Your favorite preamp/V1 tube?

gypsyseven · 07-10-2012, 12:11 AM

What's your favorite tube in the V1 position, in which amp and why...

gypsyseven · 07-10-2012, 12:14 AM

My one is the 7025 WA TAD HIGHGRADE Premium Selected right now.

River · 07-10-2012, 12:15 AM

5751

Just 'cause.

alligatorbling · 07-10-2012, 12:16 AM

12ax7 and 5751

ive always thought 5751 helped give a wee more head room, while still giving a very nice overdriven tone.

gypsyseven · 07-10-2012, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by River

5751

Just 'cause.

Wow, cool! From the description here: 5751 TAD Premium Selected it sounds like i should order and try one! Thanks mate!

River · 07-10-2012, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alligatorbling

12ax7 and 5751

ive always thought 5751 helped give a wee more head room, while still giving a very nice overdriven tone.

I've felt it broke me up earlier, yet warmer.

All depends on the circuit, I suppose.

Nah, I don't suppose shit. It DOES all depend on the circuit. Worshiping tubes is a waste of time. Circuits are where it's at.

gypsyseven · 07-10-2012, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by River

5751

Just 'cause.

In which kind of amp do prefer these? 6L6's, EL34's....

LPCollector · 07-10-2012, 01:11 AM

Make mine a NOS Mullard (Great Britian) 12AX7 with long black plates and a halo getter, please!

mudfinger · 07-10-2012, 01:14 AM

Vintage RCA 7025.

alligatorbling · 07-10-2012, 01:48 AM

i have jj's in the power, and tung sol in the pre section of my DC 14

i run a NOS 5751 in V1 to give a little more head room. Gained out it sounds great as well.

ill have to check and see what manufacture it is. i got it from an mlp member, i cant remember their screen name though lol

its supposed to be nice old glass.

siore · 07-10-2012, 01:59 AM

V1? I'm liking the glassy highs of one particular RCA 7025. I like Yugo 12ax7's too, though I have 'em in V2 of a fender amp (that'd be like V1 in a 2nd channel, right?). They breakup nice, but it's a crap shoot selecting good ones. Have good experience with tung-sols as well. I don't roll tubes much as I want to, and I agree the circuit is more important.

yawny · 07-10-2012, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mudfinger

Vintage RCA 7025.

My old Bassman had these in the preamp section. Wish I could have taken them out when I sold it. They sound great and cost the big bucks to get your hands on anymore.

David Corrales · 07-10-2012, 05:48 AM

Tungsols for me.

Batman · 07-10-2012, 08:44 AM

I've got 60's RCA 12AX7 Grey Plates in the V1 position of both my amps. They add a lot of chime and harmonic complexity to the sound. I'm not going for less gain or smoothness, I want my amps to sound almost like I'm running a chorus pedal. The RCA delivers that tone for me.

Lyle Caldwell · 07-10-2012, 10:10 AM

I have a great sounding old 12AX7 I pulled from a decrepit early '60s Silvertone. The tube's labeled Silvertone but it's probably an RCA or other US make. Don't care, sounds great.

Lyle Caldwell · 07-10-2012, 10:10 AM

That said, there is no one magic tube for all amps.

Splattle101 · 07-10-2012, 10:25 AM

Mine are all magic...until the amplifier elves let the magic smoke out.

LPCollector · 07-10-2012, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splattle101

Mine are all magic...until the amplifier elves let the magic smoke out.

Mick51 · 07-10-2012, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LPCollector

My experience is that, when an amp smokes, it isn't usually magic. Not good magic, anyway..

MoJoe · 07-10-2012, 12:12 PM

5751 Tung-Sol NOS for my 6v6 amp.

JJ ECC83 for my EL84 amp.

Why? Because it sounds good.

chrisuk · 07-10-2012, 12:41 PM

Tried my Groove Tubes 5751 M in my 5F1 build but went back to the JJ ECC83 S.

A EI 12ax7 in my Marshall voiced custom build - never tried anything else in that one.

pwhite · 07-10-2012, 12:49 PM

So in an effort to brush on my electronics(since I have not been a bench tech for about 15 years now), I have been reading as much about tube amps as I possibly can. I ran across this webpage last night and thout there was some very interesting thoughts on tube rolling. One thing I have often wondered about is tube matching, what's the point? Were tubes matched in the old days, hell, were they even tested? Anyway some of you have probably read this but here it is.
Tales From The Tone Lounge: Parts Is Parts

LesterNtele · 07-10-2012, 02:46 PM

My favorite is probably an EHX 12AT7.
They are brighter than JJ's and NOS USA tubes and I can give more juice to the power tubes whilst not adding too much distortion.

7571's to me are too dark sounding, though the gain structure is similar to an AT7.

lespaul01 · 07-10-2012, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lyle Caldwell

I have a great sounding old 12AX7 I pulled from a decrepit early '60s Silvertone. The tube's labeled Silvertone but it's probably an RCA or other US make. Don't care, sounds great.

May well be an Amperex.

Just saw it is labeled silvertone.. Maybe not.. But,, I know that some of those old Silvertones were stocked with Amperex.

lespaul01 · 07-10-2012, 02:54 PM

Vintage 7025A(Amperex, Mullard) By far is my fav V1.

joshatatlasstands · 07-10-2012, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by River

5751

Just 'cause.

hey! me too!

5751

onioner · 07-10-2012, 03:12 PM

Favorite is still the Matsushita AX in the BF style Corona. Beautifully detailed, sparkly, chimey, and just gorgeous. Probably my favorite tube in any spot, just 'cause of how significant it is to the overall tone.

Cygnus X1 · 07-10-2012, 03:30 PM

As River implied, it is largely dependent on the circuit.
A tube that sounds too dark in one amp may be just the cure for another.

For high gain I like PM Tubes (tested relabled Chinese) and 90's red inked
Fender Chinese 12AX7A's.
Tung-Sol resissue 12AX7a's for lower gain apps.
JJ's are too brittle sounding most of the time for me.
Can't stand Sovteks for anything.

Old Sylvania's and RCA's get a lot of use when I get them.

Lyle Caldwell · 07-10-2012, 06:14 PM

Brittle has never been my experience with JJs, though I like JJs, Tung-Sols, and the Mullard RIs of current production. And yeah, sometimes the Chinese or Sovteks are just what is needed in a higher gain amp.

Note/reminder: don't use a Tung-Sol RI 12AX7 for any socket where the cathode has 200V+ on it. So not a good V2 for a Marshall or a Vox.

lespaul01 · 07-10-2012, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onioner

Favorite is still the Matsushita AX in the BF style Corona. Beautifully detailed, sparkly, chimey, and just gorgeous. Probably my favorite tube in any spot, just 'cause of how significant it is to the overall tone.

Awesome tubes.

07-10-2012, 12:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
gypsyseven Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Rheinfelden,Germany Posts: 2,509 Thanks: 53 Thanked 66 Times in 18 Posts	Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? What's your favorite tube in the V1 position, in which amp and why...

07-10-2012, 12:14 AM	#2 (permalink)
gypsyseven Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Rheinfelden,Germany Posts: 2,509 Thanks: 53 Thanked 66 Times in 18 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? My one is the 7025 WA TAD HIGHGRADE Premium Selected right now.

07-10-2012, 12:15 AM	#3 (permalink)
River Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Rural Colorado, USA Posts: 55,029 Thanks: 753 Thanked 985 Times in 79 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? 5751 Just 'cause. joshatatlasstands likes this. __________________ River Bottom Blues Band - Music Home of the River Bottom Blues Band

07-10-2012, 12:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
alligatorbling V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 31,571 Thanks: 1,839 Thanked 2,357 Times in 649 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? 12ax7 and 5751 ive always thought 5751 helped give a wee more head room, while still giving a very nice overdriven tone. __________________ http://soundcloud.com/astrobling/frog-dog-bird-cat Visit Blings Soundcloud! visit bling at reverbnation!

07-10-2012, 01:11 AM	#8 (permalink)
LPCollector V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Where the Universe is conspiring in my favor. Posts: 4,956 Thanks: 33 Thanked 336 Times in 56 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? Make mine a NOS Mullard (Great Britian) 12AX7 with long black plates and a halo getter, please! lespaul01 likes this. __________________ http://soundcloud.com/MarkDarby33/tracks

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07-10-2012, 01:48 AM	#10 (permalink)
alligatorbling V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 31,571 Thanks: 1,839 Thanked 2,357 Times in 649 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? i have jj's in the power, and tung sol in the pre section of my DC 14 i run a NOS 5751 in V1 to give a little more head room. Gained out it sounds great as well. ill have to check and see what manufacture it is. i got it from an mlp member, i cant remember their screen name though lol its supposed to be nice old glass. joshatatlasstands likes this. __________________ http://soundcloud.com/astrobling/frog-dog-bird-cat Visit Blings Soundcloud! visit bling at reverbnation!

07-10-2012, 01:59 AM	#11 (permalink)
siore Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,878 Thanks: 118 Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? V1? I'm liking the glassy highs of one particular RCA 7025. I like Yugo 12ax7's too, though I have 'em in V2 of a fender amp (that'd be like V1 in a 2nd channel, right?). They breakup nice, but it's a crap shoot selecting good ones. Have good experience with tung-sols as well. I don't roll tubes much as I want to, and I agree the circuit is more important.

07-10-2012, 05:48 AM	#13 (permalink)
David Corrales Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Costa Rica Posts: 509 Thanks: 4 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? Tungsols for me. __________________ EBMM JPM, Gibson LP and a MIA Fender Strat DSL 100, Class 5, Mark V, Mini Rectifier, HT5, Night Train ~Youtube channel~

07-10-2012, 10:10 AM	#15 (permalink)
Lyle Caldwell Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,917 Thanks: 7 Thanked 186 Times in 41 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? I have a great sounding old 12AX7 I pulled from a decrepit early '60s Silvertone. The tube's labeled Silvertone but it's probably an RCA or other US make. Don't care, sounds great. __________________ Lyle Caldwell Psionic Audio High quality audio effects, professional amplifier services, and custom audio solutions.

07-10-2012, 10:10 AM	#16 (permalink)
Lyle Caldwell Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,917 Thanks: 7 Thanked 186 Times in 41 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? That said, there is no one magic tube for all amps. LPCollector and Rhust like this. __________________ Lyle Caldwell Psionic Audio High quality audio effects, professional amplifier services, and custom audio solutions.

07-10-2012, 10:25 AM	#17 (permalink)
Splattle101 V.I.P. Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 7,328 Thanks: 88 Thanked 557 Times in 46 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? Mine are all magic...until the amplifier elves let the magic smoke out. LPCollector, siore and mudfinger like this. __________________ The sleep of reason brings forth monsters.

07-10-2012, 12:12 PM	#20 (permalink)
MoJoe Bartlett Retrospec Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: The High Plains Posts: 1,007 Thanks: 14 Thanked 20 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? 5751 Tung-Sol NOS for my 6v6 amp. JJ ECC83 for my EL84 amp. Why? Because it sounds good. gypsyseven likes this.

07-10-2012, 12:41 PM	#21 (permalink)
chrisuk Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: West Sussex Posts: 1,709 Thanks: 27 Thanked 11 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? Tried my Groove Tubes 5751 M in my 5F1 build but went back to the JJ ECC83 S. A EI 12ax7 in my Marshall voiced custom build - never tried anything else in that one. __________________ Some say as a child he was adopted by old growth trees and that all of his tendons are actually topwrapped. All we know is he's called chrisuk.

07-10-2012, 12:49 PM	#22 (permalink)
pwhite Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: South Carolina Posts: 633 Thanks: 1 Thanked 13 Times in 9 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? So in an effort to brush on my electronics(since I have not been a bench tech for about 15 years now), I have been reading as much about tube amps as I possibly can. I ran across this webpage last night and thout there was some very interesting thoughts on tube rolling. One thing I have often wondered about is tube matching, what's the point? Were tubes matched in the old days, hell, were they even tested? Anyway some of you have probably read this but here it is. Tales From The Tone Lounge: Parts Is Parts

07-10-2012, 02:46 PM	#23 (permalink)
LesterNtele Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 670 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? My favorite is probably an EHX 12AT7. They are brighter than JJ's and NOS USA tubes and I can give more juice to the power tubes whilst not adding too much distortion. 7571's to me are too dark sounding, though the gain structure is similar to an AT7.

07-10-2012, 02:54 PM	#25 (permalink)
lespaul01 Banned Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 16,972 Thanks: 834 Thanked 149 Times in 44 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? Vintage 7025A(Amperex, Mullard) By far is my fav V1. LPCollector likes this.

07-10-2012, 03:12 PM	#27 (permalink)
onioner Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 2,178 Thanks: 5 Thanked 23 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? Favorite is still the Matsushita AX in the BF style Corona. Beautifully detailed, sparkly, chimey, and just gorgeous. Probably my favorite tube in any spot, just 'cause of how significant it is to the overall tone. lespaul01 likes this. __________________ This post is the view of the author, and should be considered with all the usual acronyms implied, including, but not limited to, IMO, IMHO, IMESHO, FWIW, IIRC, and YMMV. In addition, whenever in doubt of the intent of the author, assume the presence of an appropriate smiley to imply that any questionable statement was not intended to offend. The author is not liable for anything stated in this or any other post. Thank you for your cooperation.

07-10-2012, 03:30 PM	#28 (permalink)
Cygnus X1 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 5,990 Thanks: 113 Thanked 102 Times in 32 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? As River implied, it is largely dependent on the circuit. A tube that sounds too dark in one amp may be just the cure for another. For high gain I like PM Tubes (tested relabled Chinese) and 90's red inked Fender Chinese 12AX7A's. Tung-Sol resissue 12AX7a's for lower gain apps. JJ's are too brittle sounding most of the time for me. Can't stand Sovteks for anything. Old Sylvania's and RCA's get a lot of use when I get them. __________________

07-10-2012, 06:14 PM	#29 (permalink)
Lyle Caldwell Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,917 Thanks: 7 Thanked 186 Times in 41 Posts	Re: Your favorite preamp/V1 tube? Brittle has never been my experience with JJs, though I like JJs, Tung-Sols, and the Mullard RIs of current production. And yeah, sometimes the Chinese or Sovteks are just what is needed in a higher gain amp. Note/reminder: don't use a Tung-Sol RI 12AX7 for any socket where the cathode has 200V+ on it. So not a good V2 for a Marshall or a Vox. Cygnus X1 and Tobacco Worm like this. __________________ Lyle Caldwell Psionic Audio High quality audio effects, professional amplifier services, and custom audio solutions.

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