• From: Belgium (Limburg)
  • Registered: 2008-02-25
  • Posts: 118

Topic: Change valves

I don't know if there's already a topic about this..but i've had my Marshall VM with KT-66's for almost a year now and it was being played at store probably to..and I think I need to change valves..is that possible?

I play a 'f*nder' strat and use the volume pots to change between lead sounds or cleaner rhythm stuff. But since a couple of days I've noticed a weird fuzz-like tone when I switch to lead sound. It's the most obvious when I play let's say the 12th fret of the low E string..I get like a weird tone, fuzz-like, sometimes normal OD-tone come through just a bit but..

Does this sound like changing valves? Or do I have to go have it checked for something else?

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Change valves

I don't think its the KT-66 Values (Tubes for us Americans) When tubes or valves begin to lose life you'll notice that the volume will be up one minute and the next the volume will drop and be like hey wheres my sound?  The tubes have these plates inside and as they get older parts start to flake off and fall on the grid which makes it act funny and most of the time you can flick the tube and the get the volume back if it hasn't already returned.  Also if your running a lot of gain and the bias is hot its possible you've got a real fuzzy sound or a cheap solid state sound. 

To me it sounds like your guitar has changed over the climate change or season change because you mentioned that its isolated to one string below the 12th fret.  Try this hold your E string down at the 12th fret and look at the string at the 13th fret.  If it is remotely too close to the next fret that  your playing on you'll have string buzz and if its barely touching you might get what comes out as a fuzzy sound.  KT-66 are pretty good tubes and honestly unless your playing wide open every day (master volume above 6 or half way) then those tubes should be fine.  If your playing in your house at lower volumes the tubes should last what seems forever.

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