fat souding 12AX7's
- Thread starter the guy who invented fire
- Start date
JumpMarine
18 watts of Mayhemologist
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
Yep, it's all too subjective to the individual......:laugh2:
Yep, it's all too subjective to the individual......:laugh2:
OlinMusic said:
Curly
Moe's Bluesman
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
IMO, it may be that gain and smoothness come from the preamps, and fatness comes more from the power section & bias. In that case, some argue that a balanced phase inverter helps.
well, I think the best answer is that you need a handful of 12AX7s to try in each amp ... sometimes one sounds better in one amp, and another sounds better in another ampOlinMusic said:
IMO, it may be that gain and smoothness come from the preamps, and fatness comes more from the power section & bias. In that case, some argue that a balanced phase inverter helps.
KLINKDETROIT
New member
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
Gt12ax7m. Fat And Round. Great In #1 And #3 With Eh In #2, #4 And Eh Balanced At 110/110 For Phase Invertor.
Gt12ax7m. Fat And Round. Great In #1 And #3 With Eh In #2, #4 And Eh Balanced At 110/110 For Phase Invertor.
Jeff_H
Dean Hardtail Fanologist
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
No, because what you like I may not...just like taste in food and music.
I currently own the following 12AX7's:
GT12AX7-C
GT12AX7-M
GT Silver Series
Mesa re-branded 12AX7's
JJ's
JJ 803
Sovtek LPS
EH 12AX7
NOS RFT's
NOS Bugle Boy
NOS Mullard
NOS RCA Blackplate
NOS GE (white letter)
NOS RCA Greyplate
NOS Siemens
As well as one or two others that are branded "Marshall", and others that say only "made in India", and some that have no lables any longer that I forget where they come from.
In my opinion, the JJ's and the 12AX7-M are as fat as anything for the $$. Yes, the NOS Mullard and Bugleboy are fat, as is the RFT, but you can get 95% of their tone from the one's I recommended for 1/3 or less the cost.
Also, keep in mind that what sounds fat and smooth in my Marshall JCM 800 may not sound that way in someone elses Mesa or Fender or Celtic amp. I found that in my amp, the GT12AX7-C's gave me more tightness, articulation, shimmer and crunch than anything else....that's what I wanted. The M's and the JJ's were slightly too warm and rounded in the crunch for what I like right now. Here is what I'm running in my JCM 800 currently:
V1 GT-C
V2 GT-C
V3 GT-C
V4 JJ803 (reverb driver)
V5 GT-C Balanced (PI slot)
I'll probably change at some point when my mood dictates, but this setup is not what I'd recommed to someone who wanted fat and smooth, where gain wasn't the main consideration.
OlinMusic said:
No, because what you like I may not...just like taste in food and music.
I currently own the following 12AX7's:
GT12AX7-C
GT12AX7-M
GT Silver Series
Mesa re-branded 12AX7's
JJ's
JJ 803
Sovtek LPS
EH 12AX7
NOS RFT's
NOS Bugle Boy
NOS Mullard
NOS RCA Blackplate
NOS GE (white letter)
NOS RCA Greyplate
NOS Siemens
As well as one or two others that are branded "Marshall", and others that say only "made in India", and some that have no lables any longer that I forget where they come from.
In my opinion, the JJ's and the 12AX7-M are as fat as anything for the $$. Yes, the NOS Mullard and Bugleboy are fat, as is the RFT, but you can get 95% of their tone from the one's I recommended for 1/3 or less the cost.
Also, keep in mind that what sounds fat and smooth in my Marshall JCM 800 may not sound that way in someone elses Mesa or Fender or Celtic amp. I found that in my amp, the GT12AX7-C's gave me more tightness, articulation, shimmer and crunch than anything else....that's what I wanted. The M's and the JJ's were slightly too warm and rounded in the crunch for what I like right now. Here is what I'm running in my JCM 800 currently:
V1 GT-C
V2 GT-C
V3 GT-C
V4 JJ803 (reverb driver)
V5 GT-C Balanced (PI slot)
I'll probably change at some point when my mood dictates, but this setup is not what I'd recommed to someone who wanted fat and smooth, where gain wasn't the main consideration.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
Fat and smooth JJ ECC803S, Telefunken
Fat and Gainy GT- M, Tungsol
Tight focused gain GT - C, Sovtek LPS
Fat and smooth JJ ECC803S, Telefunken
Fat and Gainy GT- M, Tungsol
Tight focused gain GT - C, Sovtek LPS
Marinblues
New member
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
jj's are nice.
12ax7wb's work well in bright amps.
jj's are nice.
12ax7wb's work well in bright amps.
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
In my Mesa Mark III and Mark IV amps I'm using a GT12AX7-M in the V1 sockets for the clean tones, and a EH-12AX7 in the V3 sockets for the Lead Channel.
The GT12AX7-M tubess have not been as consistent as I would like: out of the first six I bought, three were too noisy to use in the V1 socket of the Mesas and were returned and replaced under warranty. The EH tubes have been much more consistent, but the GT-M has a creamy quality to the tone that i really like--especially for the clean tones.
Bill
In my Mesa Mark III and Mark IV amps I'm using a GT12AX7-M in the V1 sockets for the clean tones, and a EH-12AX7 in the V3 sockets for the Lead Channel.
The GT12AX7-M tubess have not been as consistent as I would like: out of the first six I bought, three were too noisy to use in the V1 socket of the Mesas and were returned and replaced under warranty. The EH tubes have been much more consistent, but the GT-M has a creamy quality to the tone that i really like--especially for the clean tones.
Bill
Usurper666
New member
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
I would say that a $25 tube that is going to go bad within six months is way too expensive. AVOID that GT 12AX7-M, the entire lot are defective. Try a New Sensor TungSol instead, unlike the GT Mullard, they actually work!
Cheers,
CJ
TwilightOdyssey said:
I would say that a $25 tube that is going to go bad within six months is way too expensive. AVOID that GT 12AX7-M, the entire lot are defective. Try a New Sensor TungSol instead, unlike the GT Mullard, they actually work!
Cheers,
CJ
Buckeyedog
New member
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
+1
Usurper666 said:
+1
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
I had a new Tungsol lying around, so I put it in the Vox Valvetronix modeling head, and it definitely sounds better than the Sovtek WXT that was in it.
I had a new Tungsol lying around, so I put it in the Vox Valvetronix modeling head, and it definitely sounds better than the Sovtek WXT that was in it.
schecterplayer
New member
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
+100
I recently was given a GT12AX7-M by the shop owner who sold me my amp. I told him that V1 had gone microphonic and he just hands me this $25 tube and says "here, try this and tell me what is sounds like, I got it in a few days ago and havn't tried them yet" I put it in and it sounded fabulous. I go onto the Duncan forum and ask about it and a bunch of people tell me they are horrible and defective. Well i'm kinda like "morons, this sounds good" so I turn my amp back on and about an hour later it starts making popping noises occationally, I hadn't even had it for a week. The tube still sounds so much better than my old one that I am keeping it untill it gets really bad but if I had bought it I would be pissed. Mine might have been particularly bad but any $25 tube that starts making unwanted noises in a week of use is crap, period. I have been considering the EH Gold Pin or Tung-Sol 12AX7s recently, what are they like, i've heard good things.
Usurper666 said:
+100
I recently was given a GT12AX7-M by the shop owner who sold me my amp. I told him that V1 had gone microphonic and he just hands me this $25 tube and says "here, try this and tell me what is sounds like, I got it in a few days ago and havn't tried them yet" I put it in and it sounded fabulous. I go onto the Duncan forum and ask about it and a bunch of people tell me they are horrible and defective. Well i'm kinda like "morons, this sounds good" so I turn my amp back on and about an hour later it starts making popping noises occationally, I hadn't even had it for a week. The tube still sounds so much better than my old one that I am keeping it untill it gets really bad but if I had bought it I would be pissed. Mine might have been particularly bad but any $25 tube that starts making unwanted noises in a week of use is crap, period. I have been considering the EH Gold Pin or Tung-Sol 12AX7s recently, what are they like, i've heard good things.
Last edited:
Usurper666
New member
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
Your experience with the GT 12AX7-M is typical, I had four of them do that to me and I know several others that had the same thing happen. Go with the Tung Sol 12AX7, they are great tubes.
Cheers,
CJ
schecterplayer said:
Your experience with the GT 12AX7-M is typical, I had four of them do that to me and I know several others that had the same thing happen. Go with the Tung Sol 12AX7, they are great tubes.
Cheers,
CJ
Guitar Toad
Toadily Stratologist
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
Fat tone would come from the power tubes, yes/no?
Preamp tubes govern head room and relative brightness, yes/no?
Fat tone would come from the power tubes, yes/no?
Preamp tubes govern head room and relative brightness, yes/no?
PUCKBOY99
Irish Flagologist
Re: fat souding 12AX7's
For what amp Christian???
JJs are easy to find at a fair price & are across the board, a GOOD ALL AROUNDer....but for some reason, I'm not a big fan. Too generic sounding, if that makes any sense.
I've used RFT ECC83/ECC81s in a handful of amps & recently put them in the Edana...smoother singing cleans & a better bite for some dirt. Not on the cheap side, but basically a Siemens for less.
Here's a description from www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com
ECC83/R.F.T: German valve that I have seen also branded Brimar, Siemens & Telefunken. This tube was also used for a long period by Marshall. The valve has a rich bass response with great drive. Very low in microphonics due to thick glass envelope. The valve also distorts earlier than the U.S.A types. The valve does show less treble response than the U.S.A types which lends the valve to be used in a more rock style set up. The rich harmonic distortion make this a great valve in Marshall. Boogie and Vox amps. It showed rich sustain with plenty of bass crunch. Mid range was clear and detailed. Defiantly for the rockers and blues players.
I've also used Sovtek 12AX7LPS, which I like a little better than the 9th Gen Shuguang/Chinese; not as "gritty" but still plenty of bite...if you want more "grit", grab a Shuguang. Both are fairly inexpensive & easy to find. I think I got new ones of each on Ebay for like $5.00 each.
For what amp Christian???
JJs are easy to find at a fair price & are across the board, a GOOD ALL AROUNDer....but for some reason, I'm not a big fan. Too generic sounding, if that makes any sense.
I've used RFT ECC83/ECC81s in a handful of amps & recently put them in the Edana...smoother singing cleans & a better bite for some dirt. Not on the cheap side, but basically a Siemens for less.
Here's a description from www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com
ECC83/R.F.T: German valve that I have seen also branded Brimar, Siemens & Telefunken. This tube was also used for a long period by Marshall. The valve has a rich bass response with great drive. Very low in microphonics due to thick glass envelope. The valve also distorts earlier than the U.S.A types. The valve does show less treble response than the U.S.A types which lends the valve to be used in a more rock style set up. The rich harmonic distortion make this a great valve in Marshall. Boogie and Vox amps. It showed rich sustain with plenty of bass crunch. Mid range was clear and detailed. Defiantly for the rockers and blues players.
I've also used Sovtek 12AX7LPS, which I like a little better than the 9th Gen Shuguang/Chinese; not as "gritty" but still plenty of bite...if you want more "grit", grab a Shuguang. Both are fairly inexpensive & easy to find. I think I got new ones of each on Ebay for like $5.00 each.
