Just got into Tubes is it worth the money for Mullards?

[Cleveland Metal]

Great info man! Much food for thought. Thanks!!

[AK47]

Just got off the phone with Mesa and they told me most of their tubes now are Chinese made. They pretty much ran out of the NOS Euro and US stuff. The guy was real honest and said the rectifiers from the 90's have much better tubes than what they sell now.

Why do people have to change tubes on Mesa's from the early 90's and 80's when they were real nice NOS US or Euro stuff. Arghh drives me up the wall.

[Cleveland Metal]

Some sellers are probably not as forthright as the guy you spoke with and just wanna sell tubes (understandably). And some people just figure newer is better-er... Also understandably..

[Cygnus X1]

AK...if the rectifier is working ok, (5U4GB, right?)...then I would advise don't change it, or them.
The 5U4 is relatively neutral in that amp.
Seems to me changing types (to a GZ34 for example) would be a step backwards.
No audio signal passes through the rectifier...it is just there as a part of the power supply.
Depending on design, I like a diode setup to give a crisp, reliable supply that won't sag when hit hard. Vintage amps have that soft spongy sound partially due to the fact that the relatively weak recto's are sagging from signal drain. Not a good recipe for crisp cleans you were looking for, or smooth distortion in a high gain amp.
The 5U3 is a beefy recto, so it fits the recipe.
...And are usually indestructible.

[AK47]

AK...if the rectifier is working ok, (5U4GB, right?)...then I would advise don't change it, or them.
The 5U4 is relatively neutral in that amp.
Seems to me changing types (to a GZ34 for example) would be a step backwards.
No audio signal passes through the rectifier...it is just there as a part of the power supply.
Depending on design, I like a diode setup to give a crisp, reliable supply that won't sag when hit hard. Vintage amps have that soft spongy sound partially due to the fact that the relatively weak recto's are sagging from signal drain. Not a good recipe for crisp cleans you were looking for, or smooth distortion in a high gain amp.
The 5U3 is a beefy recto, so it fits the recipe.
...And are usually indestructible.

This is what I got and its still in UPS limbo so I have to check it out when it arrives but it sounds like it may need new tubes. I am looking for a original 90's sounding rectifier.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DWatching&item=250341990013&viewitem=&salenotsupported

[Cleveland Metal]

Dude, that is a sweet piece. I'm not a MESA guy at all, but that makes me want it, haha....

[Cygnus X1]

This is what I got and its still in UPS limbo so I have to check it out when it arrives but it sounds like it may need new tubes. I am looking for a original 90's sounding rectifier.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...lenotsupported

Well, if the rectifiers light up and provide the power, then they're usually good. Just sayin'.
You might end up liking the SS recto sound better.
Which got me thinking...in the mid sixties Fender started using two rectifiers to tighten up the sound of the Bassman. Guitarists didn't like the change, but bassists and keyboardists did.