NAD - Bugera Vintage V5 Infinium

[BuddyO]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Told ya ...

Speaking from extensive hands-on experience, while there are indeed some great tones available from the triode mode (FYI it's far more than just an attenuator - as you'll discover when you take some time to play around with both guitar and amp settings - and it'll get you some real nice low-watt Brit-flavored mojo in both clean and OD) the pentode mode is just as controllable once you find the sweet spot between guitar/pre/post-volume controls; perhaps it's a matter of style and approach - I've always run my guitars flat-out, and rely on subtleties of touch and picking to achieve my desired tones - but with a large-humbucker semi-hollow jazzbox like your Comins there's a valuable Fender-like sparkle that you'll be missing out on...

As to the volume, unless you're playing a lot of outdoor or big-hall gigs the V22 could well be the only amp you'll ever need (want, however, is a different story... ) - I've played everything from 600-700 seat halls to the local coffeehouse, clean as you need or dirty as you want, with no sacrifice of tone at any volume (a claim very few tube amps can make - regardless of price) - and only the fact that I'm no longer physically able to handle the 53-pound weight on a regular basis (I've got an Eminence Swamp Thang - big brother to the Cannabis Rex - in mine, which adds a substantial amount of avoirdupois ) has led me to other options in the Bugera camp (just picked up a T5 head, got a T50 in my sights somewhere down the line). Thankfully the current Turbosound speaker is actually quite good, so a speaker swap is no longer necessary - but if you're in search of a more "American" tonality, the Cannabis Rex will not only put you solidly in the ballpark but at ~102dB efficiency will, when/if need dictates, provide the grunt of a 50-60W "big-tube" rig (mine'll hang with both my '65 Super RI and 100W Fender Frontman 212R); in toto, there's a lot going on for what is still an extremely reasonable price - and the only thing that surprises me is that after fifteen years of production it remains well under the radar...

Use it well, often, and LOUD...

Thanks Steve.
I too, think that the stock Turbosound sounds really good. My Blues Jr. has the Cannabis Rex and it can be a bit harsh, but I'm not sure it is all the speaker's fault or the tube-set or the pre-amp or box. One thing I could try before I sell it, is to route the Bugera into it and see how it compares, but I would still be getting that in-box sound.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by BuddyO

...One thing I could try before I sell it, is to route the Bugera into it and see how it compares, but I would still be getting that in-box sound.

- or you could block out a couple hours, do a straight-up swap (which will also give you the chance to see just how solidly the Bugera is built - unlike their competitors they use anchored machine screws rather than wood screws for all attachment points), and see how it sounds; IME a lot of the Bugera's tone is indeed the cabinet, and the one descriptor I've never heard applied to the Cannabis Rex (or the big brother Swamp Thang, if you can handle the extra weight) is harsh...

[BuddyO]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

- or you could block out a couple hours, do a straight-up swap (which will also give you the chance to see just how solidly the Bugera is built - unlike their competitors they use anchored machine screws rather than wood screws for all attachment points), and see how it sounds; IME a lot of the Bugera's tone is indeed the cabinet, and the one descriptor I've never heard applied to the Cannabis Rex (or the big brother Swamp Thang, if you can handle the extra weight) is harsh...

For sure, I may just try that.

I did remove the speaker and tube cage last night to cure a slight buzzing issue when playing above the 12th fret on the low E. That cage is a real PITA to remove, I had to take the speaker out first and the cage is held in place with tiny screws, one of which, of course, I dropped somewhere in the box and cannot find. I made sure each tube was secure and tightened every screw I could see. Most needed an extra quarter to half turn to get snug, I wonder if the particle board shrunk a bit in the drier air. I put everything back together, but without the tube-cage in place and the buzzing is now gone.

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.

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by BuddyO

That cage is a real PITA to remove, I had to take the speaker out first and the cage is held in place with tiny screws, one of which, of course, I dropped somewhere in the box and cannot find. I made sure each tube was secure and tightened every screw I could see. Most needed an extra quarter to half turn to get snug, I wonder if the particle board shrunk a bit in the drier air. I put everything back together, but without the tube-cage in place and the buzzing is now gone.

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.

Interesting. I was able to remove the cage without removing the speaker, so I'm not sure why you had to remove the speaker. Like you, I did not replace the cage.

I was able to replace the tubes without much of a problem. I wear cotton photo gloves to keep from getting skin oil on the tubes, and I was able blindly rotate them into position.

[BuddyO]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

Interesting. I was able to remove the cage without removing the speaker, so I'm not sure why you had to remove the speaker. Like you, I did not replace the cage.

I was able to replace the tubes without much of a problem. I wear cotton photo gloves to keep from getting skin oil on the tubes, and I was able blindly rotate them into position.

Thanks, good to know about the blind tube positioning.

I had to remove the speaker to get to the last little screw holding the cage in, there was no way to get a screwdriver on it with the speaker in the way.

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by BuddyO

I had to remove the speaker to get to the last little screw holding the cage in, there was no way to get a screwdriver on it with the speaker in the way.

I probably used a non-standard screw driver, but I don't recall how I did it.

[Steve DeRosa]

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.

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...

[BuddyO]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

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...

Thank you for the tube suggestions, Steve!
With the Infinium circuitry, would I need to get them biased if I bought their V22 Package?

Also would you recommend I put the cage back in as a safety precaution?
It is a hazard without it?

[BuddyO]

[UPDATE]

Let me first say that after playing through this amp for a few weeks now, that I still think it sounds great with the stock tubes and speaker.

But, since hearing that the stock tubes were low quality and have a short lifespan, I decided to replace them with a set from The Tubestore as recommended by Steve DeRosa.

Removing the stock tubes, I noticed that they were all branded as Bugera Premiums, except for the pre-amp tube in the V1 socket. This one was a TAD 12AX7A-C, so I decided to put it back in and replaced all others with the new set from the tubestore. As I compared the original tubes to the new, I could see that the pins on the old were very thin and slightly bent/askew, but the new ones seemed to be of a thicker gauge and straighter.

During my initial listening session, I was not as impressed as I thought I would be, since the new tubes are getting great reviews. Things seemed a bit louder, but also with a bit more intermittent tube noise and slight harsher at moderate volume levels. My thought was that it must be that tube in the V1 socket. So I remember having a TAD 5751 hanging around that I had used in my Fender Blues Jr. So I replaced the TAD 12AX7A-C with that one and powered it up.

Right away I could hear the difference, much better!
Cleaner, warmer, and no tube noise, the amp was eerily quiet, as thought the tones came from a black background.

The amp sounds better than ever and I'm keeping the originals as a backup in case I need them.

Thank you, Steve for the awesome recommendation.

[Steve DeRosa]

As I'm sure you're aware the 5751 tube is a fairly common swap in V1 for players looking for a cleaner tone with less initial gain, IMO an ideal match for your Comins jazzbox; that said, you might also consider experimenting with the remaining Preferred Series preamp tube in V1 - based on your description I'd say it's likely as not the old TAD tube was on its way out anyway, and while I don't use full-size humbuckers (mini-buckers - mostly of the Gretsch variety - and P-90's are my go-to) I'm also a predominantly clean player who appreciates the extra sonic kick of the higher-gain tube (which I can control with both the pre-gain and picking technique). By the same token, if you're ever inclined to explore some bluesier styles - or simply add some of that sweet euphonic color to your basic sound - the Preferred Series tube will deliver...

[BuddyO]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

As I'm sure you're aware the 5751 tube is a fairly common swap in V1 for players looking for a cleaner tone with less initial gain, IMO an ideal match for your Comins jazzbox; that said, you might also consider experimenting with the remaining Preferred Series preamp tube in V1 - based on your description I'd say it's likely as not the old TAD tube was on its way out anyway, and while I don't use full-size humbuckers (mini-buckers - mostly of the Gretsch variety - and P-90's are my go-to) I'm also a predominantly clean player who appreciates the extra sonic kick of the higher-gain tube (which I can control with both the pre-gain and picking technique). By the same token, if you're ever inclined to explore some bluesier styles - or simply add some of that sweet euphonic color to your basic sound - the Preferred Series tube will deliver...

You bet, I will do this at some point, but right now, I'm just enjoying the new tones so much that I don't want to change anything