Which tubes do you guys recommend for a Bogner Uber Rev 2?

[guitarslayer]

I recently purchased a Uberschall Rev 2 and I plan on re-tubing it once it arrives. What tubes do you guys recommend for the pre amp and power amp?? Im a metal player, tight, heavy and articulate is a good way to sum up the sound I'm looking for. Thanks guys!

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I run this combination:
v1 Tung-sol 12AX7 re-issue
v2 Shuguang 12AX7 9th gen
v3 Shuguang 12AX7 9th gen
v4 JJ EC803S
v5 Shuguang 12AX7 9th gen - balanced
v6 Shuguang 12AX7 9th gen - balanced

The Tung-sol RI and JJ ECC803S really open up the clean channel.

I tried all kinds of combination of pre amp tubes. I found the Tung Sol RI and the JJ ECC803 really opened up the clean channel, gave it a richer tone. I even swapped them with each other, but nothing touched how they sounded in this order. The gain channel sounded best with the Chinese tubes to me. For the loop and phase inverter the Chinese tubes are fine. I just went with balanced, although not needed, because they didn't cost that much more. The stock ARS tubes are relabeled JJ EL34 tubes. I went with the JJ E34L tubes for the extended bottom end they offer. This set-up works great for me.

 

[steve_k]

JJ E34L's for the power end.

Preamp, I am running:

V1 - NOS Mullard
V2 - C8
V3 - C8
V4 - Tung Sol
V5 - C9
V6 - Sovtek LPS

 

[leib10]

I run the same tubes Death By Uberschall does, except for a Chinese 9th in V1. Reinhold Bogner designed the amp to use Chinese tubes and I feel that they work best in every position except V4. I tried using Sovtek LPS and Tungsols in there, but the Sovtek took away some bite and I had a couple Tungsols burn out on me.

 

[guitarslayer]

I run the same tubes Death By Uberschall does, except for a Chinese 9th in V1. Reinhold Bogner designed the amp to use Chinese tubes and I feel that they work best in every position except V4. I tried using Sovtek LPS and Tungsols in there, but the Sovtek took away some bite and I had a couple Tungsols burn out on me.

I run this combination:
v1 Tung-sol 12AX7 re-issue
v2 Shuguang 12AX7 9th gen
v3 Shuguang 12AX7 9th gen
v4 JJ EC803S
v5 Shuguang 12AX7 9th gen - balanced
v6 Shuguang 12AX7 9th gen - balanced

The Tung-sol RI and JJ ECC803S really open up the clean channel.

I tried all kinds of combination of pre amp tubes. I found the Tung Sol RI and the JJ ECC803 really opened up the clean channel, gave it a richer tone. I even swapped them with each other, but nothing touched how they sounded in this order. The gain channel sounded best with the Chinese tubes to me. For the loop and phase inverter the Chinese tubes are fine. I just went with balanced, although not needed, because they didn't cost that much more. The stock ARS tubes are relabeled JJ EL34 tubes. I went with the JJ E34L tubes for the extended bottom end they offer. This set-up works great for me.

Im used to buying my tubes from Bob at Eurotubes and I always go with the "high gain" pre amp section (which I thought have been great so far). Im not familiar with Chinese tubes (Shuguang) and (Tung-sol), the only thing Ive heard about them is they are not as reliable as JJs. Are the tubes you guys described for the preamp section regular or a high gain option? Do they suit tight, articulate, "full" metal tones? Do the JJs have a characteristic that don't work well with this amp in other V# positions? Also, what is the major difference between the EL34s and the E34Ls? Im not looking for a loose bottom, I want a tight but full bottom end, which of the two would better suit the sound I'm looking for in this amp? Decisions decisions....

Oh yeah...and how did you guys come to find tube selection you have come to use in the uber? Why do you use balanced tubes in V5 and V6? So many questions I have ...Im sorry to bombard you guys like this...any help is much appreciated!!

 

[leib10]

If you want a tighter bottom end, JJ E34Ls are definitely the way to go. I really didn't like the regular JJ EL34s the amp comes stock with. They're flubby and very loose. I've tried a lot of different tubes (KT88, EL34, 6550, etc.) in the Rev 2, and I feel that the JJ E34L is the best one that brings out the tone it was designed to produce.

Chinese tubes are really high gain, especially in comparison to Tungsol. JJ makes some high gain tubes, but not as high as the Shuguangs. Some people find them a bit fizzy, but I like the top end that they give that really cuts better.