Will JJ preamp tubes tame a harsh amp?

[diddlybo]

I have one of the new Traynor combos, the Custom Special 50. Its a 50 watter using 5881's in the power section. Its a nice amp but its sounding a little on the harsh side and the mids are a bit congested. I want to swap out the preamp tubes and a local guy stocks JJs. For you guys who are familiar with JJs, do you think they would be a good choice to tame this amp a bit? Any other suggestions?

 

[Jakem]

I don't have too much experience on different brands of tubes but JJ ECC83S sound great in my Triaxis and JMP-1. JJs tamed high end from both of them and made them sound darker. I like them a lot!

There are guys in here who have shitloads of knowledge about different brands so we'll see what's their opinion on them.

 

[diddlybo]

I don't have too much experience on different brands of tubes but JJ ECC83S sound great in my Triaxis and JMP-1. JJs tamed high end from both of them and made them sound darker. I like them a lot!

There are guys in here who have shitloads of knowledge about different brands so we'll see what's their opinion on them.

Thanks! I have heard they can be a little dark but that might not be a bad thing for me as the amp is a bit on the bright side.

 

[Jakem]

Thanks! I have heard they can be a little dark but that might not be a bad thing for me as the amp is a bit on the bright side.

I see that you're from USA so if I were you, I'd give Doug from Doug's Tubes a call. I've heard that he has sickening amount of knowledge on different tubes.

 

[SQUAREHEAD]

They will certainly deaden a lively amp...
They will make a nice cook'n clear, bright amp muddy.
I hate them.

Just my .02

keith

 

[Marshall Freak]

They will certainly deaden a lively amp...
They will make a nice cook'n clear, bright amp muddy.
I hate them.

Just my .02

keith

+1 Pretty much exactly how I feel about them.

 

[SQUAREHEAD]

They will certainly deaden a lively amp...
They will make a nice cook'n clear, bright amp muddy.
I hate them.

Just my .02

keith

+1 Pretty much exactly how I feel about them.

Hey MF... Good ears, Bro!!

Keith

 

[loudgtr]

They will certainly deaden a lively amp...
They will make a nice cook'n clear, bright amp muddy.
I hate them.

Just my .02

keith

+1
i find them harsh as well. I wouldn't use them in all spots. I prefer Sovtek LPS and my new Bogner came with mostly LPS and 2 Chinese 12AX7 tubes.

 

[bigangryguitar]

They are a tad dark so they will do what you want. When I had a XXX I didn't really like it until I put those in. My JSX is smoother so in there they seemed dull so I don't like them but I have heard they do great in the amp you have.

 

[blackba]

They will certainly deaden a lively amp...
They will make a nice cook'n clear, bright amp muddy.
I hate them.

Just my .02

keith

+2

I haven't liked them in most of my amps. I had all JJ preamp tubes in my mark IV and almost sold the amp. Once I changed the tubes to other brands I decided I love the amp

Best bet is to order a few brands and try them out. Lets say you need 3 12A7's, buy 3 brands, try them all in V1, decide what you like best and put that in V1, then stick the other 2 in the other slots.....

 

[meanstreet]

I'm not a big fan of the ECC83S either. I do like the ECC803 I tried recently though.

 

[diddlybo]

I tried a Tung Sol and a JJ in V1 and they were both a huge improvement over the Sovtek. The Tung Sol was nice but noisy. The JJ sounded awesome in this amp and not muddy at all. The congested mids are gone and the shrill high end is now usable. Maybe I'll try a couple more brands to see if I can get further improvement.

 

[D-Rock]

I have two JJ ECC83S tubes in my JSX. One in the V1 spot (preamp input) and one in the V3 (preamp output/active eq) spot. I didn't like the JJ in the V2 spot though, which is the gain position. I have a EH 12AX7 in there.

I think you should just but one JJ ECC83S and try it in every position. The first spot seems to yield the best/most noticable results. It made my JSX more lively sounding and increased clarity. The high end also got less harsh and more musical. Good Luck!

 

[RoccaforteAmps]

I have one of the new Traynor combos, the Custom Special 50. Its a 50 watter using 5881's in the power section. Its a nice amp but its sounding a little on the harsh side and the mids are a bit congested. I want to swap out the preamp tubes and a local guy stocks JJs. For you guys who are familiar with JJs, do you think they would be a good choice to tame this amp a bit? Any other suggestions?

No tube will tame amp harshness unless it's a tube causing the harshness
and you replace it with a better one.
Though tubes sound miraculous thay can't perform miracles.

 

[jasonP]

They will certainly deaden a lively amp...
They will make a nice cook'n clear, bright amp muddy.
I hate them.

Just my .02

keith

Yup, I've found the same!

 

[White_Van]

Love the Jan Phillips I stuck in V1 of my Einstein.


love it.

LOVE IT.