ilovefuzz.com

NoLA-Riffft wrote:Those of you who have used 12au7 or 12at7 to get better cleans, does it matter where you drop it in? Can I do this with just one tube change or should I change the entire set?

Edit: Peavey VTM60 if it matters

Whiskey is on it.

Those of you duders with AORs might like to know that V2 is your low gain position, though.
When using the low input for cleans the amp bypasses V1 (I think folks with the authority on this feel free to correct me).
I got a NOS Phillips in mine and its nice.

Just do it with one.

I need to get onto these blackplates.

Rubies are shit. Just my 2c.

Depends on the amp/circuit. I use vintage amps with simple circuits where tube selection can mean dramatic differences in sound/response.
In a Selmer TNB 50mk2 I've got a standard 60s Mullard ecc83 in v1, a 50s TUNG-SOL 12ax7 in v2 and a 50s Mullard cv4004 in v3/PI.
In an Altec 342b I've got Amperex ecc83 in v1, Raytheon 12ax7 in v2 and GE 12ax7 in v3.
RCA 7027a in the Altec, Mullard el34 in the Selmer. Mullard gz34 rectifiers in both amps.

I'm fortunate enough to only use British-made Mullard, US-made TUNG-SOL tubes. For my purposes they are worth the money...and time spent shopping around for deals where I was able to procure enough of a (modest) stash to keep my amps alive for years to come.
I'll use new production tubes when they're the only option left.

moose23 wrote:

waltdogg wrote:Those old black plates are a different story. Would have kept the Packard Bell long black plate 7025 I had if it wasn't so severely microphonic. That tube had something no other vintage tube I've used since had.

But the biggest difference I ever heard was swapping out the JJ 7027As in my V-4 for JAN Philips 7027As. And maybe then swapping JJ E34Ls in my Hellhawk for some old (50s-60s) Tesla EL34s, but that quad had a bum tube so it was too noisy.

Might have been that fabled generation of Chinese tubes that sounded really good at the time.

Haha, like when people pay extra for TADs or Rubys but they're the same damn tube as everybody else.

Same tube but extra testing and matching.

Exactly! And some people would want you to believe you're getting better tone by paying extra for that.

Have any of you guys ever used Ei tubes? My Superlead came with them, and I was nuts about that tone.

The ones that weren't microphonic were good ass tubes. Ei tubes were known for sounding super similar to Telefunkens. I had a set in the pre of my Model T but they all died. Sounded super good.

waltdogg wrote:The ones that weren't microphonic were good ass tubes. Ei tubes were known for sounding super similar to Telefunkens. I had a set in the pre of my Model T but they all died. Sounded super good.

IIRC Ei was based in Yugoslavia and bought much of the old Telefunken equipment, even attempting to use formulas from the decades of lab research papers in processing and manufacturing. Quality Ei tubes are to be found but their manufacturing operation was considerably inferior to the original West German production. They suffered inconsistencies, longevity issues but when you find some good ones, they shine. I like them.

christianatl wrote:Have any of you guys ever used Ei tubes? My Superlead came with them, and I was nuts about that tone.

I had one but it was microphonic. Sounded ok when it wasn't feeding back, but it wasn't anything special.

Rusty nailed it there. Those are the facts of Ei.

welp its that time again. somewhere in the past couple months between the fz-2 boost, violent runaway oscillations from the vintage time machine, and a beefy new rat.... pretty much my whole preamp section is shot. mullard in the V2 something rattled loose (directly behind the speaker in a 50w combo), and then the new production tung sol in the V3 PI slot was blown out on one side. 77 mullard in v1 somehow survived the onslaught. got a decent selection of tubes to reshape this preamp section. so for those of you running non-master volume type amps and getting most of yer dirt via pedals, what you got in there these days and why?

Currently all 1970s preamp tubes in the Selmer. UK+USA made.
v1: Mullard ecc83
v2: TUNGSOL 7025
v3: Raytheon 12ax7

They sound good together; with my current fuzzes (HP-1, MKII Pro) which are controlled via guitar vol knob. This setup is the next best-sounding recipe I have on hand, after pulling some rare 1950s types to save for crucial recording

my V-4 is currently my only nmv amp. all the 12AX7 slots are loaded with new production Tung-Sols. i have military grade JAN tubes in the 12DW7 and PI slots. V-4s have a lot of drive and grind on their own but i still use a dirt pedal to really get the sound i want and i think this tube set sounds pretty good that way.

Keen to hear how that JAN goes long term in the PI.

i haven't tested the tubes in my V-4 in a while but so far so good.