5751 pre amp tube swap in SLO 30 vid

cragginshred77

Well-known member
The newest Slo 30's have an 'Audio taper' MV now which means the volume comes on smoother, However, to my ears that means until you reach noon it has a lot more pre amp gain/sizzle. This led me to research different pre amp tubes. I ended up with a 5751 in the V2 position.

I learned V1 swap would be too drastic and V2 effects the character of the gain and in the vid it may be hard to tell but it seemed to work. Side note I just got a Music man Luke guitar and at band practice last night I noticed how much more clarity there is in the new MM pups. This led me to turn the gain on the crunch ch to 11 and it sounded killer. The Luke has a push push vol knob providing a very useful 12 db punch for solos and certain parts of songs where i want some pinch harmonics to stand out -very pleased!

Other pre amp tube info I learned
12AT7 has 60% of the gain a 12AX7 has
5751 has 70% so it's more subtle


 
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I have got to try a SLO30. Would need to sell a 5150 Stealth 50W and a plexi clone I just picked up to do it though.
 
Your SLO30 sounds really good!

Are you boosting the front of the amp with anything or is this straight into the amp?
 
Your SLO30 sounds really good!

Are you boosting the front of the amp with anything or is this straight into the amp?
This is how I am making the Crunch ch do most of the heavy lifting. the gain ch gets a bit thick and not as articulate so oI use it for solos mainly

 
I am running a GE 5751 in V2 and I think V3 on my Soldano HR25, works great for me, gives me a little more of a usable gain range. Always wished there was a bit less gain available to dial in the lead channel.
 
Yeah I preferred the MG in my SLO100 since it’s just less gain but didn’t change the character too much. 5751 made the low end strangely hollow in mine.
What is an MG tube? I may put the 12AX7 back in since the new Music man Luke pups sound way better than my Anderson guitars. I will do a tone sample review this weekend. Still need to Luke set up.
 
I’m using 5751’s in V1 and V2 of my Splawn modded 1987. Helps tame it a bit and make it a bit more musical. It came with a EH in V1 and it was a bit Hairy Mary.

Interesting. I just picked up a Rockitt Retro 50W, that is quite tasty actually, but it has all EH pre's in it. Think I will swap V1 to see what tweaks it makes.
 
What pickups are in your Anderson?
One has h3 covered, the other has H2+ covered. Great pups, some of the best ever , however the newly designed Luke pups with the 12db boost is insanely clear and punchy. Just a great match for the Slo 30. I have not tried em with my Friedman BE 100 dlx or pink taco yet but will do a demo vid on each amp

Just interesting how I can make impulsive decisions based on how one guitar/pup sounds with an amp and how I can have a totally different conclusion plugging a different one in.
 
My Drop Top has an HF2 in the bridge and it was pretty nice through the SLO30 Saturday. Can't wait to see what a Les Paul sounds like.
I am thinking about a slightly hotter bridge in the Anderson though. As long as it still splits well
 
The newest Slo 30's have an 'Audio taper' MV now which means the volume comes on smoother, However, to my ears that means until you reach noon it has a lot more pre amp gain/sizzle. This led me to research different pre amp tubes. I ended up with a 5751 in the V2 position.

I learned V1 swap would be too drastic and V2 effects the character of the gain and in the vid it may be hard to tell but it seemed to work. Side note I just got a Music man Luke guitar and at band practice last night I noticed how much more clarity there is in the new MM pups. This led me to turn the gain on the crunch ch to 11 and it sounded killer. The Luke has a push push vol knob providing a very useful 12 db punch for solos and certain parts of songs where i want some pinch harmonics to stand out -very pleased!

Other pre amp tube info I learned
12AT7 has 60% of the gain a 12AX7 has
5751 has 70% so it's more subtle



I've been utilizing HQ 5751 preamps as my "secret weapon" to change the feel/touch-dynamics and tonality of many amps, many of which are considered "high gainers" for sure. This tube is also incredible as a phase inverter in some circuits. Brilliant tube that does a LOT for an amps front end if one so desires. Great post!! :2thumbsup:
 
MG's are a Box Plate style like a Mullard or Amperex..
While you're at it, pickup a JJ E83CC. The difference is the Grids are wound on a Frame. That means there's more winds and they are tighter together which makes them low noise. The tone is different from a standard ECC83S in the they are brighter and deeper ..
Buy from Eurotubes. I always get good stuff from them..

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My Drop Top has an HF2 in the bridge and it was pretty nice through the SLO30 Saturday. Can't wait to see what a Les Paul sounds like.
I am thinking about a slightly hotter bridge in the Anderson though. As long as it still splits well
LP's sound killer thru the Slo 30. Mine has the only Gibson pup I like -the 'classic bucker' that come in R9's. I did have to have it potted in wax to control the noise and now it is perfect!!

 
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