which V1? Gold Lion, RFT, or Tungsgram

[Capulin Overdrive]

will be for V1 in the DAR, and they are 12AU7 instead of AX.


harder the hell to get them in out, so figured i'd ask.


will be trying Sino in the rest. looking for tight fast low end.


what you think?

 

[Rampage]

I love RFTs in Marshalls, but I've always dug Tung Sol reissue 12AX7s in V1 in modern high gainers (5150, Powerball, Recto).

I dunno.

 

[Ventura]

Perfect timing, just picked my parcel of preamps up this afternoon. In it? Gold Lion 12AX7/ECC83s, TAD7025S, Jan Philips 5751, Tung Sol 12AX7, preferred series (tubestore.com), and a couple other stand bys.

I asked about the BEST starting tube, hands down, Jon stated the Gold Lion. I'll know more this weekend...

V.

Added EDIT: 12AU7 are, what, rated at 60% to 70% the gain of a standard 12AX7 Chinese/Sino/Shuguang? Is the DAR needing a clean with V1, or is V1 the buffer preamp for the entire stack? If 12AU7 is used, and it's in V1, this may be independent of the rest of the amp, and used only for the clean channel - if there is a clean channel. Got more info??

 

[Capulin Overdrive]

thanks guys!


i talked to Mike from DAR and still don't have it figured out for sure what he's doing in the preamp, but the DAR Forza has three 12AU7's and one 12AX7. something about the AU's handling more volts and not as noisy?


i'm sure i'll try them all after awhile, but it's some work getting them in there.


i didn't pay attention, and thought it had only one 12AU7. ended up putting two C9 12AX7's in there and thought the Chinese glass sounded better, but got them out there once i learned i'd screwed up.

 

[Rampage]

Does he use the 12AU7s to reduce the gain and make the tone smoother?

That's what I've always heard they were for.

 

[Bevosss]

Perfect timing, just picked my parcel of preamps up this afternoon. In it? Gold Lion 12AX7/ECC83s, TAD7025S, Jan Philips 5751, Tung Sol 12AX7, preferred series (tubestore.com), and a couple other stand bys.

I asked about the BEST starting tube, hands down, Jon stated the Gold Lion. I'll know more this weekend...

So Mo, you be retubing the MAK4? Let me know how you go, I just got mine yesterday, and loving it! Especially the Crunch Ch dimed, a thicker alternative to the Dorado, it's my favourite rhythm tone to date! And the Makoplex sings beautifuly for leads and arpeggios as well.

What are you hoping to achieve tonally with the new tubes?

 

[tnourse]

I have an RTF in my Blackmore and I really like it!

 

[Ventura]

Perfect timing, just picked my parcel of preamps up this afternoon. In it? Gold Lion 12AX7/ECC83s, TAD7025S, Jan Philips 5751, Tung Sol 12AX7, preferred series (tubestore.com), and a couple other stand bys.

I asked about the BEST starting tube, hands down, Jon stated the Gold Lion. I'll know more this weekend...

So Mo, you be retubing the MAK4? Let me know how you go, I just got mine yesterday, and loving it! Especially the Crunch Ch dimed, a thicker alternative to the Dorado, it's my favourite rhythm tone to date! And the Makoplex sings beautifuly for leads and arpeggios as well.

What are you hoping to achieve tonally with the new tubes?

Yep, new glass for the Mak4. Don't get me wrong, it's not as though I'm not 100% satsified with it, I just think - and thus far know - this thing's got my style and tone needs met. It's hard to explain, I love all my boutiquey big rigs, but they sound very distinctive for the most part. The Mak4 sounds wide open, and is really malleable with the channels and the EQ. What I'm doing with the new glass is putting the quality of glass, and the specific glass I think this preamp deserves, and my ears will want.
JAN PHILIPS 5751 - V3 slot for CLEAN gain and tone
GOLD LION - V1 as this input buffer sets the pace for the whole preamp
TAD7025S or Preferred Series - DORADO gain, pull it back just a hair, but keep it super rich
TAD7025S or Tung Sol - MAKOPLEX, just give it 'more excellent', as that channel kills
GOLD LION or Preferred Series - CRUNCH, fatter tone, and a richer break up
TAD/Preferred/Gold - output buffer, maybe even a high grade Chinese to add a little edge at the end

I'll be experimenting, but hands down, this has been my go to rig. It's so weird ya know?? A $1000 preamp, and I like it better than a lot of 'signature' sounding boutique rigs that cost 5x as much. I just wanna personalize it a bit more...

Peace,
Mo

PS - here's the rundown if you're interested:
V1 - global input
V2 - PLEX & DORADO GAIN
V3 - CLEAN GAIN & TONE
V4 - CRUNCH GAIN & TONE
V5 - PLEX & DORADO TONE
V6 - global out

For the gain, I'm seeking smooth, rich, full and aggressive (but focused); for the tone, deep and colorful.

 

[Bevosss]

Awesome Mo, thanks for that very handy info! Where did you get your tubes from btw?

I already guessed V6 was global cause it arrived dead/whited out on the top, probably from transport vibration, and NO channels worked...a quick diagnose and replace with an extra tube Andrew sent with it, and I was up and running.

 

[MichaelG]

Perfect timing, just picked my parcel of preamps up this afternoon. In it? Gold Lion 12AX7/ECC83s, TAD7025S, Jan Philips 5751, Tung Sol 12AX7, preferred series (tubestore.com), and a couple other stand bys.

I asked about the BEST starting tube, hands down, Jon stated the Gold Lion. I'll know more this weekend...

So Mo, you be retubing the MAK4? Let me know how you go, I just got mine yesterday, and loving it! Especially the Crunch Ch dimed, a thicker alternative to the Dorado, it's my favourite rhythm tone to date! And the Makoplex sings beautifuly for leads and arpeggios as well.

What are you hoping to achieve tonally with the new tubes?

Yep, new glass for the Mak4. Don't get me wrong, it's not as though I'm not 100% satsified with it, I just think - and thus far know - this thing's got my style and tone needs met. It's hard to explain, I love all my boutiquey big rigs, but they sound very distinctive for the most part. The Mak4 sounds wide open, and is really malleable with the channels and the EQ. What I'm doing with the new glass is putting the quality of glass, and the specific glass I think this preamp deserves, and my ears will want.
JAN PHILIPS 5751 - V3 slot for CLEAN gain and tone
GOLD LION - V1 as this input buffer sets the pace for the whole preamp
TAD7025S or Preferred Series - DORADO gain, pull it back just a hair, but keep it super rich
TAD7025S or Tung Sol - MAKOPLEX, just give it 'more excellent', as that channel kills
GOLD LION or Preferred Series - CRUNCH, fatter tone, and a richer break up
TAD/Preferred/Gold - output buffer, maybe even a high grade Chinese to add a little edge at the end

I'll be experimenting, but hands down, this has been my go to rig. It's so weird ya know?? A $1000 preamp, and I like it better than a lot of 'signature' sounding boutique rigs that cost 5x as much. I just wanna personalize it a bit more...

Peace,
Mo

PS - here's the rundown if you're interested:
V1 - global input
V2 - PLEX & DORADO GAIN
V3 - CLEAN GAIN & TONE
V4 - CRUNCH GAIN & TONE
V5 - PLEX & DORADO TONE
V6 - global out

For the gain, I'm seeking smooth, rich, full and aggressive (but focused); for the tone, deep and colorful.

Hey Mo, do you mind keeping us up to date as to how your tube swapping goes in that MAK4? I'm on the verge of starting to look into preamp tubes for my MAK4 as well. Thanks mang!

 

[Ventura]

Perfect timing, just picked my parcel of preamps up this afternoon. In it? Gold Lion 12AX7/ECC83s, TAD7025S, Jan Philips 5751, Tung Sol 12AX7, preferred series (tubestore.com), and a couple other stand bys.

I asked about the BEST starting tube, hands down, Jon stated the Gold Lion. I'll know more this weekend...

So Mo, you be retubing the MAK4? Let me know how you go, I just got mine yesterday, and loving it! Especially the Crunch Ch dimed, a thicker alternative to the Dorado, it's my favourite rhythm tone to date! And the Makoplex sings beautifuly for leads and arpeggios as well.

What are you hoping to achieve tonally with the new tubes?

Yep, new glass for the Mak4. Don't get me wrong, it's not as though I'm not 100% satsified with it, I just think - and thus far know - this thing's got my style and tone needs met. It's hard to explain, I love all my boutiquey big rigs, but they sound very distinctive for the most part. The Mak4 sounds wide open, and is really malleable with the channels and the EQ. What I'm doing with the new glass is putting the quality of glass, and the specific glass I think this preamp deserves, and my ears will want.
JAN PHILIPS 5751 - V3 slot for CLEAN gain and tone
GOLD LION - V1 as this input buffer sets the pace for the whole preamp
TAD7025S or Preferred Series - DORADO gain, pull it back just a hair, but keep it super rich
TAD7025S or Tung Sol - MAKOPLEX, just give it 'more excellent', as that channel kills
GOLD LION or Preferred Series - CRUNCH, fatter tone, and a richer break up
TAD/Preferred/Gold - output buffer, maybe even a high grade Chinese to add a little edge at the end

I'll be experimenting, but hands down, this has been my go to rig. It's so weird ya know?? A $1000 preamp, and I like it better than a lot of 'signature' sounding boutique rigs that cost 5x as much. I just wanna personalize it a bit more...

Peace,
Mo

PS - here's the rundown if you're interested:
V1 - global input
V2 - PLEX & DORADO GAIN
V3 - CLEAN GAIN & TONE
V4 - CRUNCH GAIN & TONE
V5 - PLEX & DORADO TONE
V6 - global out

For the gain, I'm seeking smooth, rich, full and aggressive (but focused); for the tone, deep and colorful.

Hey Mo, do you mind keeping us up to date as to how your tube swapping goes in that MAK4? I'm on the verge of starting to look into preamp tubes for my MAK4 as well. Thanks mang!

Sure thing, this wasn't supposed to be a hijack to the OP's thread, so I'll set up a different thread under RT.

I get all my tubes from thetubestore.com - excellent guys to work with...

Mo/V.