Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

[Trilogy]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

Great thread!

Thanks fo rthe info.

[Xeromus]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

I vote for vault material.

When you did this, did you replace all of the pre tubes each time?

Also, tell me more about the JJ E34L's.

[Xeromus]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

bumping this excellent information. Could be vault-worthy.

[Faraday]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

I was at Guitar Center, unfortunately, and saw that they had one 12ax7c left in stock. It was a Groove Tubes Silver Series 12ax7c for $8.95. So I bought it. I haven't fired it up yet because the twins are still sleeping. Has anyone tried these silver series version? Are they decent. I was hoping GC would have the better quality GT 12ax7c's that are recommended by GJ. GT website says that they don't recommend the silver series in V1. I will post my review of these shortly.

Well I tried the GT Silver Series 12ax7c and found that it is not bad when driven. It sounds 'average' for clean tones. When driven it produced nice density in the mids, but the top end was brittle and ice picky. The bottom end was clear and not mushy. Pick harmonics were a breeze. I played a CustomCustom straight into a THD Univalve with EL34 on Hi voltage with no fx. Nice tube for 9 bucks, but I would like to audition the 12ax7c that everyone hear is raving about. I will still record with my telefunken and use the GT for practice. I also want to try the Sovtek LPS as well.

[Faraday]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

GT also sells a cheaper version of their power tubes, which are terrible. They're the power tubes with C at the end, meaning China. The 12AX7C's are Chinese, but great. The Chinese power tubes aren't even worth buying. Always buy the expensive versions of GT power tubes. Really, though, I think JJ's and Svetlanas are the only current power tubes you really need to look at. They both always sound great in tube amps, and are cheaper than the GT labeled tubes.

I was at Guitar Center, unfortunately, and saw that they had one 12ax7c left in stock. It was a Groove Tubes Silver Series 12ax7c for $8.95. So I bought it. I haven't fired it up yet because the twins are still sleeping. Has anyone tried these silver series version? Are they decent. I was hoping GC would have the better quality GT 12ax7c's that are recommended by GJ. GT website says that they don't recommend the silver series in V1. I will post my review of these shortly.

[Nite_Maresz_25]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

Awesome post GJ!!!

admins: LOCK THIS MOFO UP!!!

[Jeff_H]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

Great reviews for sure! My personal fav's are the NOS RFT ECC83's and EH12ax7's for new production. I have some Ruby Chinese 12ax7's that sound great as well. However, I've had ALOT of bad luck with Groove Tubes in the past....they've left a bad taste in my mouth.

The RFT was one of my favorite tubes for V1 of my Marshall, along with a NOS Bugle Boy. Once I dropped a Groove Tubes 12AX7-C in there it was all over. I was the biggest NOS snob you could imagine, but the C's shocked the hell out of me. All of the best attributes of the RFT's, plus clarity, articulation, gain....everything I wanted in V1 always. The Groove Tubes are so good either the C or the M (mullard reissue) occupies every slot in my amp except the reverb driver. That got a JJ to warm it up.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

Great reviews for sure! My personal fav's are the NOS RFT ECC83's and EH12ax7's for new production. I have some Ruby Chinese 12ax7's that sound great as well. However, I've had ALOT of bad luck with Groove Tubes in the past....they've left a bad taste in my mouth.

GT also sells a cheaper version of their power tubes, which are terrible. They're the power tubes with C at the end, meaning China. The 12AX7C's are Chinese, but great. The Chinese power tubes aren't even worth buying. Always buy the expensive versions of GT power tubes. Really, though, I think JJ's and Svetlanas are the only current power tubes you really need to look at. They both always sound great in tube amps, and are cheaper than the GT labeled tubes.

[AmpliFIRE]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

Great reviews for sure! My personal fav's are the NOS RFT ECC83's and EH12ax7's for new production. I have some Ruby Chinese 12ax7's that sound great as well. However, I've had ALOT of bad luck with Groove Tubes in the past....they've left a bad taste in my mouth.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

Next, I might do a power tube swap with a few brands, but I won't be touching the bias, just popping them in and out.

[JammerMatt]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

Great post, Joneser! Good info. As you probably know, I don't have a toob amp, but the Jubilee/Slash is coming someday, and I'll be sending you a note saying, "what were those Russian tubes you were recommending?"

[Jeff_H]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

I just picked up 4 more GT's today.

12AX7-C
12AX7-M
12AX7-R
12AX7-R2

I'll take the ones back to GC that I don't use. Probably the R will be going back, but we'll see.

[Quencho092]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

I honestly don't know, but they're cheap enough to give it a try!

They'll probably just tighten up the overall tone & give it a bit more blues-rock bite....kinda' like the LPS.

Which one has more mids-LPS or Chinese? I'm thinking of making an AB switch between my vibrato and normal channels so i can slap on the gain of my LPS or Chinese in normal, or let the clean chords ring in vibrato.

[Stevo]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

Thanks for the reviews bro

I totally agree with you on the LPS tubes. The Tube Store recommendeds them also. I like the way they sound in Fender amps for clean tone also. Not all Sovteks are created equal.

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Preamp Tubes for High Gain. Shootout Results.

Lemme' know how the RFT does in the Marshall V1 Jeff....