Re: First post, some questions

[Randy Lilleston <randyl@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 1 Nov 1994, Marcus McClary 802.656.3128 wrote:

> I have a '59 Bassman RI...I tried a 5U4G tube rectifier in 
> the amp and didn't like the loose bottom for my guitar.  The solid-state
> rectifier, though, is probably not going to provide enough sag for harp.
> Does anyone have experience with a 5AR4--and if so, do you know a source for
> them.  I've been unable to find 5AR4's from my regular mail order
> companies.

I use a 5AR4 tube rectifier and find it highly preferable to the 5U4G. 
The reason is probably that it pushes out a higher voltage, one probably 
more suitable to the fixed bias of the amp since it's closer to that of 
the standard transistor rectifier. In fact, I'd probably try to get the 
amp re-biased (a pain with the Bassman since it involves unsoldering a 
resistor) if I continued to use the 5U4G.
 Look in the back of Guitar Player magazine for tube sellers. Any of them 
should be able to provide you with a 5AR4. Try to get a NOS (new old 
stock) one such as a GE or a Tung-Sol, or try to find a Sovtek. A lot of 
the Chinese-made rectifier tubes suck - my Ruby Tubes 5AR4 blew up after 
about 10 hours but my Sovtek runs and runs. The Russian ones such as the 
Sovtek should run you about $12-$15; the NOS ones are more expensive, 
sometimes costing $30 or more.