Expensive Tubes In a Cheap Amp! - Is It Worth It?

Really informative channel. So glad I subscribed
Great video by the way

Makes sense that changing out already good tubes with other good tubes wont make much difference. Real differences in tone are made with capacitors etc

Possibly better to purchase a really decent amp by the time valves, speakers, capacitors, resistors etc are replaced at great expense not to mention electrical engineers fees ....... The JJs made a good difference, thankyou for doing this video. 🙂👍🇬🇧

exactly the same! thanks for saving me money!

Who makes stocked tubes? Ima get some

no difference dude…

I had a Fender Twinn for 27 years. The best was when I changed the original tube to Groovetubes. Yes there is a real BIG difenrence!

Hi, I don't think the tubes are the biggest problem with this amp. The speaker is not a "real" Celestion, it is made in China, it says so on the label. I fitted my HB Tube 15 with a Jensen speaker and it makes a really big difference to the sound. Greetings, Rainer

WELL worth changing the tubes

Actually the first track sounded a tad fizzy as in if cranked this sound would get worse. The second track sounded more focused into the correct freq response and less likley to to sound brittle when cranked.

Whatever happened to western electric touting the startup of tubes manufactured right here in the USA?

Tung Sol tubes made in russia, kills me, branding for money😢.

Next step upgrade speaker, next step after that upgrade to a good amp!

How does the amp handle pedals?

Perfect conclusion… very very helpful vide, thanks again 👍👍👍

I prefered or at least liked just as well, the stock tubes on most examples.

Track 2 definitely sounds fuller.

I replaced tubes in the same amp with the Electro harmonix tubes and it made a bigger difference. Than the J/Js did for yours.

makes a minimal difference

The speaker change is the most significant change one could do

chinese preamp tubes are hit and miss.

All you are hearing is a slightly higher output from the non stock tubes. This higher output is driving the speaker differently. The same can be achieved by turning the volume up a notch, save your money.

Love my Stageright 15! I bought a matched det of JJ 6V6's to replace my EL84's for a bit more crunch. Also contemplating swapoing the reverb tank for a 3 spring, but not 100% sold on it yet.

good job! you answered a lot of questions and i agree with everything! thank you

The Laney Cub 12 really needs a tubes swap , it's night and day , perhaps a speaker swap too , the first ones had a good speaker but they put their own ones later , the Cub 8 also , both the Monoprice/Stage Right / Harley Benton and i don't know how they are named in Australia don't need anything ....The Cub 8 is really good with a cab , and really meh meh otherwise , the 5 watts Monoprice doesn't need a 12 " cab , it even sounds better without it , of course it's the same thing with the 15 watts one .....
Out of the box that one is better than a Fender blues jr with EL84s , as you can see in all the videos on the matter here .....

I’ve been told you have to bias new tubes. Is that true?

Yep, great comparison. I’d leave the Chinese ones in. I never like gigging with my tube amp because it fallen over before but with the Chinese one’s, I’d go out and play my heart out.

Awesome video as always on my amp i cover the back now its sounds much better rock on

You will have to replace tubes at some point. So worth the expense.

Tuning please

Do they need to be biased?

I definitely picked the aftermarket tubes every time. Kind of surprising. I didn’t think it would be that noticeable or that much nicer.

I have a tube amp from the early 60s, with original u.s. made tubes, still working fine. How long will chinese tubes last?

Nobody fixes when they go down. Definitely not worth it for me!

I have this amp (bought in 2018) - love the 12" Celestion it comes with and the way it breaks up. Have run through my Fender Super Champ X2 bottom (a different 12" Celestion) and much prefer the one that came with my Monoprice. Didn't think there was much difference between the tubes, especially on the overdrive parts. I changed out the tubes on my Peavey Delta Blues with JJs - hated them. Very harsh and not mellow. Put the originals back in.

I believe it is vital to ensure you never touch the sockets on the amp that the tubes insert into as they can carry LETHAL voltages even when the amp is unplugged. So take care folks.

I heard no difference... If ya bought new tubes , naturally you are goin to make them
Better to Ur Lugs.. but it won't be true .

I'd love to know what your method for recording is.

agree, otherwise i d buy a blackstar or a marshall same size

Personally I felt the Stock with V1 was the best sound of all configurations.

JJ tubes sound like the unmarked chinese tubes

No differance

if its worth doing its worth over doing

I replace all my tubes in any amp I get. From my micro orange to my JCM900. But I have been collecting NOS tunes for some time. Drop some smooth plate Yugos in the gain section, and video that! (Or change them all and be even happier). Look for those testing above 106% or for Medical devices. Also the power side can also be affected by better tubes. I've done it hundreds of times, and small changes can have a big affect on gain, power, reverb (if it's a tube circut), and tone. Its worth it to me tomhave the best tone possible.

hey dude you should put new tubes and a new speaker at the same time vs stock

the new tubes definitely sound better. the small things like, getting the best pick, the best strings, the right pickup, the right tubes, and the preferred voiced amp all add up like plug ins in a mixing chain

i personally like sovteks, but imho a combination of tubes gives off the best tone

The smart thing to do is to put your fav sounding & desired gain preamp tube in V1 cuz that's the one that makes the most difference! in an amp like this it's usually a ecc83. The bigger better difference would be a speaker swap!

Changing the speaker will make the biggest change in tone, the speaker what moves the air and changes electric signal to sound!

never heard a difference at all.