preamp tube suggestions please

[marcofry]

Need a little advice on a 12ax7 preamp tube for my little 20 watt parallel single ended tube amp.

Currently using a tung sol and its pretty good, nice and round, smooth but just a bit muffled.

I have had a jj in there, but I prefer it in my marshall for a kind of middy sound.

Want something like the tung sol but not quite as muffled......more clarity to the top end.

hmmm....

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

The only thing I can think to try as far as current production is maybe the Sovtek LPS. Very clean and clear through just about the entire frequency spectrum, from my experience. Electroharmonix has a chance of fitting the bill, but I think the Tung-Sol beats it out handily in top-end clarity. In fact, if you had given your description to me without saying you were unsatisfied with the Tung-Sol, I would have suggested it.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

Shuguang 12Ax7 "B" tubes sound like nicer Tung Sol's to me....just as thick/sweet/fat but more open sounding (less compressed in the mids). The highs are pretty sweet/clear too..

 

[Van Noord]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

Yeah, I would go with a Chinese too.

 

[sosomething]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

Those shuguang 12ax7s are pretty damn nice. I recently replaced all the crazy NOS pres in my Pittbull with them and it actually sounds better.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

I love the Shuguangs also, but the one I've got add the moment added low-mid grunt and smoothed out the highs a bit. That's exactly what I was looking for, though. Maybe it's that particular one that is the issue?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

Yep, Shuguang Chinese 9th Generation. Ruby and TAD relabels some of these, tested for performance.

They'll do what you want. I'm a tube freak by the way.

http://www.dougstubes.com/preamp-tubes/12ax7-ecc83-7025.html

 

[marcofry]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

It appears that THE FORUM has spoken....


Im going to try the shuguang made tubes.....Chineese tubes who woulda thunk??


Thanks all

 

[SrDeMaFp]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

It appears that THE FORUM has spoken....


Im going to try the shuguang made tubes.....Chineese tubes who woulda thunk??


Thanks all

It is pretty funny considering that pretty much any other Chinese-related gear gets **** on. BTW, I was going to suggest Chinese 9th Gen. as well...:lmao:

 

[marcofry]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

It is pretty funny considering that pretty much any other Chinese-related gear gets **** on. BTW, I was going to suggest Chinese 9th Gen. as well...:lmao:

Ha ha.....another +1......I would have never never never thought it either.

 

[kilphody]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

Yep, Shuguang Chinese 9th Generation. Ruby and TAD relabels some of these, tested for performance.

They'll do what you want. I'm a tube freak by the way.

http://www.dougstubes.com/preamp-tubes/12ax7-ecc83-7025.html

A very cool guy. You can talk tubes all day long with him in his shop on LI.
PC

 

[marcofry]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

yea Ill check em out....

Probably going to buy an electro harmonix too..

Oh no, this is how it always starts.

me: ill just buy a tube ...just one..

other me: just one??? come on get something else too..

me: OK

SERIOUSLY I'm actually in the middle of a major gear purge and already buying other stuff....arrgh!!!!!

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

Want something like the tung sol but not quite as muffled......more clarity to the top end.

Thats a bummer, cos id would recommend tung sols for top end clarity.

 

[sosomething]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

To reiterate, when my Pittbull came to me, it had real-deal original NOS Mullard, Telefunken, JAN GE, as well as recent-production gold-pin JJs installed... In 6 preamp tubes, over $600 worth...

...and I retubed it with $9 Chinese tubes

...and it sounds better.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

To reiterate, when my Pittbull came to me, it had real-deal original NOS Mullard, Telefunken, JAN GE, as well as recent-production gold-pin JJs installed... In 6 preamp tubes, over $600 worth...

...and I retubed it with $9 Chinese tubes

...and it sounds better.

Steve Fryette recommends using Chinese tubes in his amps, and they come from the factory with them. I currently have 3 JJ's and 3 Chinese in my Pittbull. I like that mix too.

 

[Reload in 5]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

you only have to get 1 horrible cheap Chinese tube to start staying away from them........even if it was just THAT tube, or cheap brand

 

[hermetico]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

What's your amp?.
There is not the best tube for every amp.

 

[drone46]

Re: preamp tube suggestions please

I have been digging the EH 12AX7s lately. I find them to be more consistant than the Chinese.