Pete Thorns 12ax7 shootout

  • Thread starter Thread starter LP Freak
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That was pretty cool! Definitely a difference between the tubes. I may try the EH 7025 in my Runt 50.
 
Many of the tubes were quite similar but I could hear some distinct differences. Easiest way for me to do it was to pick 2 points of reference for each tube. I chose the second Rebel Rebel chord and then a std A power chord. Some were more strident in the highs on that 1st reference point and then I found what I preferred for the lower A chord (clarity and fullness without fuzz).

In reality, it isn't going to matter when you're playing in a live setting.
 
There's a diff but not huge. You are never going to listen back to back to back so better off having an amp that sounds good through speakers you like and you are good to go. A well tuned Marshall is still gonna sound kick ass when recorded regardless of JJ's or NOS. I'd rather put my cash elsewhere. I have. Few RFT that I run in V1. Mainly just to cork sniff... Chinese sound great there too though.
 
I feel like tubes are a final tweak kinda thing. Biggest bang for the buck is always gonna be speakers. Once all the other stuff is right I might try a few in V1 but I’ve never heard huge differences...but I’ve never tried some of the more pricey ones either.
 
crwnedblasphemy said:
Good to know. Never tried the new Gold Lions.
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I had a Gold Lion 12ax7 that sounded great, for about 2 months until it died. It was in an Orange Tiny Terror. Too expensive and don't last that long. I prefer Tung Sol in V1 to the GL, anyway.

I like rolling preamp tubes. Different tubes work better in different amps. I usually find a combination that makes me happy.
 
memberzonly said:
Many of the tubes were quite similar but I could hear some distinct differences. Easiest way for me to do it was to pick 2 points of reference for each tube. I chose the second Rebel Rebel chord and then a std A power chord. Some were more strident in the highs on that 1st reference point and then I found what I preferred for the lower A chord (clarity and fullness without fuzz).

In reality, it isn't going to matter when you're playing in a live setting.
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History-Of-Mullard-Tubes-753x423.jpg

10675011.jpg

Mullard & Amperex factories used radioactive isotopes in the plate coatings. Those materials are banned now.
Many factory workers in the 60's & 70's died early deaths at young ages compared to now.
Those folks literally gave their lives so we could have good tone.
Older tubes have a better midrange than todays.
 
Meanjoegreene said:
I feel like tubes are a final tweak kinda thing. Biggest bang for the buck is always gonna be speakers. Once all the other stuff is right I might try a few in V1 but I’ve never heard huge differences...but I’ve never tried some of the more pricey ones either.
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Seems speakers would be final "tweak" as the guitar signal passes thru the amp/tubes before the speaker.
For real good tone is the sum of all the parts together.
 
For me I gotta get the stuff that matters the most right first. Get the guitar, amp, cab/speakers right then focus on the little things to maybe get a tad more out of it. I’ll spend extra money on a couple speakers before an expensive preamp tube.

Samhain said:
Seems speakers would be final "tweak" as the guitar signal passes thru the amp/tubes before the speaker.
For real good tone is the sum of all the parts together.
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Samhain said:
All the new Russian stuff is pretty much just New Sensor.
Marketing like "high gain" & "gold pins" are just that, marketing.
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Yeah, I understand. But my point is that the Gold Lion stuff is just the "gold pin" Mullard stuff.

Even if they're all NS, there is a definite difference between EH, TS, and Mullard.
 
Rex Rocker said:
Yeah, I understand. But my point is that the Gold Lion stuff is just the "gold pin" Mullard stuff.

Even if they're all NS, there is a definite difference between EH, TS, and Mullard.
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Yep, put a new Mullard and a Sovtek LPS side-by-side. They look nearly identical. Same with EH and Tung-Sol.

I've had bad luck with NOS. Between early failures or going micro/noisy or just sounding bad I stopped buying NOS aside from the Beijing tubes. The two worst sounding tubes in my stash are a Telefunken and a Bugle Boy.
 
SpiderWars said:
Yep, put a new Mullard and a Sovtek LPS side-by-side. They look nearly identical. Same with EH and Tung-Sol.
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That wasn't my point, LOL. EH, Mullard CV4004, and Tung Sol and Sovtek LPS and Mullard ECC83 may look similar, but they sound different. I'm sure there's something different in their design.

My point is there is TS and TS Gold. There is EH and EH Gold. Those are the same design, just with OMGz G0lD PiNz. There is no "Mullard Gold" per se, but I suspect Gold Lion is Mullard Gold.

That is nothing more that just my suspicion, though. I don't know for sure.
 
Rex Rocker said:
That wasn't my point, LOL. EH, Mullard CV4004, and Tung Sol and Sovtek LPS and Mullard ECC83 may look similar, but they sound different. I'm sure there's something different in their design.

My point is there is TS and TS Gold. There is EH and EH Gold. Those are the same design, just with OMGz G0lD PiNz. There is no "Mullard Gold" per se, but I suspect Gold Lion is Mullard Gold.

That is nothing more that just my suspicion, though. I don't know for sure.
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Got it. I was just illustrating that a lot of these tubes are just a new batch of a previous design with a new badge. I agree that they do sound slightly different but even tubes from the same batch do.
 
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