Re: Best 12ax7 for crunch and Fuzz sound ?
Never used the Tungsram in a guitar amp, that I can recall. I have a pair in some home audio stuff (and a pair of spares). They aren't bad, IMO. The Sylvanias were not held in the highest regard ... until the more highly regarded tubes became scarce and very expensive. Then they became "great" tubes. Are they better than anything being produced today? I have no idea, it's been too long since I've had any. Safe bet though is that, with the exception of maybe the final few years of production, they are probably more consistent in terms of meeting original 12AX7 specs than what is made today, generally speaking. That can be dealt with by a good seller doing testing. Problem is that they too are relatively scarce so you don't know what you are getting unless you buy from a reputable seller who does so. And then, they end up more expensive than buying on ebay. I'd say, give either a try if you trust the seller (or get a killer deal) and have the money. I've used Sylvanias (Philips) in the distant past and was fine with them. I kind of liked RCA's for the money but that was when you could buy the USA NOS tubes for the prices that current production tubes are going for now.
