Hendrix's tubes

His guitar slung across his back, his dusty boots is his cadillac.

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Tone-Freak
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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by Tone-Freak » Fri Apr 03, 2009 2:00 pm

you are right there is no way to ever know for shure any thing Hendrix :D

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by bdc » Tue Jun 09, 2009 2:13 am

I have heard Marshalls that I thought sounded good with 6550s, but why would Jimi not prefer the 5881 or 6L6 or even KT 66s to the 6550...I guess Jimi may have been after super loud clean bottom at one point. I know myself if I wanted a clean power amp I'd choose 5881/6L6 or maybe KT66s. Though I'd play a Fender Twin or a Hiwatt if clean was my thing......I've always thought 6550s were one of the least sweet sounding guitar amp tubes. They offer little coloration though if thats what your after.....

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by parkhead » Fri Dec 04, 2009 9:30 am

Having read all of this info years ago when it was fresh and worked a lot on old marshalls
and experimented with this stuff ...

I believe that Hendrix did have some of his super leads converted to shared cathode like a super bass, early jtm
or black flag amp ....

That would be a simple mater of saying

" I like this one (jtm) better"

(they had higher plate voltages)

"can you see why? "

the most obvious difference is the shared cathode v1

I think a lot of those mystery fatter sounds are a lead amp with the jumper put back in on v1

6550s: sure why not, again you would take your amp to the tech and say what can you put into it that will hold up better
an american tech in 1970 would say 6550
even if Hendrix did not like the sound of something he would use it for a while till he could change
the sunn deal is a good example of this...

As far as 75 watt speakers go celestion did not make any ... but the quote is rola
rola was an american speaker company that bought celestion.... I dont know their line well but in 1970
Celestion was not a boxed product you could buy in every music store

so any blown speakers would be replaced with locally sourced items

also keep in mind Hendrix kept different rigs in America and the UK so
the uk marshalls would have been repaired with more authentic parts
but the usa marshalls could easily have been butchered by well meaning techs helping to keep things running

most PRO TOURING gear I have seen over the years and I have seen a lot
is quite badly butchered with horrible road repairs with dubious parts

the bottom line is that touring gear is not mint unmodded and factory fresh
even a short time after it is new

as controversial as some of these stories about changes to gear are
I have seen enough stuff to say you probably have to check these things out
with a little experimentation


p
Last edited by parkhead on Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
replica ?? I don't need no stinking replica ...

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by parkhead » Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:22 am

Just did a fairly large search

has anyone seen a 12 inch Rola 75 watt speaker from 1969

p
replica ?? I don't need no stinking replica ...

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by parkhead » Mon May 10, 2010 1:02 am

In 1969, the Experience began using the services of West Coast Organ & Amp Repair in Hollywood, California, to prepare and maintain their equipment. “We received eight new Super Lead heads and about ten 4x12 cabinets before the start of Jimi’s ’69 tour,” says David Weyer, who was then West Coast’s amp technician. “Hendrix wanted us to install heavier-duty speakers, so we took out all of the 25-watt Rola Celestions and replaced them with 75-watt Rolas that we bought from [Vox distributor] Thomas Organ. They used those speakers in the solid-state Super Beatles that were being made here. Jimi told me that he preferred the sound of 6550 tubes in his Marshalls, so we replaced the stock Mullard EL34s with General Electric, Tung-Sol, and RCA 6550s that I got from Yale Radio on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. I rebiased all the amps and changed their suppressor-grid voltages to keep the 6550s from over-dissipating.

check this out

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/ ... n&p=254537" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
replica ?? I don't need no stinking replica ...

beaulieu
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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by beaulieu » Tue May 11, 2010 11:28 pm

I have some of those red .68's WIMA caps like in that one pic of Hendrix's amp.Gunna have to give them a try again!! Mark
69 SuperBass Plexi
12000 Series Bulid
73 1987
68 Nos 50 build
2554 Combo
2550 Silver Jub stack
71 LesPaul Deluxe
68,71,73 4x12

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by Xplorer » Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:38 pm

hi, i didn't notice it before, but now i wonder about the tubes i see in the 7026. they don't look like kt66. what do you think they are please ?
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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by Ted B » Thu Dec 29, 2011 6:07 pm

Xplorer wrote:hi, i didn't notice it before, but now i wonder about the tubes i see in the 7026. they don't look like kt66. what do you think they are please ?
Those look to me like some '90s era wafer based Chinese or Russian made pieces.
parkhead wrote: “Hendrix wanted us to install heavier-duty speakers, so we took out all of the 25-watt Rola Celestions and replaced them with 75-watt Rolas that we bought from [Vox distributor] Thomas Organ. They used those speakers in the solid-state Super Beatles that were being made here.
I realize this is an older post, but since no one clarified, they appear to have their facts just slightly distorted. The optional 75w speaker that was used by Thomas in Super Beatle cabs (starting in '68) would be an Altec 417 (not Rola). The only other speakers offered in those cabs were Celestion alnico G12 (25w) and JBL D120 (50w).

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by 908ssp » Sat Dec 31, 2011 10:17 am

A 35 watt Celestion was available back then. It would be pretty easy to say we pulled 25s and put in 75s when you meant put in 35s. After all that was a long time ago. And the 35watt H magnet 55 hz cone speaker is what what was associated with Hendrix for years I am surprised it hasn't been mentioned.

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by Ted B » Sat Dec 31, 2011 10:51 am

I'm inclined to believe he's correct about buying '75w speakers' from Thomas Organ, except they'd be the Altecs that Thomas stocked. AFAIK, Thomas Organ never fitted a Celestion G12H to anything, and therefore had no reason to import them. Interestingly enough, other American guitarists at the time (e.g. Duane Allman) who used Marshall gear also made a habit of replacing Celestions with American-made speakers. The Altec and JBL speakers were definitely more durable, and apparently widely viewed as an upgrade, but they change the sound of the amp. He's also very specific about sourcing the 6550s for Jimi's amps, so that makes for a convincing indicator as to what was inside Hendrix's stateside gear at that time.

As far as what he used across the pond in the UK/Europe, that presents a different picture. I'd say if there were any association between Hendrix and G12H 55Hz, it would be there. The prevailing school of thought says that early 1982 "100" cabs were fitted as such (T1281), and those were veritably used by Hendrix, Cream, etc., from the time they became available, which was around the end of '66.

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by Cheech » Mon Jan 02, 2012 12:20 am

I love reading this kind of stuff keep it coming guys. However, My wallet is angry at you guys! I want to clone one of Hendrix amps so bad but its hard to find anything solid.

My next build (100w) how will the split vs shared cathode sound?

Will

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by Lefty Lou » Tue May 15, 2012 3:33 pm

I think Jimi first came across 6550's when he was under the contract with Sunn Amplifiers. Marshall was using 6L6's and variants thereof (5881 & KT66) until they could no longer get a continuous supplies of quality 6L6's (according to the Groove Tubes Book) and this is around the time they switched from tube rectifiers to SS rectifiers in their amps. Jimi seems to me to be a man that would use anything and everything at his disposal, especially if it could fit his purpose(s). It wouldn't surprise me one bit if he used 6550's, EL34's, and KT66's in each of his three main heads that he was known to use at one time. Oh what a blend that would be!

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by Lefty Lou » Tue May 15, 2012 3:54 pm

BTW, we've all heard Jim Marshall speak about training Jimi's on the road amp tech how to service his Marshall amps because initially Jimi wanted to hire away one or more Marshall employees for this task, but Jim Marshall needed all his staff. If Jimi simply used the Marshall amps of the time period he was playing in, it would be so simple to BUILD your own clone of a similar amp for the era of the Jimi tone which one prefers most (just see what Marshall was manufacturing at this time and to possibly look at Marshall mods & upgrades recommended by Marshall for past Marshall amp models). I also find it interesting that in the 70's to 80's, Marshall decided to supply their heads with 6550 tubes because they would last longer than EL34 tubes (through their tube warranty period). These heads were supplied to the U.S.A., and I believe also to the Australia and Japan markets as well. Could it be that the 6550 tubes supplied by West Coast Organ for Jimi's Marshall amps circa 69' reached Marshall, and Marshall scratched their heads and said something like, "Jimi may have really stumbled upon something here, lets make an effort to offer these tubes at some later date". Interesting indeedy.

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by Electricdaveyboy » Wed Oct 03, 2012 5:15 am

I belive that Jimi had ( some of ) his USA touring Marshalls not fitted with EL 34 because those tubes were not comon in the US.
A lot of Marshalls EL34 tubes were destroyed in the shipping and so they switched to 6550 for the oversea Mashalls wich also did not use the buldin plug but a solid kable installed.
So you may see, wehn browsing through pics of the so called Hendrix Marshalls that there are different models: Export and Uk / european market Marshall- bulgin / non bulgin.
And I think that fact may say alot.T :jimi: o me it says: Jimi and the tech used what ever had been at hand.
And if there was repair needed somewere in the us they made the parts fit in .
Just me.......

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Re: Hendrix's tubes

Post by Tone seaker » Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:37 am

I think yhe 6L6 thing with marshalls to the US was in the 70's (latter 70's) I have never seen one without EL 34's factory installed in the late 60's

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