Anyone using NOS tubes in their "new" style, hi-gain amps?

[RockStarNick]

Anyone using NOS tubes in their "new" style amps? I'm talking modern, high gain channel switchers.

If so, lets hear your experiences!

I got some NOS tubes incoming that I got a good deal on. Some GE 12AX7WAs, an old Westinghouse 12AX7, and some Philips JAN 5751s and 12AT7s.

I'm on a tube kick lately, and just kinda bored with the limited offerings of new tubes. You either got Chinese, Sovtek, JJ, or TungSol. All have their advantages and disadvantages, but I figured I'd give some NOS tubes a try.

 

[eternal_idol]

RFT ecc83,

AWESOME high gain NOS tube.

I have two, LOVE EM! tehy make everything i put them in just slay.
not overly gainy mine are rateed 103-5 ish but the voicing is nice love the grind in the mid range!

Other NOS tubes i've found sound like shit in certain situations..
I had an old GE 12ax7a sounded like poop in my rectifier
in my buddies Rivera it was like god breathing through your speakers.

same cab, same guitar.

Jan Phillips are nice tubes.

Brae

 

[mentoneman]

Mullard in v1 and brimar in v2
RFT in pi and my eggie tol 100 sings
I still think the eh el34s sounded better than the current groove tubes I'm using.

 

[RockStarNick]

I need to get my hands on some mullard preamp tubes...

 

[BleedingEdge]

In my ENGL SE EL34 I put in some NOS Siemens EL34s. I think they sound great. But not too different than stock unless very loud. I didn't mess with the preamp tubes.

My Mesa Tremoverb is full of RCA 12AX7As and has some RCA 6L6s. That is an AMAZING amp now because of those tubes.

 

[SFW]

I'm using an NOS Mullard in the V1 position of my TriAmp. I've noticed that it helps with clairity throughout the channels.

 

[Dale B]

I use a little of everything from the NOS stuff. I've got some old Mullards, RFTs, GEs, RCAs, Telefunkens, older Teslas and a few others I can't think of right off the top of my head. As for power tubes, I've got some old GE 6L6GC's, a matched octet of Philips 7581A's, Siemens EL34's, older Tesla EL34's and some GE 6550s.

 

[Loudness250]

yeah, I definitely do. I have some Matsushitas and a couple mullard 12ax7, tungsram, a tesla e83cc. I mix them up with the chinese in my VHT and it really does make the amp just sound better. There is more depth and layers of sound in the chords. It's like everything is enhanced in a good way. Of course you get a dud here and there with NOS tubes but I think it's night and day how much better most of them sound. I wouldnt use a 12at7 in a hight gain amp unless your cool with losing overall volume from that amp too. It's almost like putting a blanket over the cab but sometimes the tone you get from putting an at7 or au7 in there is almost worth the loss of volume, it's that nice sounding. Mullard at7 and Tesla ecc802's are tone monster tubes in the PI.But the volume suffers. I could live with running all chinese in the preamp but It sounds way better mixing in some good nos stuff. I've also run some Jan/GE5751's before in my marshall and I liked that tube a hell of alot. Not sure if it's the same as the Jan/philips one.

 

[RockStarNick]

I just tested out all 4 NOS tubes lastnight in my practice amp, a little Randall RM20, and then in my Egnater Mod50.

The stock V1 tube in the Randall was an 12AX7EH. Changing to a GE 12AX7WA was an immediate, noticeable difference. Less wooly low end, more sparkle on top, just a more detailed sound.

In the Mod50, changed from a stock Sovtek 12AX7WA, to a GE 12AX7WA. Less volume, but a really nice detailed tone. So far, I'm loving it.

One of the NOS tubes might be a bummer. but, I called the dude I bought it from, and he advised to tap it gently on a table top, to possibly loosen any debris in the grid of the tube. We'll see how that goes.