T
thickwood
New member
The Glaring highs of the new production 12ax7 tubes are very lacking in tone !
I have 30+ so I looked elsewhere for tone !
Sino tubes go into mush early in a OD channel , higher gain channels some folks like them ?
Vintage 12ax7 -5751-12ay7 is where I did my bidding .
Some good types for me were -
GE horseshoe getter 12ax7, good even texture and good crunch and sweeter highs no fizzy cruddy sound.
Amperex- cures a muddy amp sound great attack made in Holland tubes only !
RCA 12ax7 long black plate, a vivid colorful sound pushed a bit , but lacks highs and crunch will not happen.
Sylvania 12ax7 long black plate is similar to the RCA but more ballsy in the bottom and has some crunch and highs are better than RCA.
The Gain monster Ei 12ax7 long smooth grey plate is even in EQ and a heavy weight OD socket tube that drives to wicked crunch mojo.
Sylvania long grey plate 12ax7 is a gain champion also, rounded notes and forceful upper mids good strong tight bass good highs !
Ratheon 12ax7 - there are many good and different made 12ax7 from there several factories worth trying a couple !
Vintage Mullard 12ax7 tube has the OD crunch covered and bright amps need one of these like Marshalls-Engel-Laney ect:
RFT 12ax7 vintage - the brightest amps Can rock crunch these great but dark and toneless in my amps !
Vintage Japan made long grey plate 12ax7- can clearup a thick sounding muddy amp with great highs and tight bass and can crunch !
Honorable mention new tubes.
Most tolerable first.
The Sovtek 12ax7 long plate LPS tube is the bomb for the Phase inverter no kidding if you use gain ! ***** awesome tube
JJ tesla ecc83-a even EQ tone without fizz or glaring highs !
Sovtek 12ax7 tubes sound like tubes at least
RI Tungsol 12ax7 do crunch well enough but short plate brighter than wanted for me !
Once you have a few tubes try every combination to gain a understanding of how each sounds in what position is the only way to get that sweet spot !
I have read many folks can not tell the difference when tube rolling , so this info is for those who can and do try to get the best out of the amp !
I have a pair of 6av6 tubes replacing one 12ax7 in V1 on one of my amps, the adaptor is a gift from a tube seller who knows his stuff.
The biggest surprise for me is the 12ax7 tube buffered FX loop ,I put a GE 12ay7 in and it warmed up the sound and seems to move the sweet spot on my amp to a higher volume setting and allowed the harmonic power tubes to get going adding greatly to the sound but basically the same apparent volume !
So when testing you must try it with some volume imop !
The fun and frustration is a education in itself.
Well if your sound is just not what you want the tubes and speakers could be where to look.
I sympathize with the modern amps say like the Bogner Alchemy as there hard to retube in the preamp !
Obsessive compulsive tone hunting pays off in the end, but I paid less than full price and more than I ment too lol.
Read Tube Kings 12ax7 tube comparisons for added info on specific vintage tube brands.
I do not have the answers folks need but perhaps now know where to look as I did.
Basically the 12ax7 short plate tubes are bright and tight bottom and the longer plate tubes have more depth and less brightness in most cases !
Make everything fun whatever you do !
Good luck
I have 30+ so I looked elsewhere for tone !
Sino tubes go into mush early in a OD channel , higher gain channels some folks like them ?
Vintage 12ax7 -5751-12ay7 is where I did my bidding .
Some good types for me were -
GE horseshoe getter 12ax7, good even texture and good crunch and sweeter highs no fizzy cruddy sound.
Amperex- cures a muddy amp sound great attack made in Holland tubes only !
RCA 12ax7 long black plate, a vivid colorful sound pushed a bit , but lacks highs and crunch will not happen.
Sylvania 12ax7 long black plate is similar to the RCA but more ballsy in the bottom and has some crunch and highs are better than RCA.
The Gain monster Ei 12ax7 long smooth grey plate is even in EQ and a heavy weight OD socket tube that drives to wicked crunch mojo.
Sylvania long grey plate 12ax7 is a gain champion also, rounded notes and forceful upper mids good strong tight bass good highs !
Ratheon 12ax7 - there are many good and different made 12ax7 from there several factories worth trying a couple !
Vintage Mullard 12ax7 tube has the OD crunch covered and bright amps need one of these like Marshalls-Engel-Laney ect:
RFT 12ax7 vintage - the brightest amps Can rock crunch these great but dark and toneless in my amps !
Vintage Japan made long grey plate 12ax7- can clearup a thick sounding muddy amp with great highs and tight bass and can crunch !
Honorable mention new tubes.
Most tolerable first.
The Sovtek 12ax7 long plate LPS tube is the bomb for the Phase inverter no kidding if you use gain ! ***** awesome tube
JJ tesla ecc83-a even EQ tone without fizz or glaring highs !
Sovtek 12ax7 tubes sound like tubes at least
RI Tungsol 12ax7 do crunch well enough but short plate brighter than wanted for me !
Once you have a few tubes try every combination to gain a understanding of how each sounds in what position is the only way to get that sweet spot !
I have read many folks can not tell the difference when tube rolling , so this info is for those who can and do try to get the best out of the amp !
I have a pair of 6av6 tubes replacing one 12ax7 in V1 on one of my amps, the adaptor is a gift from a tube seller who knows his stuff.
The biggest surprise for me is the 12ax7 tube buffered FX loop ,I put a GE 12ay7 in and it warmed up the sound and seems to move the sweet spot on my amp to a higher volume setting and allowed the harmonic power tubes to get going adding greatly to the sound but basically the same apparent volume !
So when testing you must try it with some volume imop !
The fun and frustration is a education in itself.
Well if your sound is just not what you want the tubes and speakers could be where to look.
I sympathize with the modern amps say like the Bogner Alchemy as there hard to retube in the preamp !
Obsessive compulsive tone hunting pays off in the end, but I paid less than full price and more than I ment too lol.
Read Tube Kings 12ax7 tube comparisons for added info on specific vintage tube brands.
I do not have the answers folks need but perhaps now know where to look as I did.
Basically the 12ax7 short plate tubes are bright and tight bottom and the longer plate tubes have more depth and less brightness in most cases !
Make everything fun whatever you do !
Good luck
