Decision on pre-amp tubes

[MeathooK]

GE 50's 12ax7's or RCA Blackplate 12ax7's, I want some opinions before I let Sarge know what to send me! Thanks in advance.

Jake

[bigsbybender]

Both are excellent. The blackplates are legendary. What amp are they going in? I find later (60's and 70"s) GE's too bright for Marshall-type amps to my ears.
I like the GE's a little more in BF/SF Fender amps. Blackplates are great in everything else. I mix and match tubes in different stages....so maybe get a little of both flavors?
Of course...like anything else, this is just an opinion.

My 2 yen
J.

[MeathooK]

They're going in a Carvin amp, but eventually in an 18w when I get the funds to afford the kits! The amp is a high gain amp, looking for classic rock tone, it's a 100w 2x12 combo.

[bigsbybender]

If it's high gain like JCM _00 or a SLO....make sure you get whatever has low microphonics and noise....7025 maybe....but then again, the 7025 is really bright in some circuits.

J.

[novemberrain]

Buy both brands, you can't have too many 12AX7s!

Having said that I run RCA black plates in everything. They're just that little bit furrier and crunchier in high gain amps and that little bit warmer and more articulate in Fenders.

I have a ton of the GEs from all eras, they're good, too. Stick the RCAs in the first preamp stage and GEs everywhere else, that works fine as well.

[Bacchus]

I'll second what Novermberrain said; I just bought 5 RCA blackplates yesterday and tried them in my JTM45 I immediately fell in love! Maaan these sound nice!

I haven't tried them in my 18W yet but I'm sure I won’t be deceived.

Cheers.