best 12AX7 tube?

[who really cares]

Groove Tubes 12AX7-M? (Mullard ECC83 copy aperently)
Svetlana?
JJ?
EH?

i need 'em for a plexi, under high-gain stress of course i was planning on getting the EH ones, but i hear that Mullard were the best? so i was thinking of the Groove Tubes one. then i here the guy(s) at EuroTubes raving about the JJ's, and many people saying the Russian Svet's are the best. ugh... so many choices, such little experience LOL!


what should i load the plexi with?
~Billy

 

[BluesNRock87]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

i am getting EHs soon, (hopefully order them tomorow), and my friend swapped out sovteks for EH's, and he has also tried JJ and svelenta, and he preferes EH. JJ's are knowon for power tubes, so i hear....

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

Groove Tubes 12AX7-M? (Mullard ECC83 copy aperently)
Svetlana?
JJ?
EH?

i need 'em for a plexi, under high-gain stress of course i was planning on getting the EH ones, but i hear that Mullard were the best? so i was thinking of the Groove Tubes one. then i here the guy(s) at EuroTubes raving about the JJ's, and many people saying the Russian Svet's are the best. ugh... so many choices, such little experience LOL!


what should i load the plexi with?
~Billy

The best 12AX7s money can buy(But pricey) RCA Black Plate,Mullard,Amperex,Telefunken...Tubes from many many years ago...1 tube can cost you $80 or more..These are the best! My favorite sounding and current most reliable tubes I've tryed in an 12AX7 is the EH tube..The other tubes I Mention can be bought via E Bay and many reputable tube suppliers,but you have to be savvy and know what to get now! :13:

John

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

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.

 

[mrid]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

For Current Production, I'd say Sovtek LPS, JJ ECC83-S, and EH 12AX7. Mix them for fun results!

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

EH for raw ball rock and roll. The JJ's are darker. I like the grit of the EH's

 

[Marinblues]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I swapped my 12ax7wb's with 12ax7eh's because everyone was tell me they were much better.

They might be better, but I've put the WBs back and I am happy again.

I think that EH's will sound good in a dark sounding amp.

 

[mrid]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I swapped my 12ax7wb's with 12ax7eh's because everyone was tell me they were much better.

They might be better, but I've put the WBs back and I am happy again.

I think that EH's will sound good in a dark sounding amp.

Try the LPS's.

 

[Pandemonium]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I intend to try the GT Mullard reissue, but I've always use NOS or used OS. Mullard or Telefunken would be your best tube if you want to spend the bucks. If not, you can buy perfectly good used tubes at a resonable price if you look around, my amp tech has boxes of 'em. I'm using used Bugle Boys in my Marshall at the moment.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

Good thing you guys have stayed away from the new Groove Tube "Mullard" RIs. As I've read from some tube fanatics over at the vintageamp forums, they are horrible. A few guys with the real Mullards compared them to GT for the heck of it and GT completely missed the mark. Can't say I'm surprised.

I use 8 JJ ECC83s and 4 Svetlana Winged C EL-34s. I want to get a RFT for the V1 slot (I realized I was a tube short when I ordered and there is still the stock Hughes & Kettner branded chinese 12ax7 there). I, too, am considering a JAN/GE tube for a bit brighter and better cleans. So many purchases to make for my amp to really sound great (right now it only sounds pretty good). Yeesh, now I need a Weber MASS and two NOS speakers... the buying never stops.

 

[Alvin Lee Fan]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I'm using JJ ECC83s in my amp. Really smooth, complex tones. Well, actually I have a mixture of those and NOS GE 12AT7s. But the AT7s are in spots that don't affect the tone much, reverb driver and phase inverter. The JJ's do most of the tone shaping.

 

[jmv]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I replaced my groove tube 12AX7WA's with EH 12AX7s, and i like them alot more. A more uppermidrange, biting sound to them... very nice for my style and my amp, but maybe not for you...

 

[BluesNRock87]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

2 questions for u tube junkies

1. if my amp is designed for 12ax7 and el84, and is self biasing, can i hurt it by swapping 12ax7 for ECC83 or 5751, or el84 for 6bq5 or sv83?

2. what are some good, afordable nos tubes. also, ive heard to get good tubes for V1 and V3 (phase invertor) and let v4 and v2 have not as good tubes? good used/nos tubes?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

The new Groove Tube 12AX7M. I haven't heard them yet, but Todd at Revolutionguitar.com is giving me a few for free! I'm putting them in my
Bogner this weekend. He swears it's the best 12AX7 ever made.
I tend to believe him. They're $23 a piece!

EI Gold Elite's and regular EI's. Forget about all the rumors of microphonics.
They sound great, and most dealers buy tested ones.

Sovtek 12AX7lps. They blow away every other Sovtek.

Tesla JJ's sound great, plus they're cheap.

Mullard, Telefunken, Amperex, and GE N.O.S. are considered the best,
but I'm starting to wonder if some of these new tubes I listed above aren't equally good, and sometimes better depending on the amp.
However any amp with N.O.S. tubes is going to sound optimum no matter what.

 

[Pandemonium]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

5751s and ECC83s are both 12AX7 tubes. 5751s will give you more clean headroom. I can't help you on the EL84 question, I've never owned an amp that used them. Preamp tubes don't affect bias.

As far as buying NOS or used old stock, take Jeff H's advice and give Mike a call at KCA. If you know an amp tech in your area he can probably help you out with some used tubes if you want to go that route. Just make sure he has the equipment to match the power tubes. With preamp tubes, just plug 'em in and give 'em a listen, they're either good or they ain't.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I never realized that 5751s are 12ax7s. I use both 12ax7 and ECC83s tubes in my amp and there are no problems (the ECC83 is the Euro version of the 12ax7, right?).

I just switched one of my JJs into (what I think is) the V1 stage spot and put the H&K in V8. Sounds a million times better. It's tight and smooth and musical and it's everything I wanted. Of course, I took out two EL34 tubes so it should be down to 40w, I don't even think I'll need a Weber MASS now. The amp is pretty much dead quiet due to the change of one stinkin' tube, the V1 spot... wow, I could have had much better tone all this time if I had just paid attention to what properties each preamp spot has.

Gearjoneser, please tell about the Mullard RIs. From what I've heard they're garbage to the real thing. However, it'd be nice to know if they blow away the others. $23 a tube for me is expensive and unless they really offer great tone (significantly better than the JJs), it wouldn't be worth it. Of course, I could just buy them for the main spots: phase inverter, V1, V2.

 

[Pandemonium]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I'm very interested in hearing your take on the GTM reissues too Gearjoneser, I really do want those things to be good......

 

[RiffRaff]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I personally like the JJ's 12AX7's in my VHT pitbull 45, but it's a bright amp and the JJ's are a little darker - I really like the JJ EL84's - they sound as good as the set of Mullard's I was using, and they're cheap. After years of playing tube amps with "vintage" tubes (mullards & RCA blackplates, telefunkens) I'm very happy with the tubes being made by svetlana, EH, JJ, Ruby and even Sovtek - I think the gap between the sound of NOS and current production tubes is narrowing to the point it no longer makes any sense to spend a hundred dollars apiece on Mullard single getter EL34's - sure there is some tone differences but for live music your audience isn't going to know - save your NOS tubes for the studio (or get a POD). But then that's just my opinion...

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

I may have jumped the gun saying that the new GT - M's are the best, since I haven't actually heard them yet, but GT's Aspen Pitman knows his stuff, so I'm willing to bet they're better than the Mullard snobs are giving them credit for.
I actually have some Mullard pre's in my drawer. They sounded good, but not so good that other brands can't match up. To satisfy my curiosity, I'm going to revolutionguitar's shop this weekend to take a few off his hands. I'm going to
ABC them with a handselected Telefunken and a few of my Mullards, to see for myself
if they're worth $23. At very least, it can't hurt to just have 1 of those tubes for the 1st position. We'll see.

 

[stratvox]

Re: best 12AX7 tube?

Call me a snob. Buy NOS. Buy USED NOS(then they are really not NOS are they!)You get the picture. I just got 3 mullard 12ax7s off the bay for 41 bucks. No need for for imitators. RFTs can be had for 25 bucks from hitest. I just got some from a friend but havent tried them so I cant comment. But for marshalls I like Mullard, EI( from a few years ago pretested these things really sound good) and dont laugh, the old sovt wxt+ again from the late 90s. Just my opinion, but we spend 1000s on guitars and amps, why buy cheap tubes?