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How to tell if tubes are matched?

I am esagerly awaiting my first tube amp (not counting my bass guitar preamp). UPS says it is somewhere between Redmond Washington and Massachusetts (?). It uses matched tubes, and I'm wondering if I get them all jumbled up in the excite3ment to listen, is there any way to figure out which tubes are matched? Since I've never heard it before, I won't know if the sound has gone haywire, or if it's sounding as intended. It uses 4 matched pairs, so trying all the combinations until I found the one that sounds best would certainly induce thoughts of going solid state. Do they usually mark them somehow? Will biasing be affected? Will there be an obvious flaw in the sound (i.e no sound)?
honest1

Showing 2 responses by jea48

jea48
4,266 posts
 

First the tubes are packed in their own boxes. Each box will have the respective tube socket number written on each of them. Or at least each tested match pair. The ownerÂ’s manual will have a block diagram showing the tube layout. Your amp may even have the socket number stamped be side each of the sockets. This is for a new amp. If you are buying a used amp, hopefully the seller kept the original tube boxes, and as he pulled the tubes out put them back into their respective box. Or at the very least identified them in someway. If they are not identified...contact the seller.

Is this amp new or used? If used there is more you need to know.
Jim
jea48
4,266 posts
 
Just a follow up. Some Amp manufactures will hand write the matched pair #s and socket# on the tubes with a marker.In any case they are marked in some fashion. This is because they have also set the bias voltage for the power tubes.

Jim
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