tsp17 Posted March 27, 2023 Posted March 27, 2023 I have a Vintage Sound Jazz 20 -great amp, like a beefed up Princeton Reverb with a nice 12 inch speaker. Bigger transformer. Solid pine cabinet. Great build quality and sweet sound. Really nice reverb. I like it a lot, but have always wanted something slightly crisper/cleaner/clearer out of it with an archtop (H550, SKB). Weighs around 30 lbs, so still portable for an aging back. So I swapped out the 12AX7 in v1 and replaced it with a NOS Mullard 12AT7. Not a huge difference, but i hear a little less amp color and little more guitar. The character of the amp is still there with a little more clarity of the guitar, without losing the amp’s warmth. Maybe it is just in my head, but i think it does make a subtle difference and I like it.
Gitfiddler Posted March 27, 2023 Posted March 27, 2023 @tsp17...Hey Tad, you might notice more sonic difference when the amp is pushed a bit. That rig should stay cleaner as you increase volume. Overall the 12AT7 should help your VSJ20 run quieter and have a bit more headroom. That's what I found with my '69 Princeton reverb.
tsp17 Posted March 27, 2023 Author Posted March 27, 2023 6 minutes ago, Gitfiddler said: @tsp17...Hey Tad, you might notice more sonic difference when the amp is pushed a bit. That rig should stay cleaner as you increase volume. Overall the 12AT7 should help your VSJ20 run quieter and have a bit more headroom. That's what I found with my '69 Princeton reverb. Yep - that’s what I’m hearing. Exactly.
tsp17 Posted March 28, 2023 Author Posted March 28, 2023 Well- that success was short lived. Turned it on this morning before work…no sound. Tried again this evening when i got home. No sound. Smelled something burning. Turned off. Looked inside. NOS tube was fried and glass broken. Got it a little ways out and noticed that the prongs were mangled and singed. Decided not to mess with it further to avoid more damage. Off to the amp tech it goes.
Steiner Posted March 28, 2023 Posted March 28, 2023 You're not supposed to let the smoke out... Substituting the 12AT7 wouldn't have caused the problem. Unless you installed it incorrectly or the tube was defective. The two tubes are universally interchangeable. A good amp tech will sort it out quickly, you'll be back on your feet in no time. PS - I like the way your thinking.
tsp17 Posted March 28, 2023 Author Posted March 28, 2023 Yeah, i figure a defective tube. Will report back after the tech checks it out.
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