NOS pre advice wanted!

toner · Post by **toner** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:43 pm

I have no experience with NOS tubes and want to get three 12AX7's. I already contacted tubetramp for advice and he recommended a mix of 3 different brands. Considering my amp and tone goals, what would you recommend?

Amp: Marshall 100w reissue, Metro PTP with Sozos and mostly CC resistors, Metro Drake style OT, Metro choke, mainly '67 specs

Guitars: Strats and Les Pauls

Tone goals: 70's AC/DC (especially High Voltage & Powerage), Free, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes, etc.

Thanks for any help you can offer!!!

marT · Post by **marT** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:46 pm

I have 3 brimars in my JTM45 and it sounds sweet however I have been thinking about playing around with other brands.

Probably mullard etc

OnTheFritz · Post by **OnTheFritz** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:53 pm

I dig Bugle Boys in a Marshall, and I think I'd take those over Mullards.
Seimens kick ass as well.

Smokin Tone · Post by **Smokin Tone** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:20 pm

It's really a matter of preference and some trial and error. TT is giving you the most for your money. You can try three different tubes and try them in different positions to find a combination that sounds best. Put them in one order and then swap them around and you should get different results. I like to judge the character of the individual tube itself more so than what name brand it is. One of my favorite combinations though have been a Mullard in V1, An Amperex - Holland in V2 and a Sylvania in the PI.

wdelaney72 · Post by **wdelaney72** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:43 am

If you got a suggestion from Trampy, go with it... you'll be hard pressed to find a guy who's heard and played more tube combinations than him.

v1 Mullard
v2 RFT
v3 Tesla

Post by **Scumback Speakers** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:47 am

I've been less than impressed with Mullards in my JTM 45 clone, but the Amperex Bugle Boy or Orange Globe logo models have worked the best for my tone (similar to toner's tone goals) in that amp. Telefunkens came in 2nd. After that, basically any NOS tube is an upgrade over new stock preamp tubes.

el34on11 · Post by **el34on11** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:52 am

I just got myself some Amperex (Holland) ecc83's relabled Electrohome,and they are possibly the best pre's I've ever had.....
V1--Amperex
V2--RFT
V3--Amperex

Derrick

toner · Post by **toner** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:24 am

wdelaney72 wrote:If you got a suggestion from Trampy, go with it... you'll be hard pressed to find a guy who's heard and played more tube combinations than him.

v1 Mullard
v2 RFT
v3 Tesla

Well, you got 2 out of 3 from what he suggested! I don't doubt Terry at all. I've read over half of the "Tubes" forum here and have learned a lot (still reading).

The overwhelming general consensus is that NOS is the way to go for the best tone. I'm just sorry I neglected tubes until now.

Thanks for the advice everyone!!!

toner · Post by **toner** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:25 am

Southbay Ampworks wrote:I've been less than impressed with Mullards in my JTM 45 clone, but the Amperex Bugle Boy or Orange Globe logo models have worked the best for my tone (similar to toner's tone goals) in that amp. Telefunkens came in 2nd. After that, basically any NOS tube is an upgrade over new stock preamp tubes.

Jim,
What do you not like about Mullards? Do you think the same would apply to a 100w?

Thanks!

I'm still loving your speakers, BTW...

Post by **Scumback Speakers** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:44 am

toner...the Mullards I have just sound like they're a bit mundane and boring. Not enough gain, not enough high end zing. Put in the Amperexs and it was a big improvement.

I've got 4 Mullards for reference, and probably 1/2 dozen Telefunkens, too, but I've bought about 30 Bugle Boys (50-early 60's models) & Orange Globe logo (mid 60's and later) tubes to use with my amp.

Haven't tried them in a 100 watt model, or a JMP 50, though, just the JTM 45. As is well known, the JTM 45 has a bunch of low end so maybe the Amperex tubes are the type of tube needed for that amp circuit, whereas the Mullard or Telefunken is better for the 50 or 100 watt models.

My advice is to get one of each major brand suggested, and swap them around in V1 to find what works best.

toner · Post by **toner** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:21 am

Thanks Jim.

Wicksy · Post by **Wicksy** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:50 pm

I must admit i took the mullards out of my JTM 45. I ended up with a Tungsram in V1, a Mule in V2 and a TFK in V3. That was running Trampy's 5881s. I need to try the KT66s at some point.

bluze81 · Post by **bluze81** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:53 pm

I have noticed some mullard ecc83 short plates are a bit flat sounding and some just blow the doors down, I run a bugleboy in v1 and some great sounding mullards in v2 and v3 so I had to go thru some tubes to find the right tones out of my 45, run GEC dark glass kt 66,sometimes a set of GT HP kt66 those sound real good....

novosibir · Post by **novosibir** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:05 pm

Southbay Ampworks wrote:toner...the Mullards I have just sound like they're a bit mundane and boring. Not enough gain, not enough high end zing. Put in the Amperexs and it was a big improvement.

bluze81 wrote:I have noticed some mullard ecc83 short plates are a bit flat sounding and some just blow the doors down...

You must differ between the Mullard I61 and I63

Just with a few words:

The I61 is the blueser
The I63 is the rocker

Larry

Jeff West · Post by **Jeff West** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:13 pm

The I61 is the blueser
The I63 is the rocker

I think there's something to that, in guitar amps, although with high variance in both groups.

I would further subdivide the I61s: I find the '50s ones (1st year) can sound a little different than other Blackburn shortplates; I like 'em. IME the early '60s I61s are often among the darkest sounding, some might say flattest. Including 7025 versions. Still good tubes though, IMO.

Talking Blackburn here, not Heerlen, although the latter shows it's own trail of sonic footprints across I61, I63, I65, I66.

Jeff