Will changing your tubes change the sound of your amp?

  • Thread starter Thread starter LP Freak
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Thank you for posting this video. I watched it a couple of days ago. What a bunch of crap!!! The guy demonstrates what is a better tube and says, "it's just louder" doi? Yes, some tubes are louder and sometimes that's what makes it not only different, but makes it better! I'll tell you this, tubes, especially preamps tubes make an amp! Fuck yeah! If you put an ARS 8th gen in a MESA Boogie Mark IIC+ it responds a whole lot better, more usable gain, thicker mids, everything. A MESA SPAX in V3 of a Mark III, holy shit sweet Alabama sunshine!
How about vintage amps? Come on now, do I really need to show you what preamp tubes actually do? I doubt it. You guys that play old Fender champs know what a NOS tube will do to make it sing, and it's not snobbery.
Modern amps do not react the same way as older vintage amps but some preamp tubes will be louder, with maybe less gain, which allows me to turn the gain knob on the amp up high with less compression, which to me anyway, is an inprovement over a saturated preamp tube that over-does the gain, unless of course, that's what I want.
What new power tubes will do in a lifeless amp is, um, 100% noticeable. Pretty much undebatable. Not to this moron.
 
My experiments......
in my studio.....
with my amps....
and my ears....
indicate that the answer is....
Yes.... yes it would change the sound of your amp.
YMMV

For clarity, the tests were done with a di guitar track, and re-amped using various amps while changing nothing but the output tubes in those amps.
The DI and re-amp device was a Millenia TD-1.
The 4x12 cabs were mic'd with an SM57 > Great River ME-1NV > DAW and Royer R121 > Chandler TG1 > DAW.
Apogee converters.
If you can't hear the difference in a YouTube clip, not my problem.
@ 24 bit 96kHZ, or in the room, my grandmother could hear it.
 
311splawndude":1cnv5yke said:
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They know what's up.
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I have 3.

those 2 are :thumbsup:

My experience has been that cats LOVE music....

But they absolutely HATE feedback... :lol: :LOL:
 
From the dozens upon dozens of preamp tube cocktails & numerous power tubes I've tried in dozens and dozens of amps my experience is that the difference is negligible. Some change...sure, but minimal for me. JJ, RCA, Tungsol, TAD, JJ, Mesa, =C=, on and on and on. I've tried a bunch and there is just minute variation to my ears. Same with Bias...I never hear any notable change.
 
100% yes. Both power and preamp tubes.

Heck, just adjusting bias will change the sound of your amp.
 
Well, I have never experienced any magic when changing power tubes. But preamp tubes make a difference. If i changed fromm jjs to Gold lions, i had to majorly change my eq. When I went to Chinese 12ax7b, my preamp lost all that jj fizz. And the noise from preamp tubes is the only thing that really bothers me. So when i changed to nos preamp tubes or gold lions, eh, etc. the list goes on; all I did was re eq my amp to get back to my sound. In my experience, the tubes didn't change the voicing.
 
I have tons of different pre and power tubes. While there is some difference in the sound, I don’t think the difference is really all that drastic that a quick change of settings couldn’t have accomplished. You’ll have a far greater tonal impact by changing speakers and/or cabs.
 
mhenson42":3d9j3cyy said:
I have tons of different pre and power tubes. While there is some difference in the sound, I don’t think the difference is really all that drastic that a quick change of settings couldn’t have accomplished. You’ll have a far greater tonal impact by changing speakers and/or cabs.
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Agree with this. I've rolled tubes forever...Some amps have more dramatic differences when rolling than others. It's more of a feel and brightness thing that changes, not the sound of the amp. Bugle Boy Amperex preamp tubes sound brighter/clearer than say JJ's. Jan Phillips sound more smooth, and tung sols sound wider, yet tighter. All these are pretty subtle, but agree different Cabs/Speakers make a way more drastic difference in perceived sound. Tubes just change feel/saturation/clarity a little bit.
 
For me tubes make enough of a difference that its worth experimenting. The feel and bass response as others mentioned can be altered with tube changes . EQ curve changes are more noticeable when changing powertubes to a different brand in my experience. Tube changes can also smooth out an amp or make it more aggressive depending on the brand and type of tube.
 
I pick has a bigger effect on tone than tubes, assuming the tubes are tested similarly and in spec. Just my opinion
 
For some amps I notice a difference more than others, and it's not always the amps I expect. I loaded my K-Tre preamp tubes with NOS JAN from current productuon Tung-Sol and damnnnnn THAT opened it up let it breath, clear clean and sexy as hell. I have never had a similar result with a 5150. Vintage amps and NMV amps I see more, even with just preamp tubes. My F51 clone could not be more different with a JAN and JJ.

There are a ton of variables and some of those are beyond my pay grade, but for me it's worth it.

And the JJ 6L6 vs the SED =C= EL34 on the Recto, STUPID different. No acknowledging anything remotely the same
 
I agree amp design has a lot to do with it. I had a block letter 5150 and hated all new production tubes. Stuck in a quad of 7581a Sylvania tubes and it killed. Almost like I stuck a compressor out in front of the amp.

I wish I couldn’t hear differences in tubes. I’d sell my NOS stash and buy new stuff.
 
psychodave":34kb7n6c said:
I agree amp design has a lot to do with it. I had a block letter 5150 and hated all new production tubes. Stuck in a quad of 7581a Sylvania tubes and it killed. Almost like I stuck a compressor out in front of the amp.

I wish I couldn’t hear differences in tubes. I’d sell my NOS stash and buy new stuff.
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Ultimately this.
 
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