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- 360
When I ordered the Mark VII I figured that the first order of business would be to install NOS tubes. It's what circumstances usually compel me to do.
However, I'm liking how the amp sounds with the stock tubes, and at least for now, I'm going to wait to decide whether the expense of NOS will be necessary. There's excellent clarity and surprisingly good tonal balance that I'm hearing from this amp, without the 'zing' and ring of what Mesa used to install in the amps I got previously. They're a little brighter than my usual NOS, but not unacceptably so.
I'm confident the tubes they're currently installing are JJs.
They have high build quality. The parts and wiring appear to be properly installed and upright; there are vintage style fingers on the Mica spacers to reduce tube rattle; the same upper-bottle inner shaping on the preamp tubes, and high quality in the output tubes. Comparing them side by side with JJs, they appear the same.
Seems Mesa made a good choice here. I can put the money for NOS into other things I need. I've felt that JJs were the closest to NOS I've found so far, and that conclusion's holding up pretty well.
However, I'm liking how the amp sounds with the stock tubes, and at least for now, I'm going to wait to decide whether the expense of NOS will be necessary. There's excellent clarity and surprisingly good tonal balance that I'm hearing from this amp, without the 'zing' and ring of what Mesa used to install in the amps I got previously. They're a little brighter than my usual NOS, but not unacceptably so.
I'm confident the tubes they're currently installing are JJs.
They have high build quality. The parts and wiring appear to be properly installed and upright; there are vintage style fingers on the Mica spacers to reduce tube rattle; the same upper-bottle inner shaping on the preamp tubes, and high quality in the output tubes. Comparing them side by side with JJs, they appear the same.
Seems Mesa made a good choice here. I can put the money for NOS into other things I need. I've felt that JJs were the closest to NOS I've found so far, and that conclusion's holding up pretty well.
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