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Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

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  • #31
    Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

    Originally posted by NegativeEase View Post
    The only way this thread actually has any factual empirical value -is people measuring plate resistance, valve temperatures, physical geometric differences, material differences, saturation/distortion point current values and other metrics of individual tubes across a set of like a brand tubes and ascribing qualitatively the experience related to those values on a spectrum analyzer and then comparing to another brand while describing the same attributes on a scope and reporting back.. You have to test a large swath of tubes from a production run.

    Otherwise this is a lot of emotional and individual tube experience that doesn't translate across an entire run or model of a tube type enough to predict the experience of someone else purchasing a tube and expecting a certain tonal quality. -So really not giving reliable information to the next guy.

    let's see some science, or the answer is -buy a bunch of each brand and a bunch of different brands of 12AX7s and try them all to find what you like in combination with so many local permutations like pickups, guitar, amp circuit, fx, speaker, and tube brand.
    If only someone would finance such a project. For the greater good, of course.

    Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

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    • #32
      Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

      Originally posted by Demanic View Post
      For the greater good, of course.

      Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk
      Jeeze -Demanic -that's the nicest thing you've ever said

      I'm touched...
      “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

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      • #33
        Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

        Originally posted by NegativeEase View Post
        Jeeze -Demanic -that's the nicest thing you've ever said

        I'm touched...
        So,
        check on the way?

        Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

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        • #34
          Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

          Oh, and the nicest thing that I've ever said is "Not today."

          Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

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          • #35
            Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

            Originally posted by Demanic View Post
            So,
            check on the way?

            Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk
            Expedited sir.
            “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

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            • #36
              Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

              Sticking with current production tubes, here's another vote for the Sovtek 12AX7LPS. The other Sovtek 12AX7 variants are way too midrange heavy. After the Sovtek 12AX7LPS, the JJ 803S is also a good option.

              I've used lots of JJ ECC83S tubes. I've tried them in at least 20 different amps. They consistently are on the dark side. They do fine in the right role. I use them in V3 and V4 of my Sunn T50, which gets a JAN Philips 5751 in V1 and a Sylvania 12AX7 in V2. They really shine as V1 tubes in the old, U.S. made Crate tube amps like the Vintage Club series or the Blue Voodoo line.

              If your willing to go N.O.S., those GE 12AX7s were excellent.

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              • #37
                Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

                Originally posted by Gtrjunior View Post
                EHX, Tung-Sol, Sovtek...
                All bright tubes to my ears.
                All made by the same company in the same factory.

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                • #38
                  Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

                  Originally posted by Rick330man View Post
                  All made by the same company in the same factory.
                  Yup.
                  There’s only 3 producers of tubes nowadays.
                  Slovakia, Russia and China.
                  Too bad, some great tubes were made back in the day.

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                  • #39
                    Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

                    For what it's worth, after some tube rolling, I ended up with the same Mullard CV4004 in V1 and an Electroharmonix 12AU7 in V2. The lead channel has such a ridiculous amount of gain that cutting it a bit in exchange for more fullness and a smoother character seems like the right way to go. I may try a JJ ECC802S in there at some point because I like the ECC803S, and I can never leave well enough alone, but I've been playing it this weekend and am very happy with the tone.

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                    • #40
                      Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

                      Originally posted by guitfiddle View Post
                      The brightest tube with the lowest noise I've heard yet is the old Telefunkens. They're pricey, but sound amazing.
                      Mine all do a weird flash when you power them up. Like a light bulb blowing, but just for a second. Scared the crap out of me the first time I started up my amp in a dark room (thought something caught fire or burned out) but they seemed to work fine afterwards.
                      Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

                      Originally posted by Douglas Adams
                      This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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                      • #41
                        Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

                        Originally posted by GuitarStv View Post
                        Mine all do a weird flash when you power them up. Like a light bulb blowing, but just for a second. Scared the crap out of me the first time I started up my amp in a dark room (thought something caught fire or burned out) but they seemed to work fine afterwards.
                        Not sure where I read about that flash but it’s a thing those tubes do. NOS Mullards as well.

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                        • #42
                          Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

                          If you haven't already tried this I suggest you put the Tung Sol in V1.

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                          • #43
                            Re: Recommend a bright, low-noise 12AX7

                            Originally posted by Explorer84 View Post
                            If you haven't already tried this I suggest you put the Tung Sol in V1.
                            I found that made the amp ear-piercingly bright. The Mullard was a godsend there, but the overdrive channel is much darker by nature, and the Tung-Sol in V2 was WAY too gainy and noisy. I think I'm satisfied for now with the EHX 12AU7.

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