What Tubes do you Use in your 18Watter?

[kerrynet32]

What tubes do you guys use in your 18watters?

Please tell the specific 18watt you have the tubes in, and give a brief description of it compared to your last set in there.

For me:
18watt TMB (Ceriatone)

First:
V1-V3 (Preamps): JJ ECC83s/12AX7s
Power Tubes: JJ EL84s
Rectifier: JJ EZ81
Description: Very average JCM800 Marshall like crunch with the Volume up on the TMB channel. Normal channel had medium gain when cranked up.

Second: (Put them in to try today)
V1-V3 (Preamps): Fender Sovtek 12AX7s
Power Tubes: JJ EL84s
Rectifier: JJ EZ81
Description: More gain! Very crunchy and much more bassy and full. Normal channel when cranked has a lot of gain and is even more high gain than the cranked TMB with the JJs in it. I am probably going to keep these Fender tubes in there. I thought I loved JJs the best

Your turn,
Kerry

[dartanion]

MUTANT18

Old 50's HiFi that I turned into an LiteIIb variant:

V1 RCA 12AX7A
V2 RCA 12AX7A
V3 & 4 Mullard EL84
V5 NOS Japanese EZ81

The RCAs are fantastically low noise and a nice crystalline tone. The Mullard EL84s are the bomb!!! Really creamy distortion when dimed, with nice glassy shimmering cleans at low volumes.

My own EF86 Lite Design:

V1 Mullard EF86
V2 Sovtek 12AX7
V3&4 Sovtek EL84s
V5 EH EZ81

EF86 circuit pulled directly from AC30/4, which is wicked!!! Sovteks are in there until I work out all the kinks, but sound decent. A little dark on the EL84s, but not too bad. The Mullard EF86 really sparkles and gives it a perfect Brian May kind of tone.

[jckid66]

those mullards have to sounds SWEET!!!!


Bill

[dartanion]

I've got some '60s made Sylvanias made at the Philips Heerlen plant that I'm going to try out here soon.

I have a stash of cheapo Sovteks around for testing purposes, but sometimes you'll get a set that sounds good.

[dartanion]

those mullards have to sounds SWEET!!!!


Bill

YUP! The Mullard EL84s sound awesome!!!

[BBQLS1]

those mullards have to sounds SWEET!!!!


Bill

YUP! The Mullard EL84s sound awesome!!!

I've been debating getting into the NOS thing. I just hate to spend money on something that I won't be able to get later.

[markh]

I've been debating getting into the NOS thing. I just hate to spend money on something that I won't be able to get later.

So you never bought a bottle of wine or a seasonal 'special' beer? Nothing lasts forever, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it in the mean time!

It *is* hard to go back to McD's, though, once you've gotten used to prime rib!

I'm using assorted US-made NOS 12AX7s, a pair of Sarge's Polam EL84s, and an unlabeled NOS EZ81/6CA4 in my 18watt TRex.

--mark h

[rectifier]

Be careful! You might get TAS (tube acquisition syndrome)!!!

[BBQLS1]

I've been debating getting into the NOS thing. I just hate to spend money on something that I won't be able to get later.

So you never bought a bottle of wine or a seasonal 'special' beer? Nothing lasts forever, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it in the mean time!

It *is* hard to go back to McD's, though, once you've gotten used to prime rib!

I'm using assorted US-made NOS 12AX7s, a pair of Sarge's Polam EL84s, and an unlabeled NOS EZ81/6CA4 in my 18watt TRex.

--mark h

I know. I really just wish I had a better idea of what I'm getting into.

[novemberrain]

I've been debating getting into the NOS thing. I just hate to spend money on something that I won't be able to get later.

That sounds about backwards... you can buy NOS now, you may not be able to get what you want later.

If you don't want to spend the dough for Mullard EL84s treat yourself to NOS Sylvania or RCA EL84s. I'll bet if you shop around a bit you might still walk into a dusty old TV repair shop and score a pair.

I went rummaging through my stash the other day and found a pair of NOS GEs, I popped 'em outta the boxes to have a look... Mullards relabeled GE. I LIKE findin' stuff I forgot I had!

NOS 12AX7s... just BUY 'EM ALL!!

[WesKuhnley]

For the time being, I've got chinese 12AX7's in V1-3, and Groove Tubes EL84's 4 and 5. the Rectifier is a copper cap. I looked into the NOS thing for a hour or two, and decided a few more builds are a bigger priority to me. Besides, if Groove Tubes were good enough for Ken Fisher, they're good enough for me!

[kd]

Lite llb:

V1-Mullard
V2-RCA Blackplate
V3 and V4-Tesla Roznov
Rectifier- JJ

[s2]

V1 used RCA gray plate
V2 used RCA black plate
V3 used RCA black plate
V4 NOS Russian 6N14N EB
V5 NOS Russian 6N14N EB
V6 NOS Raytheon EZ81

[BBQLS1]

I've been debating getting into the NOS thing. I just hate to spend money on something that I won't be able to get later.

That sounds about backwards... you can buy NOS now, you may not be able to get what you want later.

How is that?

[Groundpath]

TMB. Mullards in every position. It sounds like an 18Watt full of Mullards

[Sweetwood]

TMB. Mullards in every position. It sounds like an 18Watt full of Mullards icon_twisted.gif

mine sounds like an 18 watter filled with sovtek's

The best incarnation was telefunkins (forget which ones) with some rca's or jan phillips in the preamp and phase. That just had so much mojo it was crazy. the sovteks are fine though, especially in the power. The new tung sol 12AX7's are kinda cool.

[doog]

I was using EI's across the board. Now that they don't exist any more, I dunno what to do. JJ's for power (EL84) are ok. Actually I've had good luck with JAN Phillips EL84's. Sound real close to the JJ's, but last longer. One of my EI 12AX7's went out, so I have Mullard in there. Louder and not as much gain as the EI. I have 2 18 watters, one is a little more "temprimental" than the other. One I have JJ's across the board. Sounds ok, not great. But I think that's the amp itself, not the tubes. The other one sounds amazing with the right tubes, and EI's seemed to do the trick. Altho, with the Mullard 12AX7, still sounds pretty good to me.

Anybody else out there an EI user? And what did you switch to?

[doog]

This just in, sorta.....

Just heard some american manufacturer bought EI and is going to continue making tubes in the same plant. I heard that the Quality control may be better as well. YAY! I really do like their tubes, WHEN they work! Some of the later batches I've had didn't last too long. The EL84's have the biggest bottom end of any other new manufacturers and their 12AX7's are really wide in the tonal area, when you find a good one.

Probably everyone else knows about this xcept for me, but hey, I'm just a noob when it comes to the tech end of all this stuff. Sorrreeeee

[tarzanalog]

I've got probably 3 grand sitting around in NOS tubes... and no "18W" type amp in hand as of yet to try them in... I'll be sure and report back later when I get my 36W from Nik.

FWIW (in my Univalve) I've come to really love the Tung Sol reissue stuff. I just wish they'd RI their 6BQ5. The ones I have of those that are ANOS sound amazing! The RI power tubes have all been really great... even A/B'd with the originals. I'd recommend the ECC803S to anyone that wants some sweetness in their preamp section.

P.S. The single greatest change I ever made to one of my amps was putting a metal base Amperex GZ34 rectifier in it. Like taking off ear-muffs... no lie!

[zaphod_phil]

P.S. The single greatest change I ever made to one of my amps was putting a metal base Amperex GZ34 rectifier in it. Like taking off ear-muffs... no lie!

Does not compute.