Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

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Broadcaster

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What is the Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

Does the 1 tube really make a noticeable difference in the sound compared to various 12AX7 tubes if you were to try out different brands?
and if so in what way?

Thanx
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

Please do a search for "12AX7" - there are a ton of threads on this topic.

Short answer: YES, different tubes sound different and provide varying amounts of gain - sometimes even with the same labels on them.

Chip
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

When I had my Valvetronix AD60 Head, I tried several different tubes in it. But the best sounding one to me was a GT 12ax7m Mullard RI. The tube, unfortunatly crapped out and I didn't replace it. I ran a JJ the rest of the time and it sounded good, much better than the sovtek that came with the amp originally.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

Hi, yes: different 12ax7 sound different.
JJ is on the mellow,ballsy side, Electro-harmonix is a good all over - but nothing special, a Mullard or a RFT (east german) are more middy and produce a Voxy-Marshall basic sound, RCA is the 60ies Fender thing - smooth and full, Sylvania and Phillips ECG is the 70ies Fender - bright and stingy and so on....
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

On mine, I replaced the Sovtek WA with a spare I had available...Sovtek 12AX7LPS. I think it helped the fidelity of the amp overall, and that's what it does....just add a more quality sound to the amp. The digital preamp is the primary sound you hear, so the preamp tube isn't really adding gain. It's only improving the overall sound of the amp. To me, it's worth it, since it's only a few dollars difference.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

Almost anything would be better than the stock tube...I have had lots of good results in several different amps with the new Tung-Sol reissues.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

My AD50VT came with a Electro Harmonix 12AX7 in it. I was quite pleased when I saw that because I was planning on putting one of those in it anyway. :) It sounds great.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

ErikH said:
My AD50VT came with a Electro Harmonix 12AX7 in it. I was quite pleased when I saw that because I was planning on putting one of those in it anyway. :) It sounds great.
Click to expand...

I;ve seen toneworks with no writing on the tube (plain) as it was shipped from Vox and others have the Electro Harmoinx logo on them, what kind are the ones with no writing????

are they better than the electro harmonix???
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

Broadcaster said:
I;ve seen toneworks with no writing on the tube (plain) as it was shipped from Vox and others have the Electro Harmoinx logo on them, what kind are the ones with no writing????

are they better than the electro harmonix???
Click to expand...
The ones with no writing could be the Chinese tubes. I don't know for sure, just a thought.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

ErikH said:
The ones with no writing could be the Chinese tubes. I don't know for sure, just a thought.
Click to expand...

Chinese tubes any good compared to Electro Harmonix made in Russia?
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

I don't like it in most of my other tube amps, but when I tried tube swapping in both my Valvetronix amps (AD60VTX, and AD30VT) The Electro-harmonix 12ax7 it came with was the ONLY one that made all the amp models sound correct, and I tried a half dozen others. It sounded like the amps were "tuned" for this particular tube, if thats possible. One thing I have noticed with the valvetronix amps, after playing for several months they will slowly loose their tube magic. So slowly I don't really notice until I am playing one day and just can't find the tone I want from any of the models.It just sounds dead/sterile. If you then change the tube out for a new one, you will be shocked how much life and character it brought back to it. I always heard that preamp tubes were either Working or Not Working, and that was the end of it, but I have heard this change too many times for it to be a coincidence.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

I have a AD30VT 1x10 combo.
I mainly use it on the Marshall sounds but I put in an old Mullard pull I had and it sounds great for the Marshall thing anyways.I also has an Amperex Bugle Boy in it and that was pretty good also.
The tubes IMO effect the harmonic complexity of the amp as well as a slight bit of gain.
The Mullard made the amp allot warmer w/ more string to string definition and a warmer lowend that mades leads smooth.The amperex was less fat and warm but had more swirling harmonics(as much as a Single 12ax7 hybrid/modeling amp is gonna give ya anyway).
Another tip I did was line the speaker cabinet w/ 1/2" thick soft sound proof foam.Deadened some of the boomyness the amp has.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

I haven't done much experimenting, but I did try an Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 in my ToneLab, and I thought it made all the patches I use sound better. (What about the patches I don't use? I don't know; I haven't tried them.) I mostly stick to the Marshall and Mesa models, and they were far, far better with the EH tube. Same thing with my old Digitech RP-14d.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

Jessie Sammler said:
I haven't done much experimenting, but I did try an Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 in my ToneLab, and I thought it made all the patches I use sound better. (What about the patches I don't use? I don't know; I haven't tried them.) I mostly stick to the Marshall and Mesa models, and they were far, far better with the EH tube. Same thing with my old Digitech RP-14d.
Click to expand...

I have the ToneLab LE and have been happy with the stock EH 12AX7 that came with it...I did find that the tube was slightly out of adjustment on the unit and I re-adjusted it.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

Tung-Sol ri is great in almost anything. They accentuate lows and highs, but lean towards the brighter side. Not as bright as the JJ ECC803s in my experiences, but much more detail than the standard 12AX7EH and MUCH more clarity than JJ ECC83s. They are reliable and sound very good considering the price. Big step up from the EH.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

They accentuate lows and highs, but lean towards the brighter side. Not as bright as the JJ ECC803s in my experiences, but much more detail than the standard 12AX7EH and MUCH more clarity than JJ ECC83s. They are reliable and sound very good considering the price. Big step up from the EH.
Click to expand...
This is interesting because yes alot of people find the Tung Sol much brighter then the JJ but it isn't always that simple. My amp has a really bright channel and the JJ's had a harsh high end whereas the tung sols had a tighter bass end and a chimier high end that made it more pleasent and less ear peircing bright.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

TSE said:
Tung-Sol ri is great in almost anything. They accentuate lows and highs, but lean towards the brighter side. Not as bright as the JJ ECC803s in my experiences, but much more detail than the standard 12AX7EH and MUCH more clarity than JJ ECC83s. They are reliable and sound very good considering the price. Big step up from the EH.
Click to expand...

Not sure how much actual tonal differences would be found in the Tonelab series,as the 12AX7 is used as a dual stage output tube...Can't speak for the ToneLab the original poster asked about though?

Every type of 12AX7 that get's placed into the TLLE has to be set to see the correct current and there's an adjustment...Some folks say they hear a difference,but for some it may be a placebo effect?

I Like the Tung Sols in my BF Fender Pro Reverb amp for both channels though.
 
Re: Best 12AX7 Tube for Vox Valvetronix toneworks?

STRATDELUXER97 said:
I have the ToneLab LE and have been happy with the stock EH 12AX7 that came with it...I did find that the tube was slightly out of adjustment on the unit and I re-adjusted it.
Click to expand...

In what way did you have to re-adjust it?
 
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