Sylvania 12ax7

[devideva]

Hey Guys, are Sylvania 12ax7 CK and JN - military tubes good? I can get five ANOS for 50 bucks.

[eatyourguitar]

read this http://tubedepot.com/12ax7reviews.html
I like to order from them when I want some tests done on tubes. they really know whats up. you can order the tubes you want and spec low microphonic, high gain, matched etc.... you can not order low-microphonic-high-gain tubes, thats an oxymoron. you just need to decide whats important.

[devideva]

Yes, well I was desperate for tubes yesterday and called everyone. Those dipshits at Guitar Center, it took three people to tell me if they had any tubes. Finally I got an answer Groove Tubes for 21 bucks each. I said fuck that since I can get Ruby 12ax7AC5 off Amazon delivered for 17 bucks. But the brainstorm, I called the local Hammond Organ guy and he told me he had some vintage ANOS Sylvanias he would sell for ten a pop. He said they clocked at 280 and had 90 percent life. I decided to go for it and get them. I just got back, switched out my 3 Bugera labeled 12ax7s with the Sylvanias and switched the SovtekWB?C?Iforgets with the Bugeras in my LPB2UBE and my amp sounds like it just hit on some amp crack. It filled out in tone and the fizzy gain disappeared. I want to cry it's such a relief. Or jump for joy or both at the same time. It worked!!!

[devideva]

So it turns out the tubes were rated at 700-800 millimhos, not sure how that pans out to mA. Turns out I had to put the Bugera (I think it's a Ruby - rebranded) back in the gain slot because the Sylvania wilted as the gain got turned up. The man owe me another 12ax7 and he's gonna comp me one.

Tell me, would a Sovtek 12ax7lps be a better PI tube than the Syl? What about a Tung Sol RI for V1. That's what Doug told me to do. But I jumped for the Syls and they sound good. Fuck me I don't know what I'm talking about. Thank Goddess only three 12ax7 slotsskys.

[eatyourguitar]

dude you need to post the complete part numbers to your amp, old tubes and new tubes. if you don't know then I dont know either. why would you buy tubes from a hammond organ guy that probably only works on leslie amps which are different then guitar amps? and why would you buy "NOS" if he says they have %90 life in them? real NOS is NOS. no one knows how much life they have because they are new, sealed in the package. what you have there is a lightly used OS (old stock) that may have been damaged when he connects it to a test circuit with high voltages. on the other hand, he may be testing it on a circuit that is very close to the actual function they perform in an organ. if the organs run smaller signals at lower plate voltages, he has no way of knowing what will happen when you plug it into your amp. I dont think its necessary to call this guy a liar since 1) he probaby tests them to work in organs, 2) everyone has a different definition of what NOS means. I do think that he may not be the best guy to buy your tubes from. you should have waited to get some proper advice before plunking down $50. BTW, the grove tubes at guitar center are actually sovteks with a GT logo screen printed right over the stamp. any 12ax7 can be replaced with any other 12ax7. the LPS part at the end is insignificant. tung sol is chinese. not the best tubes. when you say PI do you mean P1 or Preamp or Power tube or what. generally speaking, sovtek or tung sol is what came in your amp. they are super cheap. I always use mullard hand picked 12ax7's. in my mesa I used high gain but for you, select low microphonic mullard 12ax7. you only need to replace the broken ones but thats totally up to you.

http://www.tubedepot.com/mu-12ax7.html

[devideva]

I needed tubes and he had them on the fly. In New Orleans, as musical city as we are there is one instrument store. The one local place told me they had Sovtek 12AT7s and guarenteed me that they were the same as 12AX7s. Fucking dipthong. Guitar Center, next suburb over has GTs for 21 bucks. The local organ guy had 12ax7 Sylvanias he said were 90 percent. I didn't know better. They are more like 60 percent. They sound good just not in the gain or V2. PI I meant for phase inverter. I live far from sound advice. I plunked 50 bucks but I learned alot. I'm positive from pics that the Bugera tubes aren't Sovteks or Tung Sols.

Tell me more about Mullards. And what abot winged cs from SED

Thanks.

[eatyourguitar]

I know what the problem is. 12at7 is rated for less power than a 12ax7. Look it up. About the mullards, im no expert but they are a reissue of a classic tube common in vintage fender amps and hifi stereos.

[devideva]

Yeah, well turns out I am okay with the Sylvanias in V1 and V3 which for me is phase inverter, though I would like to try a Sovtek 12ax7lps which people say are PI win. But my gain channel was where I was having fizz and Doug at Doug's Tubes told me 12ax7ac5 Ruby are best high gain low noise so I bought one. That's now how I know native Bugera 12ax7s are Ruby because they are identical. Though the Ruby I got is a high grade and a bit better.

Yeah the 12at7s have much less mA and thus less power, and this was a susic store trying to sell them to me. Sovtek no less. That's like generic toilet paper. Not strong or soft.

I looked up the Mullard RI and I don;t know much about them. People say there okay. I haven't seen anyone twirl neon pasties. Tung Sol get a standard high review for V1 slot. I really just want a couple RCA black plate with 1 or above Amp each side rating. When I started out people all told me RCA 12ax7s and SEC Winged C 6L6.

I learned alot through this experience. it was my first time switching tubes and slots over a couple items and my amp picked up some good tone. I sold the LPB2UBE I had bought because it didn't match my Earthquaker Speaker Cranker for full dynamics.

I thank you eatyourguitar for hanging in there with me. Your contributions were fun and I am still checking into Mullards. Or let's say that they are now on my list when I buy again. The guy I did business with with the one microphonic Sylvania owes me one and says he'll give me a second gratuitously and he may come up with some RCA so I am keeping my nads crossed.

Peace Bro.

[metalmariachi]

Sylvanias came stock in Ampegs in the '60s so yeah they are better than most of the rebranded Chinese 12AX7s out there.

MM

[devideva]

heard

[devideva]

So, I just got a Tung Sol 12ax7. The funny thing is the Sylvanias cost less. I suppose I wanted to know if there would be a dif. But I won't have a chance to really jam till next week. Anybody have feelings about Tung Sols? Or maybe whether the Syl or TS would be better as Phase Inverter valve?