Please recommend 12AX7 preamp tubes for V1 slot.

[negaodapicona]

O had tested some EI, RCA and another NOS but the Gold Lion Sounded best.

 

[Scumback Speakers]

I almost exclusively use old EU tubes...Mullard, Telefunken, Amperex. New production I use the Sovtek LPS.

 

[Jeff Hilligan]

I went down the rabbit hole vintage long plate Chinese, Yugo, Mullard....Tung Sol always won!

 

[Kordoba]

Ei would be my first choice even though I've had a lot of them fail within a few months. I also like Peavey Super 7s which I believe are Chinese along with current production Tung Sols and Chinese 12AX7Bs.

If I had to I could get by with the plentiful and affordable JJ 83s and EH 12Ax7.

 

[Exo-metal]

C8s

 

[lespaul6]

I like the Chinese 12ax7s … the tung sol reissue didn't sound too bad either.

 

[Fret-Shredder]

Nice recommendations guys. Much appreciated. Looking forward to trying some of these in my Marshall JMP 2203 Master model.

 

[Rdodson]

Ei Yugo, pre-war, if you don't mind NOS/ANOS. They are prone to microphonics, so make sure they're well-screened if you're going for V1.

This x1000!!!

Best tube ever (well, other than the Telefunken it is a duplicate of).

 

[blackie13]

I use 3 tungsrams 12ax7s and rft el34s in my 2204...
I had great results with an rft in v1 also...very gainy tube and you can get it cheap...

 

[Nigel]

Ei Yugo, pre-war, if you don't mind NOS/ANOS. They are prone to microphonics, so make sure they're well-screened if you're going for V1.

This x1000!!!

Best tube ever (well, other than the Telefunken it is a duplicate of).

Ever heard 50's Mullard long plates?

 

[Rdodson]

Yes and those are magical too. Good call.

The old GE long plates - especially in say a high powered twin tweed, are similarly awesome.

All those vintage long plates have that extra harmonic content that once you hear it, you can’t unhear it.
If you are just playing square-wave flat-out gain it’s may not make much difference but if there is any level of dynamic left in your gain structure it is very evident.

Ei Yugo, pre-war, if you don't mind NOS/ANOS. They are prone to microphonics, so make sure they're well-screened if you're going for V1.

This x1000!!!

Best tube ever (well, other than the Telefunken it is a duplicate of).

Ever heard 50's Mullard long plates?

 

[ultimatemetalguitartones]

RFT Nos

 

[SpiderWars]

Lots of great suggestions just keep in mind that any brand can have turds so you'll still have to roll several tubes thru at good volume to really be sure. I only have one Mullard, one Bugle Boy, and one Telefunken and they all suck. The 3 Brimars were decent, until they all went micro. You get the idea. I often wonder if many of the remaining examples of the old great tubes are the turds. I've had horrible luck with NOS TBH.

Also, some new production tubes are the exact same basic design and envelope and built in the same plant and look identical side-by-side. Given the tolerances and variability from batch to batch I sometimes wonder if they are the exact same tube just a different batch (or maybe something got re-tooled between batches and it made a difference).

Two examples I can think of are the current Tung Sol / EH 12AX7 and the Sovtek LPS / Mullard 12AX7. EH had been putting their version out for years before the Tung Sol came out. Same with the Sovtek LPS before the Mullard. Side by side they look identical. To my ear, given tolerances/etc they can sound very similar.

 

[Nigel]

You get it!

Sylvania long plates can have 2400mu and grind like mad. LONG PLATES are the gift that keeps on giving!

Yes and those are magical too. Good call.

The old GE long plates - especially in say a high powered twin tweed, are similarly awesome.

All those vintage long plates have that extra harmonic content that once you hear it, you can’t unhear it.
If you are just playing square-wave flat-out gain it’s may not make much difference but if there is any level of dynamic left in your gain structure it is very evident.

Ei Yugo, pre-war, if you don't mind NOS/ANOS. They are prone to microphonics, so make sure they're well-screened if you're going for V1.

This x1000!!!

Best tube ever (well, other than the Telefunken it is a duplicate of).

Ever heard 50's Mullard long plates?