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Marshall Astoria combos

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
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You guys that have them and play them..........what is the tonal difference between these 3 combos and say a 1974X or '73X like I have and think are the bees knees.
 

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
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8,349
Ooo.. I'll have to think about this one. I have an Astoria Custom Combo & Head as well as a 1974x. They sound pretty close but I think the Astoria has a bit more in your face punch because of the KT66's. I have NOS Valves in all of mine..
 

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
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Ooo.. I'll have to think about this one. I have an Astoria Custom Combo & Head as well as a 1974x. They sound pretty close but I think the Astoria has a bit more in your face punch because of the KT66's. I have NOS Valves in all of mine..


Ah so KT66s are used in them........who woulda thought.......takes me back to early JTM45s in my thinking:hmm
 

Deus91

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Apr 28, 2019
Messages
52
Ooo.. I'll have to think about this one. I have an Astoria Custom Combo & Head as well as a 1974x. They sound pretty close but I think the Astoria has a bit more in your face punch because of the KT66's. I have NOS Valves in all of mine..
Also a big fan of the mighty KT66. :jim
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thin sissy

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Jan 2, 2006
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2,691
How do you like your Metro? Along with Germino, top quality amps.
Two of the best, I think.
I absolutely agree! I built it from their kit they used to sell about 12 years ago. I used to blast this thing wide open through 4 Scumback M75 25W's, with a 1957 Jr straight in. Good times... I can't do that anymore since I moved to a city 9 years ago, but one day I'll move to a house again and do it once more :dude:

BTW, those are some really really nice KT66's you got there! What are they going in?

OP: sorry for OT, I'll stop now.
 

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
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:wow So am I!

It's time for me to replace the KT66's in my metro JTM45. But damn, they are expensive valves...

Yeah, but when you think about it, the average lifespan of these valves is 8,000 hours. So in the long run it's not bad..
 

thin sissy

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Yeah, but when you think about it, the average lifespan of these valves is 8,000 hours. So in the long run it's not bad..
Wow really, I've never seen a mean time to failure on valves before, cool! No excuse now not to replace the old ones then :hank
 

TM1

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Wow really, I've never seen a mean time to failure on valves before, cool! No excuse now not to replace the old ones then :hank

That's what the M.O.Valve company quotes for life expectancy on KT66's and they go onto say that 10,000 hours is not uncommon. I think that big Marshall book that Mike Doyle put out nearly 30 years ago has the sheet from M.O.Valve(GEC).
I wonder what the reissue ones that Electro Harmonix has made is..
 

Deus91

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Apr 28, 2019
Messages
52
I absolutely agree! I built it from their kit they used to sell about 12 years ago. I used to blast this thing wide open through 4 Scumback M75 25W's, with a 1957 Jr straight in. Good times... I can't do that anymore since I moved to a city 9 years ago, but one day I'll move to a house again and do it once more :dude:

BTW, those are some really really nice KT66's you got there! What are they going in?

OP: sorry for OT, I'll stop now.
A more or less 1964 "Tribute" clone. Used almost all vintage parts in the build.
Also apologies to the OP, for unrelated post.
b8fhIcs.jpg
 

Deus91

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Apr 28, 2019
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Where’d you get those knobs?
EBAY, a guy from France, was very pleasantly surprised/happy with how well they
looked when they arrived.
That was a good week, found these knobs, a BY114 (man, that was hard to find) , and a Radiospares board. He still shows up every once in awhile, just check Marshall JTM45 on EBAY.
 

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
EBAY, a guy from France, was very pleasantly surprised/happy with how well they
looked when they arrived.
That was a good week, found these knobs, a BY114 (man, that was hard to find) , and a Radiospares board. He still shows up every once in awhile, just check Marshall JTM45 on EBAY.
Thanks! I appreciate the info!
 

agogetr

Active member
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Jan 22, 2019
Messages
451
:wow So am I!

It's time for me to replace the KT66's in my metro JTM45. But damn, they are expensive valves...
try to find some jan 7581A tubes. they are sleepers and will probably last a long long time in your amp. even check ebay you might get a steal on some.
 

thin sissy

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Jan 2, 2006
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2,691
try to find some jan 7581A tubes. they are sleepers and will probably last a long long time in your amp. even check ebay you might get a steal on some.
That's a tube I've never tried. I'll be on the lookout for a pair, thanks for the suggestion :salude
 

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
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try to find some jan 7581A tubes. they are sleepers and will probably last a long long time in your amp. even check ebay you might get a steal on some.


I've had a pair in my '65 SR since the late '90s.........a very very good toneful tube:2cool
 

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
The Astoria series will use any 6L6, KT66, EL37, EL34, 7581A as the output section is Cathode Biased(sorta Class A). There's no Bias adjustment that needs to be done. I know the guy who designed this said he designed the amp to use EL34/6CA7, but Marshall decided to go with KT-66's which is fine by me!!
 
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