Will changing your tubes change the sound of your amp?

[glpg80]

100% yes. Both power and preamp tubes.

Heck, just adjusting bias will change the sound of your amp.

+1

A spectrum Analyzer is the only way you can verify a tonal change and I can guarantee there is a difference between not only different types of tubes, but individual tubes themselves, both preamp and poweramp.

Anyone that says otherwise is looking for an argument.

 

[CornNutz]

Yes, absolutely. Tubes sound different. They also change the feel, which is something you cannot hear with a reamp.

The feel is very important IMO because it completely changes the way you attack, and phrase notes. It also inspires different riffs.

 

[blackba]

Putting aside how grating the person is. I have have a few issues with his tests. First he only uses new production tubes, nothing NOS. Second he never mentions if the tubes he is testing or brand new or worn. Third on the 5150 test it is unclear if he replaced all the preamp tubes or just V1.

I like how he did the null test, that was cool. I see changing tubes a one of the last things I do to fine tweak a setup, but I think they do make a significant difference that is worth noting.

 

[Dopethrone]

and on this end of things...i get my amps dialed in exactly with what tube combo sounds best to my finicky ears...and worry that i wont be able to find suitable replacements should any of them fizzle out

 

[stanz]

They know what's up.

Two girls, or girl and boy? Bonnie and Clyde!

 

[mooncobra]

Tubes definitely sound different, but to me they feel quite different also, some are much tighter than others, some break up more, the clean is more chimney with some, etc.

I got a set of tubes from Racerxrated recently and they are great, the clean channel has never been better in my Friedman. The ss100 already had a great clean channel but now it shines.

 

[Scumback Speakers]

I find the speakers and cabs make the biggest difference, then preamp & power tubes. The problem is that you need all of them to test out in a room at the same time to finalize a decision. And that's why I have so much gear! Sheesh!

 

[Nigel]

Modern circuits seem to like the tubes they’re designed with, but a vintage tube will sound better most of the time. My Zinky (AC15 clean and ‘59 Bassman/90’s Tonemaster gain) is NIGHT AND DAY better going from stock Sovtek/EHX short plates to Mullard long plates. Same with a Rivera M-60. My newer Orange Brent Hinds doesn’t like long plates in the PI or V1. It does like Russian military 6n14n power tubes, the ones Dr. Z ships with the Z-Wreck and Ken Fischer loved.

Years ago I rolled all the new stuff, and once I got a real Mullard CV4024 12AT7 in there, it was the “A-HA!”moment. Power tube wise, I’m with Peter Diezel and Bob Gjika: nothing tops JJ KT-77’s for new production in EL34 / 6L6 circuits.

Essentially, the way is to treat each amp as an experiment, and roll until satisfied. This is a subjective/“taste” based endeavor, so let your ears be the judge and your smile the confirmation.

 

[311splawndude]

I actually stole an oven glove (not those thick mits - it actually fits like a glove) from the kitchen so I can roll preamp tubes while the amp is on LOL.

Waiting for tubes to cool down is for the birds

 

[Nigel]

Haha, I somehow ended up with two matched pairs of oven miT gloves. See what I did there?

 

[311splawndude]

11

 

[Racerxrated]

The first time I swapped out a pair of JJ 34s in a JCM 800 for a pair of Winged Cs I was floored. Way more definition and 'kerrang' in those mids. It was like night and day. JJs were a mushy mess in comparison. Preamp tubes will always affect the tone, but until that day I was lukewarm on the power tube rabbit hole.
That was 10 yrs ago, over that time I've found that every vintage amp I've owned is far more sensitive to tube swaps than any more modern production. But since I own mostly vintage amps (Naylor SD60 is from 95, and is not picky about tubes) my tube stash is necessary.

 

[Monomyth]

It’s night and day, pre Covid China had some of the best pt ever made, the El34bstr was the best tube available, it hurts my soul it was so cheap and now gone

 

[PDC]

In no way an endorsement for JJ - but I can easily tell the difference between (properly biased) EL34s, EL34-IIs, and E34LS. And I can ‘feel’ the difference in the way the amp reacts, too.

 

[Smash]

+1

A spectrum Analyzer is the only way you can verify a tonal change and I can guarantee there is a difference between not only different types of tubes, but individual tubes themselves, both preamp and poweramp.

Anyone that says otherwise is looking for an argument.

I want to first say that I am not talking shit. But if a spectrum Analyzer needs to be used to tell me i have a different sound, then I don't care about the change.

 

[glpg80]

I want to first say that I am not talking shit. But if a spectrum Analyzer needs to be used to tell me i have a different sound, then I don't care about the change.

The Spec An is used for this exact and very reason - there’s no objective brain or hearing impaired opinion attached to the results as in the original post.

 

[timeghost]

Yes, it can change the sound, but nit enough to where you would notice unless they were side by side. And even then....

 

[braintheory]

I’ve only just scratched the surface of tube swapping, but so far I found in my stock ‘79 JMP2203 and ‘82 JCM2204 (Monomyth modded) that both power and preamp tubes can make very big differences, but in the newer amps I’ve tried they’ve been pretty subtle (like in the Boogie Mark V I had years ago)

I have this one friend who’s the most particular guy I know with tubes but most of his amps are newer amps and they still sounded basically the same to me as when I tried them in the past with stock tubes. He’d always say you gotta try this amp and I’d say I already played one before and wasn’t impressed. He’d say wait till you try it with these tubes and it’d never changed my mind about them, so I wasn’t motivated to tube swap, but now that I’ve tried it with some of my older amps, I’ll definitely explore this rabbit hole in the future