Valves - Matched Pairs

VALVES FOR SALE: NEW AND FULLY TESTED: SCROLL DOWN TO SEE OUR RANGE OF VALVES MATCHED PAIRS.

Many guitar amplifiers use a matched pair of power valves or output valves as they are often known as. But what does this mean exactly? And why must valves be ‘matched’?

If a guitar amplifier has two output valves/tubes, one of those valve is “pushing” the speaker cone while the one is “pulling” it. It’s vital that this push and pull is balanced. If it isn’t, tone quality is affected and the amp doesn’t sound as good as it could.

With the same signal being applied to each valve, you can see why it’s important that each valve gives an identical amount of push or pull.

REPLACING A MATCHED PAIR OF VALVES.

So you MUST replace both output tubes at the same time and you MUST buy a matched pair from a reputable dealer. Here at AmpValves, every valve is fully tested before shipping and each one comes with a 100% guarantee. A matched pair of valves gives the same “bias current” under identical conditions of plate voltage and grid bias voltage. All a bit techy – but don’t worry. You will hear the difference.

Please note that valves (even the same make and same type) can differ wildly in their characteristics. So this is why matching valves is so important.

VALVES: MATCHED PAIRS. HEAR THE DIFFERENCE.

A new set of valves, or tubes as they are often referred to, can make a startling difference to your sound. Suddenly your amp sounds like the day it left the factory. So get your amp sounding like new again today

Here are some tips concerning valve replacement.

1. Try and keep a note of when you last changed change your valves, that way you’ll know when they need replacing.
2. Replace you tubes after around 1000 hours of actual playing. It doesn’t matter how old your valves are. They store quite well in fact. It’s the number of hours they have been used which counts.
3. Never change just one output valve if you have a failure. They must always be changed as a complete set.
4. Always buy a matched set of output tubes. Either a matched pair or a matched quad. They have been matched to have the same gain and the same bias current.
5. Changing valves is very easy. They simply pull straight out. Make sure you disconnect the power and hold the valve with a cloth. So gently pull straight up with a slight wiggle to help them along.
6. Finally, remember to let your amp warm up before you start playing. It will thank you. Also give them a chance to cool down after playing before you start bouncing the amp around.

REPLACE YOUR MATCHED PAIR OF POWER VALVES TODAY.

We supply matched pairs of JJ valves/tubes as they guarantee awesome tone and power at a very sensible price.