Tried an NOS Amperex 12AX7 in V1

rgalpin · Post by **rgalpin** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 3:30 pm

Tried an NOS Amperex 12AX7 in V1 - I think it adds some mojo - hard to describe - just seems to open up some detail in the hair.

do you hear a difference between the two attached clips?

i'm never sure if i'm hearing what i think i'm hearing until somebody says yeah yer hearing what you think yer hearing.

after the A/B test with the amp on 8 - i did some jamming around with it on 10.

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6429599

happy friday!

zerocharisma · Post by **zerocharisma** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:24 pm

Wow, great soundclips, man!

Well after comparing I'd say the Amperex is a bit throatier, hairier, and just a tad more complex in terms of harmonics. The Tung Sol I felt was a bit clearer and nice in its own right. Personally, I'd lean towards the Amperex in your case. Your playing is excellent, thanks for sharing!

Post by **Scumback Speakers** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:32 pm

I thought the Amperex clip sounded like shit...I need that Tungsol tone.

(I gotta get some more Amperex's before these guys figure it out...damn!)

Roadrunner · Post by **Roadrunner** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:36 pm

Very nice playing...

Yeah, I'm with Jim on this... those Amperex tubes sound awful. Glad I've got a box full of NOS ones, lol!

Have you tried a NOS Mullard? I always think of Amperex tubes as a nice difference splitter between Mullards and RCA's... a little brighter but still full sounding in the mids. Mullards are like hot babes with big butts, RCA's are like skinny supermodels and Amperex is like the girl next door that you always wanted to shag.

gtomax · Post by **gtomax** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 1:47 am

Now try amperex-tung-5751, my favorite combo. Great character with a little more hifi and a touch less hair. 5751 has a wide bandwidth that is great for a driver tube in a Marshall

jcs · Post by **jcs** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 3:06 am

are those real tung sol 12ax7 or the phoney reissues?

for reissue the tung sol are one of the better new production 12ax7 even though they are phoney reproductions,for the price they arent bad at all.

nothing really equals early 60s bugle boys in v1 marshalls except for maybe valvos-mullards,but sometimes nos american 12ax7 are excellent (raytheon etc).

v3 is another story,theres many 12at7 and 5751 and certain 12ax7 that can sound excellent in v3 imo.

rgalpin · Post by **rgalpin** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 7:23 am

the tung sols are reissues.

i had the 5751 in v3 for a while. this amp gets a nasty unmusical quack if turn it above 8 with a 12ax7 in v2. i found that the 5751 in v2 fixes that.

i tried a telefunken in v2 and v3 - it had a more boxy sound to it - not as open.

this is my first experience buying an amperex and telefunken. so, i'm learning.

question:
should the telefunken have a more boxy closed off sound to it or did i get a dud? being a first time buyer, i wouldn't know.

jcs · Post by **jcs** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:33 pm

ahhh..telefunkens are funky (no pun intended) in guitar amps.

usually i find them best in v3 and sometimes other positions in different amps but not usually it seems the pi slot is best for teles.

i usually dont mess with teles in guitar amps, i'm saving what i have to sell or trade or use in a hi fi amp.

another thing, 12at7 are not to be used in v2 for electrical reasons (cant remember off hand), i find v2 the easiest position to fill,but then again i have 100s of old production 12ax7s.

btw, what amperex 12ax7 do you have,is it a real bugle boy?

there are a bunch out there that are not real bugle boy as a company called richardson (i think thats right) later bought the name and relabeled other stuff as amperex and they are not the holland made good ones (though not necessarily bad tubes).

HEAVIER THAN HELL · Post by **HEAVIER THAN HELL** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:32 pm

Amperex clip is much nicer - mids are fuller and more complex, the Tung Sol clip sounded fizzy through the mids to me.

rgalpin · Post by **rgalpin** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 3:42 pm

jcs wrote:btw, what amperex 12ax7 do you have,is it a real bugle boy?

there are a bunch out there that are not real bugle boy as a company called richardson (i think thats right) later bought the name and relabeled other stuff as amperex and they are not the holland made good ones (though not necessarily bad tubes).

i think it's a real bugleboy (wide plate) - that's what it was sold to me as. the item description on the packing list says, "12AX& eur-u" - not sure what the eur-u stands for. any idea? i bought them from a web site called SND Tube Sales in MO - nice guy - quick service.

how do you tell the ones that aren't real if the company relabeled them as Amperex?

Amperex clip is much nicer - mids are fuller and more complex, the Tung Sol clip sounded fizzy through the mids to me.

now that's what i like to hear for my $50!

can't wait to crank that suckah up tonite - the clips were about bedroom volume - attenuated out the butt.

master keeper · Post by **master keeper** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:11 pm

I've stopped using mules in V1, the philips heerlen (what you call amperex) ecc83 whips them 24/7, IMO! The only mule I use in an amp at the moment sits in V2 in my early 67 super lead.........

rgalpin · Post by **rgalpin** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:30 pm

i just went back and listened to the telefunken in v3 vs the tung sol. i think i was wrong - i think the telefunken sounds better. i think the tung sol sounds cloudy in comparison.

what do you think?

this clip has goes back and forth between the tung sol in v3 and the telefunken in v3. totally dry so you can hear more clearly the tone of each.

it goes:
CHORDS: tung sol THEN telefunken
THE RIFF: tung sol THEN telefunken

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6432303

this is a Telefunken Brand/Telefunken Made - Used & Tested OK with diamond etching on the base - smooth plate.

master keeper · Post by **master keeper** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:35 pm

the tfk parts has alot more sparkle/sizzle to them! TFK smooth is my altime fave V3 tube, nothing beats it save a real good tesla e83cc...

jcs · Post by **jcs** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:16 pm

ive got a really early rca 12at7 i use in v3 of my 71 smallbox 50,it just happens to fit this amp for whatever reason

tubes are funny creatures,there can be a difference in tone even with the same tube,it starts driving you mad after a while

StuntDouble · Post by **StuntDouble** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:24 pm

The telefunken sound better hands down...FWIW, I kinda like amperexes in v2. I Just got this clip back from Dave Bray; JJ ECC803 in V1, Amperex in V2, Mullard in V3. I should just leave the JJ in V1, but I think I might try a vintage tesla or telefunken ECC803 in there... b/c apparently I can't leave well enough alone. the gain boost switch is on in this clip and the PPIMV is at 3, so it's not dialed in quite right for an early VH vibe, but I think it sounds pretty rad...can't wait to get this amp back and try all the stuff I've been nodling around with on my bassman with the right type of amp.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default ... dID=822239