CDawg
Member
Looking for some new ideas and suggestions.
What are your favorite 12AX7/ECC83 tubes for the phase inverter, effects loop and reverb slots? Why?
JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
I can offer you no advice on this issue. I have never been big on tube rolling. In my decades of having tube amps I have rarely ever had a tube fail. I have had good luck with 12ax7 hg’s… I think they are ruby’s. I have also swapped 12at7’s in high gain amps a couple times with okay results. I am a low volume guy 99% of the time so I really don’t notice much difference when messing around with them.
Floyd Eye
Well-known member
What amp and what kind of tubes are you using now ?
Floyd Eye
Well-known member
If you have modern amps there isn't much point. Especially if it's loaded up with Chinese tubes. Swapping one Chicom tube for another is probably an exercise in futility. Find some that are reliable and just use them.
CDawg
Member
I haven't done it in a while but looking for advice to help filter some choices. Had very few failures as well. That sounds like Ruby Tubes with the HG and I like them. Purchased from them about 3x and everything I got sounded and tested good. I guess I'd be playing at low to medium volumes most time of the time. Not quiet but I pick my battles and try to be respectful in a residential area. Neighbor's gone and I'll crank it for an hour or so.
CDawg
Member
Crate Blue Voodoo 300 - GE 6550A power tubes - V1 Philips mC5 ECC83 - V2 Philips mC5 ECC83 -V3 Siemens E83CC -V4 RFT ECC83 - V5 RFT ECC83 - V6 RFT ECC83 - V7 RFT ECC83 - V8 - Sovtek LPS ECC83 - V9 RCA Black Plate ECC82 -V 10 RCA Black Plate ECC82
Mesa Mark III Coliseum Blue Stripe - Philips 7581A power tubes - V1 Siemens E83CC V2 Siemens E83CC V3 Tesla E83CC V4 ECC83 JJ V5 Sovtek LPS ECC83
Mesa Stiletto Trident II - Winged C EL34 power tubes - V1-3 Mullard ECC83 i61 V4 JJ ECC83 V5 Mullard ECC83 (Russia)
Mesa Triple Rectifier Rev G - Tung Sol 7581A power tubes = V1-V3 Mullard F91 ECC83 V4 JJ V5 Sovtek LPS ECC83
Peavey 5150 - Philips 7581A power tubes - V1 Tesla E83CC V2 Tungsram ECC83 V3 Tungsram ECC83 Shuguang ECC83 V5 Sovtek LPS
I guess more modern than vintage but somewhere in between? There's some Chinese tubes that I kind of like such as the Beijing 6N4-J but most are okay IMO. I hate Psvane and TJ Full Music.
JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
Dude….dude….dude….. I have wanted one of those crate 300’s and a mark coliseum’s forever…. Plus I’m right there with loving the rest of your stable. You win at life King 
GuitarGuy08
Well-known member
Depends on the amp you have for V1, but I can 100% tell you after rolling through every single NOS tube you can imagine, that the RCA Blackplates will retain the most of each of the spectrum as far as bass, mids, and treble. The effects and PI have them in them in my amp as well, no comparison when I rolled through everything else.
CDawg
Member
They're both incredible amplifiers and well worth it. I couldn't say anything about a Coliseum that already hasn't been said. BV 300 you don't hear much about but it's one of the cheapest and rarest amps. Average used price about is about $600 USD and I see about 3 for sale per year. Guy on Crate FB groups who worked for Crate has a prototype with no serial number said they only built 60-100. I have never seen a serial number past 65. I could point out about 10 guys who own 25 of them and I think a few well known musicians have a few others as well.Dude….dude….dude….. I have wanted one of those crate 300’s and a mark coliseum’s forever…. Plus I’m right there with loving the rest of your stable. You win at life King
CDawg
Member
As for how it sounds... basically... it's an Ampeg SVT voiced for guitar. Plus two more channels. Channel 2 sounds like a JCM 800. Channel 3 sounds like a Rectifier but has the feel of a 5150. Ridiculous low end. I don't think any amplifier comes close in terms of high end. It has a 10 khz knob. Did you ever need more 10 khz?Dude….dude….dude….. I have wanted one of those crate 300’s and a mark coliseum’s forever…. Plus I’m right there with loving the rest of your stable. You win at life King
CDawg
Member
I should try the RCA black plates more often because everyone loves them and they invented the 12AX7... Only amp I've rolled insanely is a Mark III. You ever use Siemens E83CC? I can imagine a lot of NOS tubes. I've been humbled by a few audiophiles but never met a guitarist as OCD as me when it comes to the 12AX7. These are my spare Mullard 12AX7. Most are long plate or box plate. Everything tests high on a Maxipreamp II.
Attachments
JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
Madasahatter has a couple…and a 150….
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braintheory
Well-known member
RCA backplates are really good, but wouldn't be my first choice in those amps you listed. They have IME a really big low end that I like, dark, very smooth, more hollow midrange as American tubes have and a very old school sound overall as all RCA's have. What's the difference with E83CC Siemens? I have lots of Siemens ECC83's and like them a lot, but prefer for them Tungsram ECC83's, especially the '50's versions. In general for high gain amps those and '50's Fivre's have been my favorites and also '50's Bugle Boy's
CDawg
Member
If he's in the Crate FB groups he's one of them. I lost out on a second one this year... been up a week... Crate BV 300 w 4x12 w V30s. $800 Canadian.
CDawg
Member
Love low end so that sounds like me. Siemens E83CC was the response to the Telefunken ECC803S. Has a life test of 10,000 hours meaning at 10,000 it's time to replace because it should average 65% life left. It's designed for laboratory equipment. Has a reputation for being the quietest 12AX7 ever made. Never heard anything comparable. Never seen anything on a Maxipreamp II beat it in a noise test. What Tungsram from the 50s? Welded plates? Silver plates? Hmmmmmm which specific Fivre? Bugle Boys usually rebranded Philips IIRC. I definitely love Tungsram and Philips.
psychodave
Well-known member
Long plate tubes tend to sound great in the PI. I really like Ei’s.
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braintheory
Well-known member
I’ll have to look into those E83CC’s and ECC803S’s. Low noise is a nice bonus, but I’m picky most about just the tone itself. Yes, 50’s Tungsrams, welded plates, one of my 3 is silver. All the Fivre’s are great IME (expensive though), but my best sounding one has a D getter rather than an O getter. Sadly it’s developed some really bad noise issues, so not very useable, but the tone itself is still just as good. I’ll have to hunt around for another. Not sure if Bugle Boy’s are rebranded Philips or not. I just know they’re made in Holland and sound great. They have a distinct chewiness to them. The ‘50’s Bugle Boy EL34’s are also some of my favorite EL34’s, but don’t handle too high plate voltage sadly
CDawg
Member
I agree! I often wondered what made a great PI tube. I noticed that most people preferred a PI tube that was long plate, balanced in measurements and high in transconductance. Any thoughts on that? EI grey plate or silver plate?
CDawg
Member
Telefunken ECC803 = super expensive. Tesla E83CC is rumored to be a copy of a Telefunken ECC803. JJE83CC is rumored to be a copy of the Tesla E83CC. You ain't playing around with Tungsram like that. I haven't put much time on Italian ECC83s to make a good judgement but I hear a lot of great things. When I look at a tube it's construction > etching > label. I could go to Staples and fake a label. I could go buy some chemicals and fake an etch. I don't think I could fake construction so I take that as supreme when looking at tubes. Made in Holland usually Philips. Has a Delta Code. Triangle. I heard those EL34 sound incredible from a lot of people but I'd be afraid too.
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braintheory
Well-known member
I’ll have to try Telefunken ECC803 and Siemens E883C’s. Just when I thought I’d tried them all lol. Fivre is one of my favorite brands in general. They’re also my favorites for 6L6GC’s and a few other categories, but very expensive. It’s a shame they never made EL34’s, GZ34’s or 6550’s. Yeah the Bugle Boy EL34’s have a beautiful tone, warm and chewy, but it’s a bit limited what amps I can use them in to be safe