What's the diff. between GT and JJ's?

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: What's the diff. between GT and JJ's?

very true, the only preamp tube that might need replacing is the pi which depending on how you run your amp may take alot of abuse but even then it should last at least two sets of power tubes

Very early in the preamp stage you can change the overall "gain" character of the preamp though,by using different brand preamp tubes...Basically I find that some 12AX7/7025 tubes do have different gain characteristics from tube to tube...


We all know that most of the Chinese 12AX7s give more gain than a Sovtek 12AX7 WA tube..Maybe it's not gain,but I do hear more output in V1 when I've done several taste tests for 12AX7s..

 

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

Re: What's the diff. between GT and JJ's?

WOW! A "what tube to get" thread, with only ONE post about how you really should go NOS. An act of mercy perhaps?

After all, when i ask "what car is best for open road use", do i get guys chiming in on how i really should get a nice ol 58 Chevy? I guess, but practical use?

 

[jeremy]

Re: What's the diff. between GT and JJ's?

Very early in the preamp stage you can change the overall "gain" character of the preamp though,by using different brand preamp tubes...Basically I find that some 12AX7/7025 tubes do have different gain characteristics from tube to tube...


We all know that most of the Chinese 12AX7s give more gain than a Sovtek 12AX7 WA tube..Maybe it's not gain,but I do hear more output in V1 when I've done several taste tests for 12AX7s..

i totally agree that changing the 1st preamp stage can have a large tonal impact and that is a prefectly valid reason to change preamp tubes, other stages have lesser effect. i was agreeing with zerb's comment of the fact that preamp tubes dont really wear out.

as far as the nos thing, i think it can be worth getting a good nos preamp tube for your first preamp stage since that has the most effect on how things sound but other than that i typically dont find its worth the extra expense.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: What's the diff. between GT and JJ's?

i totally agree that changing the 1st preamp stage can have a large tonal impact and that is a prefectly valid reason to change preamp tubes, other stages have lesser effect. i was agreeing with zerb's comment of the fact that preamp tubes dont really wear out.

as far as the nos thing, i think it can be worth getting a good nos preamp tube for your first preamp stage since that has the most effect on how things sound but other than that i typically dont find its worth the extra expense.

Yep....preamp tubes normally go microphonic and that's why we replace them,but it's not normally because they wore out like output tubes do...100% agree with you both!

 

[doveman]

Re: What's the diff. between GT and JJ's?

Same here on the V1 tube ... 12AX7s ... 7025s ... ECC83 all sound a lot different. I really like the ECC83 best ... not that it's better ... I just like the sound of it better. Very balanced and they are a bit hotter too.

My pre-amp tubes are all 30+ years old ... origiinal to the amp ... and sound better than the tubes I got when I tried to retube. I just put them back in ... except for the V1 tube that I did needed to replace.

I like the Groove Tubes ... been using them for power tubes since they came out ... but that's only two quad sets in 30 years.

 

[wahwah]

Re: What's the diff. between GT and JJ's?

Same here on the V1 tube ... 12AX7s ... 7025s ... ECC83 all sound a lot different. I really like the ECC83 best ... not that it's better ... I just like the sound of it better. Very balanced and they are a bit hotter too.

There seems to be some confusion here. 12AX7 and ECC83 are different names for the same twin triode tube design. The European designation is ECC83, and the US designation is 12AX7, they are not different types of tubes. There are major differences between brands, but there is no distinction between 12AX7 and ECC83, they are the same thing. A 7025 is the low noise, "industrial" version of the 12AX7/ECC83. It has a spiral wound filament which reduces hum and noise. When discussing the differences, we need to name the actual brands and vintages, not the localized designation for the same tube type.



Cheers....................wahwah