You use vintage tubes in your amp?
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MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
One thing I finally realized , is that brand new modern production tubes are much better than old worn out vintage tubes. I have a few good sets of vintage tubes, and they do sound more dimensioanl and more rich.The main thing is that the good old tubes in excellent condition are built to last and last of maybe even 10 years, and the modern power tubes should be changed out annually to be on the safe side.
One thing I finally realized , is that brand new modern production tubes are much better than old worn out vintage tubes. I have a few good sets of vintage tubes, and they do sound more dimensioanl and more rich.The main thing is that the good old tubes in excellent condition are built to last and last of maybe even 10 years, and the modern power tubes should be changed out annually to be on the safe side.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
I'll use an old tube in V1 if it sounds better. And some old power tubes if they sound better. But it's hit and miss. Old equipment falls out of spec from use, then doesn't sound as good.
The only other amps I have that use vintage tubes are because the whole amp became vintage after I owned it for so long. So yeah I use vintage tubes in my amps.
I'll use an old tube in V1 if it sounds better. And some old power tubes if they sound better. But it's hit and miss. Old equipment falls out of spec from use, then doesn't sound as good.
The only other amps I have that use vintage tubes are because the whole amp became vintage after I owned it for so long. So yeah I use vintage tubes in my amps.
LLL
New member
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
My '67 Fender Deluxe has all original glass (it sat in some dude's mom's closet for decades)... RCA, Telefunken, Bugle Boy, Mullard, etc
I have 2x Valvo-labeled Mullards (Blackburn) and 1x Mullard CV4004 in my JTM45 that have been going strong for 14 years.
About 14 years ago I bought up a bunch of current production 12AX7s (still have them)... Sovteks, JJs, EH's, Ei's, etc... none of them compare.
The only current production I would endorse are the EH 6CA7s.
My '67 Fender Deluxe has all original glass (it sat in some dude's mom's closet for decades)... RCA, Telefunken, Bugle Boy, Mullard, etc
I have 2x Valvo-labeled Mullards (Blackburn) and 1x Mullard CV4004 in my JTM45 that have been going strong for 14 years.
About 14 years ago I bought up a bunch of current production 12AX7s (still have them)... Sovteks, JJs, EH's, Ei's, etc... none of them compare.
The only current production I would endorse are the EH 6CA7s.
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
Depends on the amp and the tubes. My Marshall copy runs new production tubes except for V1. I have a Bugera that is all new tubes. New tubes in a Peavey VK combo. New tubes in my old Kalamazoo bass 30 (but that's only because it doesn't get played through much). New tubes in another Peavey and a Mesa that are stored.
My SE 6V6 amp has all NOS/UOS bottles ... plus I have old glass spares. That amp is more sensitive to tube rolling than any other guitar amp that I own and, probably, that I have ever owned.
Depends on the amp and the tubes. My Marshall copy runs new production tubes except for V1. I have a Bugera that is all new tubes. New tubes in a Peavey VK combo. New tubes in my old Kalamazoo bass 30 (but that's only because it doesn't get played through much). New tubes in another Peavey and a Mesa that are stored.
My SE 6V6 amp has all NOS/UOS bottles ... plus I have old glass spares. That amp is more sensitive to tube rolling than any other guitar amp that I own and, probably, that I have ever owned.
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TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
I used to really be into vintage valves but that has waned in recent years with the proliferation of fakes, less-than-honest listings, fading overall quality of OS valves, and rise in costs. Now I would rather spend my time finding NS valves that sound great and spend the time saved improving my recorded tone.
I used to really be into vintage valves but that has waned in recent years with the proliferation of fakes, less-than-honest listings, fading overall quality of OS valves, and rise in costs. Now I would rather spend my time finding NS valves that sound great and spend the time saved improving my recorded tone.
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mjsmanahan35
New member
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
Blackstar HT-Metal Pedal with 12AX7 tube.
Ibanez Prestige RG1527 7 strings
Seymour Duncan Blackouts AHB-1 bridge Active pickups
https://youtu.be/2vCFKwrcq8E
https://youtu.be/DcgEbAOacm4
Jackson DK2 Pro Series 6 strings
Seymour Duncan JB Bridge Passive pickups
https://youtu.be/1ve4t_PxWrA
https://youtu.be/Oruf42vYWrM
www.facebook.com/maschalismos
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
Blackstar HT-Metal Pedal with 12AX7 tube.
Ibanez Prestige RG1527 7 strings
Seymour Duncan Blackouts AHB-1 bridge Active pickups
https://youtu.be/2vCFKwrcq8E
https://youtu.be/DcgEbAOacm4
Jackson DK2 Pro Series 6 strings
Seymour Duncan JB Bridge Passive pickups
https://youtu.be/1ve4t_PxWrA
https://youtu.be/Oruf42vYWrM
www.facebook.com/maschalismos
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
allbutromeo
New member
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
I would like to, but with the price the good ones are going for, and having an amp with 12 tunes total, I can't bring myself to spend that much
I would like to, but with the price the good ones are going for, and having an amp with 12 tunes total, I can't bring myself to spend that much
L
Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
No vintage tubes here. All my amps were designed in the last twenty-five years. If they can't sound good with current-production tubes, they're failures.
No vintage tubes here. All my amps were designed in the last twenty-five years. If they can't sound good with current-production tubes, they're failures.
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
L
Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
I'm not saying that vintage tubes wouldn't sound better in my amps. I'm saying that I don't care.
I'm not saying that vintage tubes wouldn't sound better in my amps. I'm saying that I don't care.
dystrust
New member
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
+1 on it depending on the amp.
About 15 years ago I had the chance to A/B a full set of Mullard 12AX7s & EL-34s vs the EHX I usually use in both my friend's 1973 100W Superlead and my 1988 Jubilee 2555. In the Superlead the difference was huge and the NOS glass sounded a lot better than the new tubes. In my Jubilee they sounded virtually identical unless I was playing louder than the voice of god, and even then the difference was pretty small. It definitely was nowhere near enough to justify the huge cost premium.
+1 on it depending on the amp.
About 15 years ago I had the chance to A/B a full set of Mullard 12AX7s & EL-34s vs the EHX I usually use in both my friend's 1973 100W Superlead and my 1988 Jubilee 2555. In the Superlead the difference was huge and the NOS glass sounded a lot better than the new tubes. In my Jubilee they sounded virtually identical unless I was playing louder than the voice of god, and even then the difference was pretty small. It definitely was nowhere near enough to justify the huge cost premium.
guitfiddle
firstlessonologist
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
While I agree with that to a point, there are two sides to every coin. The other side of this one is that, even for amps designed very recently, if they don't sound better with better glass they're also failures, IMO.
My Randall modular RM50 has the blackface module on the clean side, and the RCA long plate tube I put in there is noticably better in every way than any other tube I've ever used there. That same tube makes all my amps sound better to varying degrees, but always better than the stock tubes.
While I agree with that to a point, there are two sides to every coin. The other side of this one is that, even for amps designed very recently, if they don't sound better with better glass they're also failures, IMO.
My Randall modular RM50 has the blackface module on the clean side, and the RCA long plate tube I put in there is noticably better in every way than any other tube I've ever used there. That same tube makes all my amps sound better to varying degrees, but always better than the stock tubes.
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dystrust
New member
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: You use vintage tubes in your amp?
No. Mostly because of the expense. And a big factor for me is TRUST. There are too many scammers in this market, selling crap.
Bill
No. Mostly because of the expense. And a big factor for me is TRUST. There are too many scammers in this market, selling crap.
Bill
