What Tubes You Using???

E

ewill52

Well-known member
What's everyone's go-to preamp tube these days? i've been pretty cheap on them in the past, defaulting to JJ's for simplicity and reliability, but many have said that they aren't the best sounding tubes. I just want to try some cool stuff in V1 of my Shiva.

What's your go-to?
 
Pretty much all JJ's for gigging amps, they've been reliable and sound pretty good. JJ ECC803s has worked pretty good for me in a Twin Reverb v1 v2 spot so I just keep using those. I have some GE NOS power tubes I want to install in my other jbl equipped Twin but want to save that amp for recording and special events only. I can't see burning up expensive stuff at bar gigs.
 
Haven't bought tubes since before the pandemic, so I'm not sure how price and availability are, but my go-tos are usually:

1. Svetlana 12AX7SV - Same kind of clarity as the Tung Sol, just cheaper and slightly warmer. Not hard to find one that's low microphony for the 1st stage.

2. Mullard CV4004 - Honestly, pretty similar to the Svetlana, just with a dirtier midrange with more character. Costs about twice as much as the Svetlana, though, so it's harder to buy a bunch to find the right one that's low micropohony enough for V1. It does sound 1-2% better than the Svetlana (IMO), just harder to justify the cost for so little improvement.

3. Gold Lion CV4004 - I suspect it's the exact same tube as the Mullard CV4004, just with the gold pins and tighter tolerances. It's expensive, but at least, it's more likely you'll get one that's low microphony enough for V1.

4. Shuguang 12AX7B - Honestly, this is my favorite-sounding of the bunch. I just find it super super super hard to find one that's low microphony enough for V1. I've must have bought like 40-ish of these throughout my tube amp journeys (I know it might not be that many compared to some, but keep in mind, I've not owned as many tube amps as most people here), out of which 2 or 3 have been good enough for V1.

5. JJ ECC83S - It's far from the best-sounding. Or at least my favorite-sounding. But they're super mega reliable and super esty to get one that's quiet enough for V1.
 
I have a stash of pre/power tubes that I built up prior to Covid jumping the prices. Vintage Tungsram, Ei, Mullard, Amperex, and Chinese 8th/9th gen preamp tubes. Power I'm stocked up on vintage Siemens, Winged C/Svets(pre 2009), a few Mullards, and a few GE 6550s, Sovtek wafer 6L6, and a few Sylvania 6CA7s.
 
Racerxrated said:
I have a stash of pre/power tubes that I built up prior to Covid jumping the prices. Vintage Tungsram, Ei, Mullard, Amperex, and Chinese 8th/9th gen preamp tubes. Power I'm stocked up on vintage Siemens, Winged C/Svets(pre 2009), a few Mullards, and a few GE 6550s, Sovtek wafer 6L6, and a few Sylvania 6CA7s.
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are "chinese" tubes the same as Shuguang? Do they still make them? All the vendors show out of stock
 
ewill52 said:
What's everyone's go-to preamp tube these days? i've been pretty cheap on them in the past, defaulting to JJ's for simplicity and reliability, but many have said that they aren't the best sounding tubes. I just want to try some cool stuff in V1 of my Shiva.

What's your go-to?
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NOS tubes all the way. If you have something with an 'American' style gain, an RCA blackplate is where it is at.

If you have a 'British' flavored gain, I'd go with a Mullard Blackburn.

Not the new Mullards, the ones that are made in Britain. If those are too expensive, I hear that Matsushita get very close for half the price or so.

Again, I have rolled tons of tubes and those are what I would highly recommend. The RCA blackplates are absolutely wonderful in everything. Funnily enough, whichever you put the blackplate in, you will notice. V3/PI, V2/FX, etc.

I know 2 very, very reliable sellers when it comes to NOS, a lot of the others do not test them in guitar amps that are cranked.

One is on eBay and the other on Reverb.



Good luck!!
 
ewill52 said:
are "chinese" tubes the same as Shuguang? Do they still make them? All the vendors show out of stock
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No, the Shuguang plant shut down several years ago. Some of the employees started a new company called Psvane. Mixed reviews on the tubes coming out of there, but they're not the same tube.
 
ewill52 said:
are "chinese" tubes the same as Shuguang? Do they still make them? All the vendors show out of stock
Click to expand...
Yes, and no. The 8th/9th gens are from the late 80s/early 90s. They have the chrome or circle getters at the top of the tube. The newer production are also the same construction; some are labeled 6N4 as the Chinese military version, or simply 12AX7B in red print. So the newer ones do look like the older version. You can buy them directly from China using Aliexpress; I've bought from them in the past when they were 4 bucks a tube, but now they are 8-12 per the last I looked. Takes about a month to get them.
 
i have chinese ones


IbSHOow.jpg
 
I honestly much prefer Chinese Suggies in CF positions over JJ's. Or anywhere, TBH.

I think Marshall, Friedman, and many of the BAD brands were shipping their amps with JJ's in V1, and Shuggies in the rest of the spots. I don't think it's a bad idea. That's before Shuguang went down.

I don't hate JJ ECC83S's, personally. I don't love them, but they work. If anything, I'd have them in V1 over any other spot because they're so quiet, reliable, cheap, and easy to get ahold of. Although I find there's other tubes that sound "better" (to me, anyways) that are as reliable.

For me, the "safe bet" combo is Shuguangs all throughout the preamp except in the PI, where I like a Sovtek LPS because it's loud, clean, and has a wide soundstage. Like I said, I'd dig Shuguangs in V1 if they weren't so damn noisy and inconsistent (for that position, at least). Otherwise, the Russian shortplates work well in those postions too. I'd avoid EH, personally, but that's just me. I find them harsh, scooped, and with a big-ish but extremely slow and loose low-end.
 
Preamp..for my taste is the NOS Raytheon long black plates...2nd Tung Sols...3rd EH...JJs just seem too fuzzy...although had some mid gain AX7 JJs years ago that were cool. Always LPS in the PI slot.
Power amp tubes I've used Tung Sol..JJ....EH...Groove Tubes..Some Ruby EL34...Most of them have sounded great...I think I prefer the 6L6 tone over the EL34...but lucky enough to have amps with both choices at the moment.
 
IMG_20231030_205226903.jpg
I have a little single ended Vox with an NOS Mullard in the front and JJ output right now. Going to try these out in it and see which I like best! Sylvania Black Plate and an Ei for Hammond (Extra quiet tubes).

I have a feeling the Ei will mesh better with the Mullard but who knows what combo will end up in there. I have a Sylvania 12ax7 I could try with the output and see how they pair. Who knows?

Thinking that the Mullard and Ei will really be extra magical though and give all of the British spank and warm you'd hope to have with a smoother top and vocal midrange. Will probably start a new thread about rolling in the Vox, like I did with the Rivera.
 
MusicIsLife said:
NOS Ei in V1, otherwise Mullard long plate reissue.
Tung Sol in other positions, except for cathode follower, where I'll use a JJ.
Sovtek LPS for phase inverter.
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Ei's for V1 and PI. Chinese for the rest. Ei's are my favorites but you have to get a good one.. Otherwise it's BOOM!

MMMMM.. Tasty. :D

IMG_20231030_215820296_HDR.jpg
 
GuitarGuy08 said:
NOS tubes all the way. If you have something with an 'American' style gain, an RCA blackplate is where it is at.

If you have a 'British' flavored gain, I'd go with a Mullard Blackburn.

Not the new Mullards, the ones that are made in Britain. If those are too expensive, I hear that Matsushita get very close for half the price or so.

Again, I have rolled tons of tubes and those are what I would highly recommend. The RCA blackplates are absolutely wonderful in everything. Funnily enough, whichever you put the blackplate in, you will notice. V3/PI, V2/FX, etc.

I know 2 very, very reliable sellers when it comes to NOS, a lot of the others do not test them in guitar amps that are cranked.

One is on eBay and the other on Reverb.



Good luck!!
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RCA's are kick ass.. Even old GE long plates are nice and rich..
 
JJ’s aren’t bad, but for the Shiva I’d try Shuguang foil getters. If you want the best and willing to spend more I’d get ‘50’s bugle boys or RFT’s for it

Other good, but spendy choices: Valvo, Telefunken, Siemens, Mullard. For affordable and still good vintage choices: Brimar, Pinnacle (Not Pinnacle Foreign label) and Japanese
 
GuitarGuy08 said:
View attachment 260946I have a little single ended Vox with an NOS Mullard in the front and JJ output right now. Going to try these out in it and see which I like best! Sylvania Black Plate and an Ei for Hammond (Extra quiet tubes).

I have a feeling the Ei will mesh better with the Mullard but who knows what combo will end up in there. I have a Sylvania 12ax7 I could try with the output and see how they pair. Who knows?

Thinking that the Mullard and Ei will really be extra magical though and give all of the British spank and warm you'd hope to have with a smoother top and vocal midrange. Will probably start a new thread about rolling in the Vox, like I did with the Rivera.
Click to expand...
Mullard EL84’s are great tubes, but not my top choice in my 1963 Vox AC30TB or Xits Piper 30. I liked most probably my Valvo EL84 quad in them and is perfect for what you describe as a vocal midrange and smoother top end. The RFT and Bugle Boy EL84’s are also great choices for that, but darker voiced. My RCA EL84/6BQ5 quad is also surprisingly up there. Very warm, fat and old school as RCA’s always tend to be
 
mesaboogie6l6 said:
RFT's (and JJ's)
View attachment 260952
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Don't make me bust out my box! Lol I have collected quite a pretty few tubes myself, including red tips! I love that collection there. Amperex is like a Mullard with that warm midrange but with its own thing going on and more top end. I have half a dozen RCA blackplates, same with Mullards, RCA greyplates, etc lol I would say that the Amperex are a great 'all rounder' and would suit many, many amps very well
 
I've had good luck with Tung Sol preamp tubes in my Peavey amps.

Oh, I forgot... we're all idiots because Glenn Fricker said there's no sonic difference in different tubes. Gosh we're stupid! LOL
 
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