Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

[Lee Bob]

I'm wondering in your experience what are the best pre-amp tubes? I will be running them in my Mesa Tremoverb along with JJ E34L power tubes. I'm not looking for NOS tubes but for the best production tubes.

I've thought about getting the JJ high gain pre set from Eurotubes, but I've got all the gain I need, plus I hear they make the amp very dark. I'm basically looking for the tubes that will really open up my amp.

All suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[vinterland]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

sovtek 12ax7 LPS

I just put them in my rectoverb not too long ago. They originally had the sovtek WB's in there. They definately added a warmer more sustained tone to the overall sound and added some bite in terms of gain.

 

[HamerPlyr]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

You can't go wrong with a set of Electro-Harmonix 12AX7-EH, IMO.

 

[Lee Bob]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

I just found that pre tube shootout GJ did. I'll check that out again. Keep the suggestions coming though.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

GT 12AX7C's are well worth the money. They push the preamp enough to make the gain more singing and less grainy. I might use those in all my amps from now on. I really like'em.

 

[Monty-Jay]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

The 9th gen chinese 12ax7s are really nice, that's what I have in my Tverb head

MJ

 

[Lee Bob]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

GT 12AX7C's are well worth the money. They push the preamp enough to make the gain more singing and less grainy. I might use those in all my amps from now on. I really like'em.

So you prefer them over the Sovtek 12AX7LPS's you tried in your shootout? And do you run these for all your pre's, or just the first 3 spots?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

When you get to the top 3 or 4 pre tubes in current production, it's like splitting hairs. There'a almost no audible difference. At that point, you may as well flip a coin, or go for the ones easiest to aquire. I went through a lot of pre tubes to discover that the GT12AX7C (which are 9th Gen Shuguang), Sovtek LPS, and Telefunken are my favorite 3 tubes. Telefunkens are expensive, so forget about them. I like to replace all of them in the amp at the same time usually.
The first 2 are usually the most crucial though.....and maybe only the 1st.

I just saw that EH is selling repros of the original Mullard EL-34s. I may try those in my amps, next time they need retubed. There's JJ's in there now.

 

[Lee Bob]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

When you get to the top 3 or 4 pre tubes in current production, it's like splitting hairs. There'a almost no audible difference. At that point, you may as well flip a coin, or go for the ones easiest to aquire. I went through a lot of pre tubes to discover that the GT12AX7C (which are 9th Gen Shuguang), Sovtek LPS, and Telefunken are my favorite 3 tubes. Telefunkens are expensive, so forget about them. I like to replace all of them in the amp at the same time usually.
The first 2 are usually the most crucial though.....and maybe only the 1st.

I just saw that EH is selling repros of the original Mullard EL-34s. I may try those in my amps, next time they need retubed. There's JJ's in there now.

Cool. Thanks for the help GJ.

 

[FretFire]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

I'm wondering in your experience what are the best pre-amp tubes? I will be running them in my Mesa Tremoverb along with JJ E34L power tubes. I'm not looking for NOS tubes but for the best production tubes.

I've thought about getting the JJ high gain pre set from Eurotubes, but I've got all the gain I need, plus I hear they make the amp very dark. I'm basically looking for the tubes that will really open up my amp.

All suggestions would be appreciated.

Actually it's the NON high-gain graded JJs that will sound dark, the high gainers are they way to go as far as JJs in a Mesa are concerned. That said I much prefered the Shuguang 9th gen Chinese 12AX7 tubes in my Rectoverb, even moreso with a Mullard Reissue in V1. You can find those Chinese tubes dirt cheap on Ebay, they're not stamped with the GT label but they're the same tube.

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

+1 on the non high gain JJ's that sound gross and dark.

I'd grab those chinese 12ax7's.

 

[Spark]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

+1 on the GT12AX7C. I have them in V1 and V2 and EH 12AX7s in the other pre-spots (except for the phase inverter - that is a balanced JJ). I found the Sovtek LPS's to be unreliable.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

+1 on the GT12AX7C. I have them in V1 and V2 and EH 12AX7s in the other pre-spots (except for the phase inverter - that is a balanced JJ). I found the Sovtek LPS's to be unreliable.

Yeah, you can get the Chinese 9th Gen. tubes for as little as $6 on Ebay, so you don't necessarily have to get the GT's, although those are tested to be the best ones. I use them in most of my amps.

Here's an interesting fact, I learned from Miles Rose, a tube guru.
He said that the 1st batch of Sovtek LPS were great, then they put out another batch and screwed something up, because there was a reliability problem with those, and then Sovtek corrected it in the 3rd batch, so those are as good as the first ones. Who would have ever known that, unless someone like GT's Miles Rose would know it.......this is why you may have had a problem with yours. They probably came from that 2nd batch! :smack:

 

[Charvel1975]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

I'm wondering in your experience what are the best pre-amp tubes? I will be running them in my Mesa Tremoverb along with JJ E34L power tubes. I'm not looking for NOS tubes but for the best production tubes.

I've thought about getting the JJ high gain pre set from Eurotubes, but I've got all the gain I need, plus I hear they make the amp very dark. I'm basically looking for the tubes that will really open up my amp.

All suggestions would be appreciated.

Sorry to bump an old thread, I just ran across this and I also have a Mesa Tremoverb head with all Mesa-labeled preamp tubes and 6L6GC power tubes & original (from 1995 Mesa-labeled 5U4G Rectifier Tubes). Some years ago I ordered the JJ high gain pre set and JJ 6L6 power tubes from Eurotubes and I found it actually reduced the gain but your right, it definitely made the amp very dark so I sold the pre's and kept the JJ 6L6's for backup.

I too am looking to get all new preamp tubes and maybe go to KT77's for the power section and maybe a new pair of 5AR4/GZ34ACF Rectifier tubes. I was reading around and what do you guys think of this preamp suggestion?

V1 (A&B: 1st Input Gain Stage & Reverb Return) - EH Gold Pin or a Tung-Sol 12AX7

V2 (A&B: 2nd & 3rd Gain Stage) - RUBY 12AX7 AC5 High Grade +

V3 (A&B: 4th Gain Stage & 5th Gain Buffer) - RUBY 12AX7 AC5 High Grade +

V4 (A&B: FX Return – Amp & FX Send Buffer) - RUBY 12AX7 AC5 High Grade +

V5 (A&B: Reverb Driver & Reverb Mixer Amp )- RUBY 12AX7 AC5 High Grade +

V6 (A&B: Phase Splitter/Output) - JAN Phillip 12AT7 in the PI slot

 

[mwalluk]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

I have a mix bag in my Rectoverb. Watch out for V3 and V4 spots they are cathode followers, so make sure you only use 9th gen chinese or jjs there.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Best Pre-Amp Tubes for a Mesa Tremoverb

All those tubes will sound great, since they're all the best current production 12AX7's.

Unless the Tremoverb is supposed to have a 12AT7 in the PI, I'd probably just use a 12AX7.