn't seem outrageously loud. I figured the thing would blow up. Thank Lord it didn't.

So I practice for about an hour and then switched to my original amp because I knew how to work it and it sounded better and louder. Later that night I practiced with GI4 and left the new amp there permanently. That was my intention to leave an amp at both band practices. I thought the new amp sounded pretty good over there with GI4. I could control the volume late at night.

This past Saturday I got a Weber Mini-Mass attenuator. I hooked it up to the new amp and the attenuator worked pretty good. Seems like it cut the highs down and maybe even the lows. Still, I had the amp on the first overdrive channel and the volume up to 6 with the attenuator cutting the sound level down. I liked the sustaining of notes but I'll have to mess with the attenuator more when I get some new tubes in the amp.

All in all, I'm just happy I have an amp to leave there on the stand ready to use.

So all this for what? Anyone know what those tubes are doing to my new amp? Any suggestions for tubes to put in it?

:?:]]> Live Sound corbind https://guitarnoise.forum/live-sound/some-funky-tubes-in-my-fender-hrd/#post-11677