The tubes that are in your amp will most likely last years and years as long as you don't abuse your amp. True, backup tubes never can hurt but they are available and will be. They aren't going away.
What kind of tubes do you prefer
- Thread starter Mikelamury
- Start date
The tubes that are in your amp will most likely last years and years as long as you don't abuse your amp. True, backup tubes never can hurt but they are available and will be. They aren't going away.
80's_Thrash_Metal
Slightly_Glazed_Believer
In general I really like Mullard's in 12ax7 for preamp tubes in V1 and/or V2
In general I love the plain Jane EHX tubes for pre and power tubes, they have ways been smooth, quiet, flavorful, and very dependable for me.
Now having said that, the DSL is a hot and gainy amp to begin with. I wouldn't use a Mullard in the pre, as it can be too hot and get microphonic and has been that way in all 3 of my DSLs. (100s, not 40s) just my experience.
JJs get a lot of hate, but I've always found them to be just fine, not superb, but not crap either.
I wouldn't hesitate to use JJs or Sovteks or Shuguang or any regular old power tube at all.
Here's a dirty little secret for you..... The tonal qualities in power tubes that people want to discuss all the time have little to do with the overall sound IMHO. I think the preamp tubes have much more to do with Teh ToAnZ!
Your Mileage May Vary.
In general I love the plain Jane EHX tubes for pre and power tubes, they have ways been smooth, quiet, flavorful, and very dependable for me.
Now having said that, the DSL is a hot and gainy amp to begin with. I wouldn't use a Mullard in the pre, as it can be too hot and get microphonic and has been that way in all 3 of my DSLs. (100s, not 40s) just my experience.
JJs get a lot of hate, but I've always found them to be just fine, not superb, but not crap either.
I wouldn't hesitate to use JJs or Sovteks or Shuguang or any regular old power tube at all.
Here's a dirty little secret for you..... The tonal qualities in power tubes that people want to discuss all the time have little to do with the overall sound IMHO. I think the preamp tubes have much more to do with Teh ToAnZ!
Your Mileage May Vary.
Here's a dirty little secret for you..... The tonal qualities in power tubes that people want to discuss all the time have little to do with the overall sound IMHO. I think the preamp tubes have much more to do with Teh ToAnZ!
Your Mileage May Vary.
I think it depends on the design of the amp. If it gets its gain from preamp distortion, than the preamp tubes would be more important. If the amp is a non-master volume amp, I'd think the power tubes are more important.
NegativeEase
New member
I should note, the mistake that most players make is thinking a new set of tubes of one brand sounds much better than the other brand of worn tubes they are replacing because that is the one scenario where every player compares their tube brands. It's not a fair test -the new tubes will almost always sound better than a worn out set.
Very few players can ever perform a true double blind A/B test recording the heads with same/mic/pre/speakers/amp settings/cords with the same source recording and using absolute empirical method and removing emotion from it. And also, someone doing the same test trying to use the tone stack controls of the amp to better utilize the nature of the tubes being tested -a best effort test between amps in addition to a complete neutral setting test.
-which these tests are the true measure -it takes multiple people to do this -probably a percentage of the noisy folks on forums like this are the only folks who are ever obsessed enough to attempt it.
So a lot of what you hear online is unscientific noise about emotional attachment to tubes.... I'd ignore most of it -and pay attention to real science and use your own ears for what you like.
I will say the only valid criticism of JJ I see -is when guys like Dave Friedman chose JJ's for their standard tube for Friedman amps but then change a few years later because of the percentage of infant mortality/failures -THAT IS A GOOD AND VALID CRITICISM. However, for a player I must point out -buying JJs through a rating company like Grove Tubes, Ruby etc etc who secondarily stress tests them -mitigates this issue greatly -so for me thats not a big concern either
Very few players can ever perform a true double blind A/B test recording the heads with same/mic/pre/speakers/amp settings/cords with the same source recording and using absolute empirical method and removing emotion from it. And also, someone doing the same test trying to use the tone stack controls of the amp to better utilize the nature of the tubes being tested -a best effort test between amps in addition to a complete neutral setting test.
-which these tests are the true measure -it takes multiple people to do this -probably a percentage of the noisy folks on forums like this are the only folks who are ever obsessed enough to attempt it.
So a lot of what you hear online is unscientific noise about emotional attachment to tubes.... I'd ignore most of it -and pay attention to real science and use your own ears for what you like.
I will say the only valid criticism of JJ I see -is when guys like Dave Friedman chose JJ's for their standard tube for Friedman amps but then change a few years later because of the percentage of infant mortality/failures -THAT IS A GOOD AND VALID CRITICISM. However, for a player I must point out -buying JJs through a rating company like Grove Tubes, Ruby etc etc who secondarily stress tests them -mitigates this issue greatly -so for me thats not a big concern either
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dystrust
New member
Definitely this.
My Marshall Jubilees and Jet City 22H care very little about which tubes are in their respective power amp sections unless I'm playing unfathomably loud. OTOH my brother's former 2203 and my old roommate's Superlead were far more picky about power tubes.
misterwhizzy
Well-known member
That sounds like a loud room.
dystrust
New member
I had access to those two amps about five years apart, so that helped a bit. That '73 100W Superlead also had a PPIV master, so it was possible to get a decent tone at loud rather than deafening levels.
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Whatever works in said amp after a bit of tube rolling (nothing crazy). Sometimes one brand/type works better in an amp .sometimes another. I just go with what my ears say sound best...for the most part I avoid NOS stuff ...cuz $$$ (unless it's old Russian stuff like 6P3S-E or Chinese Beijing shuguang 'Silver Dragon'12 AX7's..) though I also think RFT's ( ECC83's/ EL84's) are usually worth spending a bit more on ..otherwise it's generally Shuguang's/JJ's for everything (EL34's/EL84's/6L6's)
Obsessive Compulsive
New member
It's not the brand, it's the biasing. You can kill yourself measuring plate voltage or at best, blow a fuse.
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Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I like Shuguangs, in general. Especially their 12AX7's. Sometimes I like to mix it up with V1, but in general, if an amp doesn't sound good running all Shuguangs, it's probably not an amp that I like.
I do like the typical Sovtek LPS in the PI position, though.
I do like the typical Sovtek LPS in the PI position, though.
I’m really liking the Tung-Sol 12AX7s and the Sovtek 6L6WXT+GC. However, when I was a kid and re-tubed my 18 watt 12AX7/6L6, I used whatever tubes my Dad could find (at least the 6V6s were Russian, I remember) and they worked great for years! I bought them in the late’80s/early ‘90s though.
NegativeEase
New member
Anyone who hates on JJ's for their "sound" -especially Power tubes and anywhere but V1 -I would love to present a double blind audio test and for them to tell me which they prefer
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
I use a JJ's ECC883MG in the #1 spot on my Picovalve and love it.
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NegativeEase
New member
I don't doubt they're fine there too -I just know the influence of the tubes properties on tone are just much less everywhere else other than V1 and people would struggle even harder trying to pick their preference and it being something else other than a JJ
My thing is it's all what you prefer plus what kind of amp you have to even begin a tube and it's impacts qualitatively versus any other....
it's very complicated and person, so it's just easy to justify say "JJs suck" online than actually know anything scientifically and even harder communicate it with any sense of value to a reader
NegativeEase
New member
WAY WAY WAY WAY MORE -Speakers and Pickups are the big 2.
