Quote:
Originally Posted by BuddyO
...It seems replacing the tubes could be a real challenge, as they each sit in their own little tunnel, I suspect it will be difficult to align the pins, as there is no way to see down inside.
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That little cage around the tubes is a mandated safety measure (as well as TMK electrical shielding for the preamp tubes, which lack the individual shields featured on old-school Fender gear) and, as you state, a royal PITA when it comes time to perform even routine service; I found the best way was to remove the chassis from the cabinet (
DO NOT do this if you don't know what you're doing, under penalty - literally - of death...
) and turn it upside down (
i.e. transformer side up) on a non-flammable/non-conductive surface - more time-consuming but easier to handle, the tube sockets are readily visible, and it minimizes the possibility of losing those itty-bitty cage screws...
Not being particuarly inclined to repeat this annoying little ritual every couple of years, I installed a set of these in my V22 in late 2010 - had 'em in there ever since, and they'll likely outlive both me and whoever the next owner is:
https://www.thetubestore.com/preferr...ies-7025-12ax7
https://www.thetubestore.com/preferr...9-premium-el84
FYI these are pre-
Glasnost, Soviet-era mil-spec tubes - the USSR equivalent of the surplus American JAN tubes all the Fender guys would sell their 'nads for: every bit as tough as they sound, and IME they'll give your amp a bit of "big tube" tonal vibe. Again speaking from experience, should you choose to go this route I'd contact
thetubestore.com directly and tell them that you want a
plug-&-play 7189 set for the
Infinium version of the V22: these tubes have a higher power rating than a standard EL84 and, while the older "blue-light" version could be (and mine was) re-biased to compensate, the self-biasing Infinium circuitry appears to be optimized for the factory glassware - as I discovered with my own V5 there's a fairly narrow operating range which, in the interest of both tonal and product longevity, should not be exceeded. In addition to the matched power tubes you'll also want matched triodes on the phase inverter/driver tube in V3 (I have them in all three preamp positions, and to my ear/for my style they make a difference - YMMV) - well worth the nominal $5 upcharge per tube IME...