best 12AX7 tube?

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

i think im gonna get a complete set of EH's and JJ's and at the same time try to score a few NOS tubes and do a comparison. if i find nos is really worth it, heck why not. not having a fancy arse boutique amp may hurt the comparison, but why not try it out. at worst, i dont like nos tubes, hold onto them for 5-10 years, and sell them at a profit...
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

At least give the NOS a shot for V1 and maybe V2. I got the RTF for it's gain qualities according to Mike, and the JAN/GE for it's greater clean headroom. I've been happy. As for reverb drivers and phase inverters....I think new production is fine. If I were going to spend the $$ on a NOS tube for one of those slots..it would be the PI. That does have a direct effect on your OD tone. I'm using a matched JJ in that slot to smooth things out a little more.

Fun stuff to experiment with that doesn't cost a fortune. Skip eating fast food for a couple of days and eat a sandwich from home. NOS tube paid for right there.
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

Jeff_H said:
New production I would say EH is my fave....JJ's if you want a slightly darker tone. I actually bought a NOS RTF pre-amp tube for my gain stage from www.kcanostubes.com and could not be happier. Give Mike a call, or shoot him and e-mail withy your amp type and what you're looking for. He won't automatically try to shove you into the most expensive NOS tube. In fact, I needed 5 total tubes, and I only bought 2 NOS tubes on his recommendation, the rest were current production.

I spent $40 on the RTF NOS for V1 in my JCM 800, and $30 for a JAN/GE for the clean stage V2. Great purchase.
Click to expand...

Yup...i couldn't agree with you more. RFT's and EH's are my favorites as well. I bought mine from Mike as well and he's GREAT to deal with.
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

whats mikes site?
does it matter if u get not the top end NOS? like rca, ge, other stuff that is cheaper, like 20-50 per tube intstead of 100!!!??????

i was thinking of doing :
preamp - 12ax7/ecc83/5751
v1 - NOS
v2 - NOS
v3 - EH
v4 - EH

poweramp el84/6bqwhatever
matched quad of JJ's...
if i could find a matched quad of NOS for under 100, thats cool too
how could i set it up if i used 2 differnt matched pairs, say 1 JJ pair and 1 NOS pair, or woulkd this not be worth it?
thanks
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

Jeff_H said:
At least give the NOS a shot for V1 and maybe V2. I got the RTF for it's gain qualities according to Mike, and the JAN/GE for it's greater clean headroom. I've been happy. As for reverb drivers and phase inverters....I think new production is fine. If I were going to spend the $$ on a NOS tube for one of those slots..it would be the PI. That does have a direct effect on your OD tone. I'm using a matched JJ in that slot to smooth things out a little more.

Fun stuff to experiment with that doesn't cost a fortune. Skip eating fast food for a couple of days and eat a sandwich from home. NOS tube paid for right there.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, I think just V1 and V2 will work great then, I'll leave the JJs in the phase inverter. I went with 8 JJs because I heard they are better than EH, I guess I better look again. However, people like R. Bogner swear by Svetlana power tubes and chinese preamp tubes, so go figure :smack:

I don't ever eat out myself since I have a college meal plan, but I just sold one of my EVM-12L speakers for $105 so I'll consider using some of it for one or two solid tubes.
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

BluesNRock87 said:
whats mikes site?
does it matter if u get not the top end NOS? like rca, ge, other stuff that is cheaper, like 20-50 per tube intstead of 100!!!??????

i was thinking of doing :
preamp - 12ax7/ecc83/5751
v1 - NOS
v2 - NOS
v3 - EH
v4 - EH

poweramp el84/6bqwhatever
matched quad of JJ's...
if i could find a matched quad of NOS for under 100, thats cool too
how could i set it up if i used 2 differnt matched pairs, say 1 JJ pair and 1 NOS pair, or woulkd this not be worth it?
thanks
Click to expand...

Mikes site is... www.kcanostubes.com. I only paid $40(I think, maybe less) for my RTF and $30 for the GE. I went EH EH in V3 and V4 and JJ in my V5/PI spot.

Chris...you're very welcome. If you give Mike the details of your amp and what you want to achieve...he'll tell you what tubes will sound best in what spot. I'll buy all of my tubes online from him.
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

Here's some interesting stuff from Mikes site. Looks like I paid $30 for the RTF and $40 for the Jan/GE - its out of stock right now.

Interesting that he is not carring the JJ's any longer due to a high failure rate. Wonder if the factory is having problems?

Tesla/JJ 12AX7A/ECC83 S----------------------------------------------------$ Out of stock.
Discontinued due to 25% reject rate!

NOS JAN GE 12AX7WA----------------------------------------------------$ Sold out
Great guitar amp and audiophile tube. Very sweet sounding with a smooth top end. Very low in microphonics and noise. Add $5 per tube for matched triodes.

NOS RFT 12AX7/ECC83 (East Germany)-------------------------------$ 30 each
VERY nice guitar amp tube in this price range. A bit less clean headroom than some of the others. Perfect for Marshalls, Voxes and clones of these amps. Sound nice in Marshalls, Fenders and Fender clones too. Limited supply on hand. Add $5 per tube for matched triodes (perfect for phase inverters).
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I think we're in a period of time when available tubes is at a high point.
The Coldwar coming to an end cause all the best NOS stuff to hit America.
It may be dwindling to an end, even though tube companies are still going strong.
We'll probably see more "reissues" of old tubes by current companies.
I don't know about that failure rate amongst Tesla JJ's, but would assume it's due to the fact that there's so many tube distributors out there that the JJ tube co. is
just cranking out as many as possible and letting distributors test them.
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

So far in the UniValve, my favorite set-up is the RFT ECC83s w/a Tesla JJ EL84...MASSIVE Vox tone. In the "ROCK" setting, they do exactly that...in the "ROLL" setting, after toying with the volume knobs on the guitar & getting the attitude just right, I'd say the RFTs are smoother than they're getting credit for.

Fantastic blues rock tube! I got a cryo-matched pair from Ken at www.tubeman.com (he's a local guy...so no shipping!) for $40.00
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

the_Chris said:
However, people like R. Bogner swear by Svetlana power tubes and chinese preamp tubes, so go figure :smack:
Click to expand...

I was waiting for someone to at least mention the Chinese 12ax7's. I've recently discovered the magic of these babies. Chinese tubes made in the early to mid 1990's were considered bottom of the barrel. The new 9th generation tooling used by Shuguang is cranking out some impressive 12ax7's that are being relabeled by many manufacturers including VHT, Mesa, Ruby. Egnater amps come standard with Chinese 12ax7's. These tubes have excellent output and decent gain that are good for V1 in a multi channel amp.

I'm thinking some modern amps were manufactured with specs that work best with certain types of 12ax7. ie. Bogner's preference for Chinese pres and Svet Power tubes. So, I think anyone's choice of tube should relate to the design specs of the amp.

I'm running a Randall RM4 (4 channel tube preamp) into a VHT 2502 stereo power amp. I'm pretty happy with my current tube lineup of:

NOS Telefunken or Chinese 12ax7 in V1
EH 12ax7's in the effects loop driver
2 NOS RCA blackplates in the Blackface module
2 Chinese 12ax7's in the Plexi module
2 JJ/Tesla 12ax7's in the Super Lead + module
2 Chinese 12ax7's in the Recto module

Then in the power amp:
Matched phase inverters Groove Tubes 12au7
NOS Mullard EL34 in Channel A
Svetlana 6L6 in Channel B

I think it comes down to using the right tube to do the right job. :wink:
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

My Laney is actually loaded with :

V1 : Philips/Mullard 12AX7A
V2 & V3 : JJ ECC83-S
V4 : EH 12ax7 (balanced)
V5-V6 : JJ E34L's

Cant be happier. The mullard in V1 shapes the tone and reduces the gain. I recently tried EH's in all position and way too bright and harsh. JJ's are a perfect match.
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I´m really happy with my new Sovtek 12AX7WB´s in my 2204, but I don´t use it for hi-gain, that´s what the V-Twin is for :D

I used to use Ruby 12AX7WB-R, which are more or less identical. I left Ruby for the same reasons I stopped offering Dimarzio: I have Ethics ;)

BTW, are there still any tube factories in the Con-US that are still open? If there are, then I know where the Sovteks are going. Right after the Rubies :laugh2:
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

ok guys, yet another question

what do you think would be better tonewise:
4 EH preamp, 4 JJ poweramp, and a Jensen P12R speaker
OR
1 NOS GE, 1 NOS RFT, 2 EH preamp, 4 JJ poweramp, (use stock speaker, its a crate label or variation of the emminence alnico V12, 10 years old)

they both come out to be just about $130, but getting NOS means no speaker. the speaker isnt bad, but its old, and its not great....whats the better choice, tonally?
(if i start getting some bigger gigs im gonna pickup a 2X12 anyways, but that may not happen)
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

BluesNRock87 said:
ok guys, yet another question

what do you think would be better tonewise:
4 EH preamp, 4 JJ poweramp, and a Jensen P12R speaker
OR
1 NOS GE, 1 NOS RFT, 2 EH preamp, 4 JJ poweramp, (use stock speaker, its a crate label or variation of the emminence alnico V12, 10 years old)

they both come out to be just about $130, but getting NOS means no speaker. the speaker isnt bad, but its old, and its not great....whats the better choice, tonally?
(if i start getting some bigger gigs im gonna pickup a 2X12 anyways, but that may not happen)
Click to expand...

If it's between NOS/new or getting a speaker. I'd put Tesla JJ power tubes in it, with Sovtek 12ax7LPS, and the new Jensen speaker.
I guarantee that'll give you the most bang for buck. The Sovtek LPS is killer!
Even a lot of the tube distributors are putting those in their amps.
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

On my Bogner, the pretube layout is this

1. Pre for all channels
2. 2nd gain stage for red and blue channels
3. Cathode follower, 3'd stage for red and blue channels
4. FX loop driver tube
5. Phase Inverter
6. Clean Channel tube.

Right now, I have the expensive GT Chinese pres for the first 3
and Tesla JJ's for the last 3.

This weekend, I'm getting two of those new GT'm's Mullard copies.
so the layout will most likely be
1. GTM
2 GTM
3. GT Chinese
4. JJ
5. JJ
6. RCA Blackplate for clean channel.
And for power tubes, 4 Tesla EL-34's.

My Jubilee 2550 absolutely kills with 3 EI Gold Elite's and 2 JJ E-34L's.

The Matchless Chieftain sounds best with Tesla JJ on everything, including the 5AR4 Rectifier.

On my modeling amp, the Vox AD60 head, I replaced the Sovtek 12AX7A
with a Sovtek 12AX7LPS, and it's hard to tell, but I swear the tone is a little
wider now.
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

its more NOS vs. speaker, itd be EH and JJ and speaker, vs. 2 NOS (v1 and 2) EH, and JJ

im wondering wich would be more effective tonewise
 
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I just loaded my Super Drive 80 II with JJ's, there is simply no comparison between them and the sovtek wa/wb's that came stock! The difference is day and night, the sovteks were super edgy and harsh and buzzy. The JJ's are thick, fat, and have real good gain. I also bought an EH and a Chinese to mess with in V1, the EH's were quiet and sounded good, they had a brighter, more biting sound and the Chinese one was gainy, but not very defined, had midrange but lacked some treble depth and presence. For me the JJ pres are the stuff, they sound complex and rich. Yah they are darker than sovteks or EH, but to me it doesnt sound like a tube that lacks treble, but just has a richer sound to the highs, unlike many that just have dull treble which apparently makes them "warmer and darker", no, BULL SH*T! theres a huge difference between sounding warm and simply being dull. I dont care that they arent the most expensive, i really like these tubes...
 
Last edited:
Re: best 12AX7 tube?

Tesla JJ's are great tubes. It's nice to see that there's actually a good product for a cheap price these days. You can get a duet of EL-34's
nowadays for $22 and pre tubes for $7 a piece. At those prices, you're
stupid to have crappy stock tubes in your amp. If you have an amp with
Sovtek 12AX7A's or Ruby tubes, or old unmarked Chinese one's, you'll notice a big difference by popping some JJ 12AX7's in. I've been real impressed with
the Sovtek 12AX7LPS too. It's night and day better than the A's, WA's, WB's
 
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