Best tube compliment for DSL-100

[Gr8Scott]

I'm running Sovtek LPS pre tubes and New Mullard output tubes. The tone is too notched sounding with these tubes. The low mids are missing with this tube combo. I was more satisfied with the EH and JJ output tubes in this amp IMHO and will put them back in for sure. I'm just wondering if it's the Sovtek pre's or the Mullard output tubes that caused it. I threw both in at the same time. I guess some tweaking is in order for me to find out. I'll throw the old pre-tubes in it to see if the Sovtek tubes are the cause first.

What sounds good in your DSL-100 or your friend's DSL-100?

 

[Kommerzbassist]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

You are using like the very lowest gain 12AX7 there is... those are usually only recommended if you have extreme problems with microphony.
I'd suggest you try some Chinese 12AX7A or JJs... The Chinese ones are a bit brighter and have slightly more gain than the JJs, but the JJs to me have a bit more overall warmth.
Both sound good in my TSL

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

I didn't know that the Sovtek LPS pre's were low gain. They sound incredible in a JCM-900 and not bad at all in a JCM-800. I'll swap those out first to see if that makes a big difference. Maybe the mullards are good in the power section.

 

[Kommerzbassist]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

I can't really comment on the Mullards other than "I've heard" people complaining about them being sloppy in the lower regions... but again... I've never had those. JJ Power tubes are good punchy ones for the JCM 2000 series if you decide to change them anyway.

 

[lex666]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

When I took my amp to tech for new tubes and re-biasing, he installed a pair of Mullards. I like them much more than the stock tubes. They sound much clearer, yet warm - without the sterile gain sound if you know what I mean. I'm running them in my TSL602 and I'm totally pleased with the sound. I haven't swapped out pre-amps tubes yet.

 

[Kommerzbassist]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

When I took my amp to tech for new tubes and re-biasing, he installed a pair of Mullards. I like them much more than the stock tubes. They sound much clearer, yet warm - without the sterile gain sound if you know what I mean. I'm running them in my TSL602 and I'm totally pleased with the sound. I haven't swapped out pre-amps tubes yet.

If you have had the same power tubes as I had stock... which would be the winged "C" Svetlanas... those sound really... sterile. Generally... buying any JCM2000 without throwing out the tubes is blasphemy and a dishonor to the amp. I can understand why so many people dislike them in the first place when they play em "stock". I'll say get a new set of pre-amps as well... you'll notice the difference.

 

[lex666]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

If you have had the same power tubes as I had stock... which would be the winged "C" Svetlanas... those sound really... sterile. Generally... buying any JCM2000 without throwing out the tubes is blasphemy and a dishonor to the amp. I can understand why so many people dislike them in the first place when they play em "stock". I'll say get a new set of pre-amps as well... you'll notice the difference.

Yep, I didn't know they were Svetlanas tho. I made a drawing of the label a long time ago. Switching to Mullards really opended up the tone for me.

If you've got these in a Marshall, get something else!

 

[Kommerzbassist]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

Jup that's the winged "C"s.... strange thing is I heard so much good about them so I left them in quite a while... until I noticed they were a major source of suckage.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

Wow. I've always heard good things about the Svetlana winged C EL34 tubes as well. I had a quartet of them bought for the modified butcher amp initially, but they were improperly matched and I couldn't bias them correctly. They sounded better than the no-name mostly blown output tubes that were in the DSL-100 when I got it, but anything would have sounded better than them to be honest. Those tubes were thrashed.

 

[HighGain]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

I have a DSL 50. The Mullard and JJ EL34s are both good in mine. If you're looking for more low end, supposedly the JJ E34L is good, but I haven't tried those yet.

I've had JJ 12AX7s in it, which are good, but I got curious about the Groove Tube Mullards and the New Sensor Mullards. I really like both of those. Very warm, organic, woody sounding, which I like, but nice and chimey, too. They sound good through all the different Celestions I have. If you can get your hands on some NOS Mullards, that's supposed to be the holy grail. They're also pricey. I've also seen a good many recommendations for the Tung Sol preamp tubes.

I've had the Sovteks, power and pre, and they're not in the same league to my ears. Regarding the Winged Cs, a lot of guys on the Marshall Forum like those. Just a matter of taste, I guess.

 

[lex666]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

Gr8Scott,

Have you thought about changing speakers yet? I also swapped out the stock "wolverine" speakers for a pair of V30's and that made a whole world of difference. That really helped to improve the tone of my TSL. It added more clarity and definition and really helped to improve the tone of the low end.

Wait, is your a combo?

Just some food for thought...

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

I'm running it through a V30 cab already.

 

[sami]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

I had JJ's in a DSL 50 a long time ago. It was way too dark for my tastes. Sovteks in DSL's sound too thin imo. Tung sol's are bright bright bright! Never tried EH. Maybe look for another popular brand?

 

[metlking]

Re: Best tube compliment for DSL-100

Shuguang EL34-B's made my DSL50 sound it's best......I bought into the =C= internet hype as well and was dissapointed with when I tried them in my Splawn Quickrod.

JJ E34L's sound very nice too but I've never found an amp I like their 12ax7's in......

I used a (high gain graded) TungSol reissue 12ax7 in V1 and left the stock chinese pres elsewhere.