SWEEEEEETTTTT!!!

[dartanion]

Hey Gabi,

Great to see this new edition to the forum.


Alright-

What is your favorite tube of ever?

I like the RCA 7025 myself for its incredible tone and quiet operation. Wish I had a bunch of these.

[rjgtr]

Just to be boring the Mullard ECC83 and EL34. The definition of ROCK tone.

[myker]

to be honest, i only have a few NOS tubes. I have a sylvania 12ax7, and a few RCA 12ax7's. they are my favorite tubes, and i like the 6c10 as a preamp tube. wish i could afford more NOS tubes.
mike

[dartanion]

Mike,

I have pretty good luck with used tubes from yesteryear. Most of them have been pulls from old organs, HiFis, and other guitar amps. They can be had for cheap if you keep your eye out for them. I have bought them in lots and have only had a few duds, however the good ones have more than made up for duds. In fact, I got a box full of various used/NOS tubes for $15 on flea bay that had an NOS 7027A RCA in it. This tube alone is worth about $50.

The 7025s that I have are from my '69 SFTR. I yanked one from the normal channel to use in my 5E3. It will go back to my Twin as soon as I find a decent replacement. But that will be a hard one to replace.

[herr-uuns]

Only the Sarge's tubes for me.....

[s2]

I'm an RCA lover. I have several dozen of all types. In fact, my Tsunami is fitted with NOS RCA 12AX7s and EL84s with a Raytheon EZ81. I think it sounds really good with that combination.

I also like the made in Holland GEs. I don't know who actually made them, but it must have been Mullard or Amperex.

My Lightning has RCA preamp tubes with 6n14n EB power tubes and a KEN-RAD 5AR4. Another awesome combination. I've been trying to pick up some Mullards here and there, but they have all been microphonic or noisy so far. I'll keep at it until I get some good ones.

[DonR]

Sarge's 5751's, and the brimars are great preamp tubes-the 7189 russians are great as well. I have a whole box of nos I just got from him to load up my tv front deluxe and Deluxe reverb-so I'll report on those later.

DonR

[dartanion]

Does the Sarge have anything close to an RCA 7025 tone wise? I would love to pick some of those up if they exist.

Sarge-
You copy?

[T-bones]

Sweet you say !!!! My favorites starting with most favorite to least. I'll get this one out of the way first, power tubes, I like them all as long as there nice and strong and can stand the heat so to speak. I'm one who believes the tone is created in the preamp, I'm sure that will raise some eyebrows. #1 Anything Tung-Sol 12AX7 etc. There normal short gray plate is as low noise as it gets. Although they did offer a 7025 for whatever reason who knows, everybody else did, most serious HiFi buffs love them in the phono stage. If it be known I'm sure there are many wrong labeled 12AX7's and 7025's out there. I will say, I myself can not hear the difference between the two. #2 Mullard 12AX7 ECC-83 etc. Short plate only, dont like long plate anything in guitar amps. Stability is not the same and the tone is here nor there in trying to justify any long plate tube sitting in a guitar amp, open back combo being my choice. #3 Original Amperex USA NY. These are impossible to find today and if you do they sell for $$$$'s Just awesome tone a little bright would be the perfect ticket for the dark sounding 18 watt combos. When they moved production to Holland they never sounded the same, considering the Philips Mullard connection something just wasn't right at the time. #4 Siemens #5 Telefunken, two exellent 12AX7's to use when your confused with everything else. I should call it a tie on those two. Two very well rehearsed valves. #6 G.E. Nothing sounds like a G.E., I think you either like them or you dont and I do in all Fender amps and Fender clone amps.#7 RCA very well made and when there new real NIB they post some of the higest testing triodes I have ever measured along with most Sylvania's. They made a very good sounding 6EU7. # 8 Sylvania not bad they early d getter 12AX7's are awesome NIB impossible to find so as far as the normal Sylvania not bad and most were long plates too. Very neutral tone, strong bass though. #9 Holland Amperex , never worked good in my guitar amps, many microphonic and I've had 100'as of them NIB all series. Very bright and thin if you like it thats cool. Very short life span also for such a in tube to have, I feel there over rated, there not Mullards thatsfor sure. Nothing like the 50;s stuff at all. Ok now for a big twist, I love just about all the Japanese tubes 12AX7 EL-84 etc. The Mullard lisc. ones are very well made thicker glass and well matched triodes not really that important in guitar amps but a must in tube HiFi. I know there are more but If I didn't list them it's because I dont care for them or never gave them enough time to rate them. Just a little note, do not hit tubes to look for issues, your only creating or adding to its short comming. Tube retainers work in tubes that might be more microphonic than others. All tubes are microphonic some more than others as I just said so dont toss them out, they sure enough might work well in a more stable area. If I had to pick the tubes that I have taken NIB into guitar amps Tung-Sol and Telefunken have been the best. Other 12AX7 types such as 5771 E83-CC etc. is another story. So if that Script that says Made In Japan does not bother you on those sweet little glass bottles, try them and let me know what you think. It's almost a 3 to 1 price ratio and getting that tone for about $25 NIB it cant get any better. Well getting to the end here like anything else this is one persons call and thats what makes it all happen. Good tubing. I want to be the one to say there are so many NOS out there they'll be around for ever so don't buy up everything because you think the sky is falling, There is no way a shortage and will never be. Remember those tubes will still be hear long after were gone. T-bones

[lbet]

Tube Talk....now why didn't I think of that.

I too am very fond of 50's to 70's rca's. I have them in my tweed as well as higher gain amps. I have one in the v2 slot of my 18watt. I switch between a mullard and amperex for v1. The amperex is in there right now. I have a chinese 12ax7 in the PI slot.

Strangely enough I have a pair of sovtek el84's in the power section., I know, but it sounds good! I like them better than the amperex el84's I have in this amp. The russian el84M's are also nice too. Sturdy and a nice midrange character that I like.

[ab3640au]

I know I've posted this elsewhere, but I couldn't resist adding my 2c
In my 18watt trem clone, I've experimented with lots of NOS tubes (most purchased from the Sarge). For now, I've settled on a Bel 5751 in V2 (PI) .. great sweet sounding tube .. an RFT/Funkwerks 12ax7 in V1 (these have very unusual rounded short plates .. very different) and a Telefunken 12ax7 in V3. My normal channel is modded with Richies 5e3 tone circuit (similar, but not the same as the trem tone circuit). The normal channel is big and ballsy sounding .. earlier breakup than the trem channel.
This gives me that combination that I really like ... for now ...
I've also got some "made in Japan" 12ax7's (Westinghouse branded). These are excellent tubes .. nicely balanced in lows, mids and highs .. a great "all round" tube IMO.

Barry M

[phsyconoodler]

My latest 18watt trem head has Ruby EL-84's and let me tell you,they are sweet!I can get nice clean tones with a little hair on them with single coils and full-on Page with humbuckers.I am a big fan of the tone of these tubes.I am using three JJ's 12AX7's and they are nice as well.I am using a 5AR4 JJ rectifier tube in this build and it works well.
Shame I have to turn it over to the new owner today.
Phsyconoodler