Help me Tube Roll.....

[mwalluk]

I mainly need some suggestions on the pre's I already have (although always open to trying a new moderately priced 12ax7 out)...

I'm running my Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Studio (SD Screamin Demon and Pearly Gates) into some pedals into my VHT/Fryette Deliverance Sixty Head into an Avatar Trad Cab w/ Celestion Vintage 30 and Classic Lead 80. I Play Alternative/Pop Rock (think Muse, We The Kings, Foo Fighters, Rise Against, 30 Sec to mars, etc).

Each 12AX7 has two sections/functions. Section A is shown first, Section B is second.

V1 (shielded tube) Input Gain Stage 1 (Parallel Triodes).

V2 (shielded tube) Gain Stage 2 - Stage 4. Active only when MORE / LESS switch is set to MORE.

V3 (shielded tube) Gain Stage 3 - Tone Control Driver.

V4 Phase Inverter.

Should I do high to low gain tubes or vice versa?

Tubes I have at my disposal:

Genalex - Gold Lion B759
NOS Ei ECC83
Mullard RI
Sovtek LPS
JJ ECC803
JJ ECC83
Sovtek WB
2x Tungsols
2x EHX
3x Ruby (9th gen)

What's some good combos to try?

I dug the Tungsol, EI, Mullard, LPS combo, more than the Gold Lion, EI, Mullard, LPS combo.

Any Suggestions?

 

[Fresh_Start]

Re: Help me Tube Roll.....

Well, the first tube in the circuit has the greatest affect on tone so put the most neutral tubes you have in the other 3 spots and focus on the input tube first. You probably want higher gain there but low noise also is very important. All of the noise in the first stage gets amplified throughout the rest of the circuit, so quiet is good here. If the Ei ECC83 isn't microphonic, I'd start there (new ones tend to be VERY microphonic) or with the Mullard. However, it's YOUR ears you're trying to make happy - not mine.

The next most important tube in your circuit is #2 - the overdrive section. Noise is important here too. Do you want a darker overdrive tone? Try the JJs. Bright & hot? Start with the Tung Sols and find a hot one.

BTW gain rankings are generally bogus for comparisons unless you're comparing 2 tubes measured on the same tube tester on the same day.

V3 you'll just have to experiment with to find one you like. If there's a cathode follower triode in that circuit, you may find one tube that compresses just the way you like it...

For the phase inverter, I'd try the Electro Harmonix first. You don't really want that tube coloring the tone much - just doing it's job of feeding mirror images of the preamp signal to the power tubes. And don't buy the matched triode mumbo jumbo. Tube amps are beautiful precisely because they're not perfect. Besides, does your amp have separate bias controls for each power tube? If not, a "balanced phase inverter tube" doesn't mean much. The power tubes probably will drift apart over time anyway.

Just keep in mind that every amp is different. I had a set of EL84s that sounded like crap in my Blues Jr. Almost threw them away, but I was working on a friend's Crate VC-210 and experimenting with different power tube sets. Just for giggles, I put in the trash tubes and voila! That pair sounded great in his amp! I still have no idea why but he's got those tubes and is very happy.

Hope that helps a bit,

Chip

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Help me Tube Roll.....

Just keep in mind that every amp is different. I had a set of EL84s that sounded like crap in my Blues Jr. Almost threw them away, but I was working on a friend's Crate VC-210 and experimenting with different power tube sets. Just for giggles, I put in the trash tubes and voila! That pair sounded great in his amp! I still have no idea why but he's got those tubes and is very happy.

Could have been the bias. I think that makes all the difference in the world in the power section.

 

[mwalluk]

Re: Help me Tube Roll.....

So far I think the tungsol sounds the best in v1. It's loud and present and gives me the best clean.

 

[mwalluk]

Re: Help me Tube Roll.....

I like the EI in latter stages, it's a lil to compressed in V1

 

[ken361]

Re: Help me Tube Roll.....

lps is a decent PI tube

 

[FretFire]

Re: Help me Tube Roll.....

I like the Tung Sol 12AX7s, and the Sovtek LPS is a GREAT phase inverter tube.