Best place to buy Chinese 12AX7Bs?

  • Thread starter Thread starter leib10
  • Start date Start date
leib10

leib10

Well-known member
Seems like a lot of the usual places don't carry them anymore. Where are people sourcing these tubes now?
 
Shuguang 12AX7s of all types been out of production for 3 or 4 years now IIRC and the reopening of the factory fell through.

From what I heard most of the people that were at Shuguang and were working to reopen the factory went over to Psvane, so it will be interesting to see what they do as far as preamp tubes over the next year or two as things ramp up.
 
I’ve gotten all of mine either a while ago from Nessotne, used or some amps I’ve got came with them, but there are other tubes I like now even more than them in my amps (including my Uberschall Rev 1 fwiw), but they’re definitely very good in modern high gain amps

I’ve got a Psvane 12AX7 that actually sounds pretty decent, but doesn’t sound like those Shuguang’s. It’s more smooth sounding, while the Shuguang’s are know for sounding very hairy. Surprisingly their Mullard copy 5U4 is one of my all time favorite tubes of that type even over my actual vintage stuff
 
technomancer said:
Shuguang 12AX7s of all types been out of production for 3 or 4 years now IIRC and the reopening of the factory fell through.

From what I heard most of the people that were at Shuguang and were working to reopen the factory went over to Psvane, so it will be interesting to see what they do as far as preamp tubes over the next year or two as things ramp up.
Click to expand...
Heard shuguang is building new factory ? Psvane still intrigue me.... wonder has anybody tried ? Are they same as shuguang ?
 
hopkinWFG said:
Heard shuguang is building new factory ? Psvane still intrigue me.... wonder has anybody tried ? Are they same as shuguang ?
Click to expand...

Friedman was saying recently on tone talk that it fell through and most of the people involved are now at Psvane. This was maybe in the last month or so? No idea which episode though.
 
hopkinWFG said:
Heard shuguang is building new factory ? Psvane still intrigue me.... wonder has anybody tried ? Are they same as shuguang ?
Click to expand...
They sound different to me than my Shuguang 12AX7's. The Psvane's sound smoother, while Shuguang's sound hairy. The Psvane 5U4 Mullard copy I was actually very impressed with. The other Psvane's I've got sound to me decent enough
 
Since the Shuguangs seem to be out of production, what are people liking as alternatives these days?
 
Are you telling me I can start trying to sell the chinese 12ax7’s I have sitting around as “vintage 2000’s-2010’s” “out of production” and NOS for a 300% markup?
 
Bardagh said:
Are you telling me I can start trying to sell the chinese 12ax7’s I have sitting around as “vintage 2000’s-2010’s” “out of production” and NOS for a 300% markup?
Click to expand...
Give it time, it will happen.
 
hopkinWFG said:
thats not the same 12ax7B shuguang i know.... usually the shuguang 12ax7b has longer plate and has double spacer on top easily to recogniseable.... thats more like a JJ ecc803s to me.....

this is the shuguang 12ax7B ...... https://www.ebay.com/itm/195915399899?_trkparms=amclksrc=ITM&aid=1110006&algo=HOMESPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=20201210111314&meid=a6191e2566c7429296a6a164da8c278b&pid=101195&rk=2&rkt=12&sd=256018049151&itm=195915399899&pmt=1&noa=0&pg=2047675&algv=SimplAMLv11WebTrimmedV3MskuWithLambda85KnnRecallV1V2V4ItemNrtInQueryAndCassiniVisualRankerAndBertRecallWithVMEV3&brand=Unbranded&_trksid=p2047675.c101195.m1851&amdata=cksum:195915399899a6191e2566c7429296a6a164da8c278b|enc:AQAIAAABUPqB0EgCndAssfMWNy0AT0GytGzF9%2By0G%2BlcW69DgBK3Qlz4BjwJQqPkN4K8I7qz9GoVciN1QNWqyS8EeqYS8rZRsDvyvw34m3N%2FyJKokwCTIIc3RNym2SNW8ARudP72DyiwgIY0dfUnIr5%2BMZDTaovuIUyV9%2FBeAlRtCBjqmaT9UV7pagi%2By4MWXqrhOmetIuMcSyeiwh5%2FP0nfGaKfZ34tDRzXt61Ons8MGEv5zA%2BsqK8GcfWjmFmeSuuzzVrYim5RvCovBHti3TUghxiqFfz8r8c0TQnM7azRvlUL2GZwVbmZZwzwPBFR7wtkFXnL5cxd2tV7iSuAHr8qzZRQakX6ennc%2BK1kRPGiQ4OPDHkky72xjyb45XfMqEk7afj8RGk%2FoevjJuLZNr7XWFw5V%2Bs6FDdWv9b9ToekmhAmfdkHjXrf69%2B7PWSs%2FInIrHhplw%3D%3D|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2047675
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I'll see if I can get those...
 
leib10 said:
Since the Shuguangs seem to be out of production, what are people liking as alternatives these days?
Click to expand...
For tubes still in production I’d say easily the Genalex Gold Lion CV4004 gold pin 12AX7’s. Tighter, punchier and in most ways more aggressive than the Shuguang’s but not as fat or warm in the low mids as Shuguang. That being said, in my modern high gain amps (including my Rev 1 Uber) my top choice is RFT’s, but they are harder to come by
 
hopkinWFG said:
nothing beats shuguang on high gain for me !
Click to expand...
Shuguang’s are a tried and true classic for high gain. The only ones I’ve preferred are my RFT’s and Gold Lion CV4004 gold pins. Winged C’s can be cool too when tightness and punch are the priority
 
Now you guys went and got me to order some Shuguangs…:D
I like the Chinese tubes anyway for my Mesa’s as you don’t have to worry about remembering the cathode follower position (they don’t like Russian tubes there).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top