JJ 12AX7 turns white and dies.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nigel
  • Start date Start date
N

Nigel

Guest
Replaced a couple of EHX’s in my bro’s 5150 II (V1&V2!!!) because tone (Ed’s tech JB’s wisdom) and look at this:

756654E5-010F-4DE8-9286-1FDD2DA0B169.jpeg

9F7CE02C-1F2B-48BE-A941-5CE7076A550A.jpeg


What zee literal fawk?

He was mad I touched his amp but boy did he like the tone before it died. I replaced it with a NOS Mullard short plate just to spite the ingrate.

Post replies I can show him so he knows it’s all love.

Thanks bros.
 
I’ve heard from a tech that JJ’s seem to not currently be reliable, a lot of tubes randomly losing vacuum.
 
Nigel said:
Replaced a couple of EHX’s in my bro’s 5150 II (V1&V2!!!) because tone (Ed’s tech JB’s wisdom) and look at this:

View attachment 218989
View attachment 218992

What zee literal fawk?

He was mad I touched his amp but boy did he like the tone before it died. I replaced it with a NOS Mullard short plate just to spite the ingrate.

Post replies I can show him so he knows it’s all love.

Thanks bros.
Click to expand...
You say you replaced it with a NOS Mullard short plate? So you swapped a $20 tube with a $100+ one? Or do you mean some of the ones they call NOS that are from the 2000s? Lol. I most definitely prefer NOS tubes in my setup.
 
That’s JJ for ya.

J/K. I know 65% of their stuff doesn’t randomly die ?

This is why I only use from my stash of mostly vintage stuff. Maybe one failure in the last 15 years. VS at least 5 JJs; both power and pre. I learned to pull any JJ from any and every amp I buy so there’s no risk to the transformers if/when the JJs give out.
 
JJ's actually sounded good in my buddie's Marshall but overall, I tend to dislike what they do to an amp's sound as compared to other tubes, even modern production.
 
Nigel said:
Replaced a couple of EHX’s in my bro’s 5150 II (V1&V2!!!) because tone (Ed’s tech JB’s wisdom) and look at this:

View attachment 218989
View attachment 218992

What zee literal fawk?

He was mad I touched his amp but boy did he like the tone before it died. I replaced it with a NOS Mullard short plate just to spite the ingrate.

Post replies I can show him so he knows it’s all love.

Thanks bros.
Click to expand...
Reading the post again:

This is definitely all love and a preamp tube popping won't hurt the amp. The JJs will sound less harsh than the EHX in the Marshall, as they have a VERY forward and snappy character to them. If you popped a NOS Mullard in, put it in V1 of the amp and fill the other slots with JJ's or any other new production tube. Good friends give friends better tone!
 
I haven't had any issues with JJs. I can tell you 100% I have had lots of issues with TAD Redbase tubes.
3 amps over the past year and all of them had power tube issues with those and had to be replaced.
 
I've actually never had a JJ ECC83S die on me. Sure, they're not my favorite, but they've been the most reliable to me.

But I've actually never had any of the power tubes not die on me, LOL.
 
Rex Rocker said:
I've actually never had a JJ ECC83S die on me. Sure, they're not my favorite, but they've been the most reliable to me.

But I've actually never had any of the power tubes not die on me, LOL.
Click to expand...
People rag on JJ's, but I've used them for 20 years. Not my choice for V1, (unless it's an ECC803S), and I've used their power tubes extensively. E34L's, KT77's, and prefer their 6L6's to just about anybody. The only other 6L6 I really loved, (short of going NOS), was the TAD 6L6GC-STR RCA copy. Those were killer tubes, no longer made when Shuguang's drama started. I believe Psvane is making their red base tubes now..

RT211-6L6GC-STR-BLACKPLATE-TAD-Tube-Single-1.jpg
 
GuitarGuy08 said:
You say you replaced it with a NOS Mullard short plate? So you swapped a $20 tube with a $100+ one? Or do you mean some of the ones they call NOS that are from the 2000s? Lol. I most definitely prefer NOS tubes in my setup.
Click to expand...
It was the V1 tube and I’d tried it with that before; sounded killer. Ed’s tech said he was using the new CV4004 Mike Matthews Mullard in V1 so I knew the real thing would at least 2x the experience value. It did, but I figured we’d save that for the studio sessions. Bro was MAD so rather than chance another new JJ I’d just give him the grail. We aren’t getting any younger so may as well enjoy the genuine article on the few times we can get together.
 
napalmdeath said:
People rag on JJ's, but I've used them for 20 years. Not my choice for V1, (unless it's an ECC803S), and I've used their power tubes extensively. E34L's, KT77's, and prefer their 6L6's to just about anybody. The only other 6L6 I really loved, (short of going NOS), was the TAD 6L6GC-STR RCA copy. Those were killer tubes, no longer made when Shuguang's drama started. I believe Psvane is making their red base tubes now..

View attachment 219013
Click to expand...
Me too! I used the 6L6 in my Zinky and E34L in my Rivera before I discovered the KT77. New Semsor, SED and Sino/Shuguang all sound a step below to me, always have.

I guess now I have to go in with my drummer and get him a set of Sylvania 6L6’s since we’re gonna be recording soon.
 
JerryP said:
Glass is cracked and it lost it's vacuum.
Click to expand...
Thanks for chiming in, holy shit thanks bro. Do you know what’s going on with Roman’s 5150 from Jinjer? My guy loves them (not as much as I do!) and we’re gonna record soon. Any and all recommendations (speakers/mods/tubes) would be appreciated and I’d love to give you some business. Thanks for all you do!
 
napalmdeath said:
People rag on JJ's, but I've used them for 20 years. Not my choice for V1, (unless it's an ECC803S), and I've used their power tubes extensively. E34L's, KT77's, and prefer their 6L6's to just about anybody. The only other 6L6 I really loved, (short of going NOS), was the TAD 6L6GC-STR RCA copy. Those were killer tubes, no longer made when Shuguang's drama started. I believe Psvane is making their red base tubes now..

View attachment 219013
Click to expand...
I didn't mean to badmouth JJ's, honestly. I love the tone of their 6V6S's. I prefer New Sensor 6L6's, personally, but JJ's 6L6's are generally well-regarded. I just prefer the NS sound signature, personally, but even if I did like JJ 6L6's, I'm not exaggerating in saying that I've had no JJ power tube sets that has not failed on me. 6L6's, E34L's, 6V6S's, EL84's. I'm sure I've had bad luck, but I personally don't find their tone is worth it for me to take a risk of them taking out a transformer with them.

I actually like ECC83S's for the most part. I don't love that they're kinda dark and low-middy, but they're for me super reliable, and have been by far the least microphonic that I've tried myself. I've never had one fail on me either.

But you're right, their ECC803S's sound gorgeous. I just wouldn't have them in V1 myself because the long plate makes them more prone to microphonics.

Just sharing my own experience. :)
 
BTW the amp had JJ ECC83s in all other slots. Finishing it off made it "right," and the Mullard made it deluxe.

Any 5150 bros care to chime in on fitting them with real Philips/Sylvania 6L6GC's?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top