Having massive love affair with Amperex 12AX7s

[glip22]

 

Those Siemens triple mica, were they E83CC?

 

 

I only have a small stash left for my amp. The Siemens are e83cc tripple mica not double support posts on the getter. They have an extra mica plate. In my Hydra I am running the Tesla in V1, the Siemens in v2, another Tesla in 3 and as a PI I always seem to gravitate toward the Groove tube 12ax7 mpi sag. They seem to hold together in that slot for awhile. I tried a Mullard CV4024 12at7 and preferred the 12ax7 more. The 12at7 seemed to take away from the roundness or largeness of the gain. I tried to compensate by turning up the gain but just couldn't get on with it. This was in an Engl Invader though. Every amp is different.

[Guiary]

 

I only have a small stash left for my amp. The Siemens are e83cc tripple mica not double support posts on the getter. They have an extra mica plate.

 

 

Ohhh so they don't have the triple mica like a Chinese 9th gen but instead of a halo or 'D' getter there is a plate instead...

 

More eye strain trying to uncover whether or not those 12AX7s on ebay have them or not.

 

Were Siemens triple mica E83CCs ever used by another company, say Fisher for example? I might be able to find one of those for a little cheaper.

[Guiary]

Oh another quick question, would a 6681 be a E83CC?

[17 Tubes]

I'm curious how you guys test drive your tubes.

 

By the time I stand-by the amp, shut it down, pull and replace the tube, get it fired back up again...I'm like "well...I THINK it's smoother...I THINK it has better lows and easier highs. I think."

 

 

If I could just throw a switch....maybe it would be easier for me.

 

 

Add to that spending 20 bucks on one tube, or a hundred on a handful variety pack....I BETTER hear....SOMETHING.

[mcr23]

I'm curious how you guys test drive your tubes. By the time I stand-by the amp, shut it down, pull and replace the tube, get it fired back up again...I'm like "well...I THINK it's smoother...I THINK it has better lows and easier highs. I think." If I could just throw a switch....maybe it would be easier for me. Add to that spending 20 bucks on one tube, or a hundred on a handful variety pack....I BETTER hear....SOMETHING.

 

I'm pretty sure we're waaaay past 20/tube in here

[solarburn]

Man I've been having a love affair with Raytheon BP's. Sound real good in the Marshall. Nice lower mids. Warms things up. So does a RFT in V1. I've got Mullard, GE, Magnavox, JP's and RCA's as well.

 

I've been mess'n around with a Brimar BP AT7 in V3 and It doesn't effect gain to my ears but I swear it makes the clean warmer and rounder. Now I'm just experimenting so this is not a recommendation but so far it sure didn't hurt the tone any.

[glip22]

 

Oh another quick question, would a 6681 be a E83CC?

 

 

Yes the 6681 is a 12ax7 type. It may be e83cc which simply means 10,000 hour designation. You can see the extra mica on the Siemens and the double support on the Tesla. If it doesn't have the double support it's fake. You can't really see the double support on the Tesla but it's there. Click the pic.

[mcr23]

My MESA/BOOGIE quad has a 12ax7 for the reverb....would it be safe to put in a tekefunken 12at7?

[Guiary]

I'm curious how you guys test drive your tubes. By the time I stand-by the amp, shut it down, pull and replace the tube, get it fired back up again...I'm like "well...I THINK it's smoother...I THINK it has better lows and easier highs. I think." If I could just throw a switch....maybe it would be easier for me. Add to that spending 20 bucks on one tube, or a hundred on a handful variety pack....I BETTER hear....SOMETHING.

 

I usually find a tube selection that I've used for awhile that I like the the sound of relatively. For the longest time it was a tungsol RI in V1 Mullard RI in V2 penta labs in V3 and sovtek LPS in V4. then I started out with a new tube in V1, compare how it sounds to the original and go back to the old setup. Next I try that same tube in V2 with V1 staying how it was originally... and so on. That way I begin to get a decent understanding how that tube sounds and reacts with each position. Usually if I really like a tube in V1 I'll leave it there, play the amp for a bit, and do the similar process but focusing on V2 more so.

 

I dunno if that's how others do it, but that's how I tube roll.

[17 Tubes]

I'm pretty sure we're waaaay past 20/tube in here

 

 

 

 

I thought I saw Tung Sol for 15 bucks. So you're saying we put 200-300 bucks worth of preamp in our amps?

 

{goes to see if accidently logged on to TGP }

 

 

Still wondering about how to effectively and objectively test preamp tubes.

[Guiary]

I'm pretty sure we're waaaay past 20/tube in here

 

dunno my amperex ones were 12.50 a tube:thu:

[17 Tubes]

 

I usually find a tube selection that I've used for awhile that I like the the sound of relatively. For the longest time it was a tungsol RI in V1 Mullard RI in V2 penta labs in V3 and sovtek LPS in V4. then I started out with a new tube in V1, compare how it sounds to the original and go back to the old setup. Next I try that same tube in V2 with V1 staying how it was originally... and so on. That way I begin to get a decent understanding how that tube sounds and reacts with each position. Usually if I really like a tube in V1 I'll leave it there, play the amp for a bit, and do the similar process but focusing on V2 more so. I dunno if that's how others do it, but that's how I tube roll.

 

 

Okay...that's cool. But lets face it....some of the preamp tube characteristics are quite subtle. You must have better ears and short-term memory than I, but I just don't think it's a fair A/B/C testing.

 

 

A switch wold be ideal. Two exact amps side by side would be next best thing. Shutting down amps, replacing tubes, turn back on not so good, imho.

 

Again...it would appear, based on all this testimony...that's it's just me.

 

Not to mention I hate buying something like a 40-50 (?) dollar preamp tube and expecting to hear something....er.........something.

[mcr23]

dunno my amperex ones were 12.50 a tube:thu:

 

where and when did you get them?

[17 Tubes]

dunno my amperex ones were 12.50 a tube:thu:

 

Kinda what I thought!

[mcr23]

Kinda what I thought!

 

 

Vacuum Tube Valley has them for $200/tube

[Guiary]

 

Okay...that's cool. But lets face it....some of the preamp tube characteristics are quite subtle. You must have better ears and short-term memory than I, but I just don't think it's a fair A/B/C testing. A switch wold be ideal. Two exact amps side by side would be next best thing. Shutting down amps, replacing tubes, turn back on not so good, imho. Again...it would appear, based on all this testimony...that's it's just me. Not to mention I hate buying something like a 40-50 (?) dollar preamp tube and expecting to hear something....er.........something.

 

 

True enough, not all the swaps I make completely stand out enough to say ya that was a worth while swap. Hell I just will keep on rolling until I happen to luck out on a cool combination that sounds good to me.

 

Also I don't see how shutting an amp off, replacing the tubes and turning it back on would be more harmful than shutting off your amp after practice and turning it back on a later date. I leave it on standby the same length of time I normally would before playing and leave it on standby for a similar amount of time before shutting it down. Maybe I'm naive in thinking I'm doing no harm, but until I royally {censored} something up and send an Email to James asking what did I do wrong, I plan on doing things the way I've been doing it.

 

And you don't have to spend $40-50 per tube, there great deals on ebay, especially if the logo of a certain tube has been smudged.

 

Just saying that's all.

 

Now the power tubes, {censored} that too expensive for my blood!

[charveldan]

I have had a Tesla e83cc in my V1 position for four years. I have only been playing for about 6-8 hours a week. That tube still tests 1500+ micromhos on both triodes and shows very minimal flashing degradation. They are are rated for 10,000 hours. The Siemens and Mazda I have found in the last year. I havn't used them for any lenghth of time. I also like the new production Tung Sols. The only problem was the four of them I tried didn't last barely six months. I often pull the pres out to test them. If you are so inclined you can check my ebay account Gbopp22. I am nothing more than a hobbyist. Most of the feedback is tube related. I sold a fair amount outside of ebay. I just liquidated most of what I had left. In need of cash.

When you say "Tesla" are you refering to NOS tubes, or the currently made JJ electronic brand from Slovakia?

[Guiary]

where and when did you get them?

 

Surprising I got them from someone fairly local through ebay and they arrived on last Thursday. Just because these amperex 12AX7s say electrohome instead doesn't really matter. They have the same etching code (I65) as the philips/amperex ones I was looking for and they sound the same ... to me at least.

 

Hmmm check out this article, this pretty much sold me on the buying these recent tubes.

 

http://bullfrogmusic.ca/the-truth-about-amperex-12ax7-bugle-boy-tubes/

[Rodimus Prime]

i was looking through some of my tubes yesterday and found a Amperex. I've been trying to tame some of the crazy mids in my TT (i find some of the frequencies are too wild). I put it in, next to a Tung-Sol, and it sounded great! It had the same bass response as the TS, but not as much gain thought the highs were more palatable. I pulled it out again because it looks like its been blowed up and i was afraid it would cause issues. I've never heard of that tube before, and i don't know where it came from either.

[glip22]

When you say "Tesla" are you refering to NOS tubes, or the currently made JJ electronic brand from Slovakia?

 

NOS Rosnov Manufactured. I do not like JJ preamp tubes at all. You can see one in the thubnail I posted earlier. 32 Codes. Great tubes.

[solarburn]

 

And you don't have to spend $40-50 per tube, there great deals on ebay, especially if the logo of a certain tube has been smudged. Just saying that's all. Now the power tubes, {censored} that too expensive for my blood!

 

 

When I'm rolling preamp tubes I don't turn my amp off to change them out or put new ones in. I just put the amp on standby, use a sock on the hand to handle the heat and pull em'. Then the new one goes in. Wait a minute or two. No need to turn it off for preamp tubes. Power tubes get too hot to do this though plus you have to bias unless its cathode biased like my NT.

 

Are you turning your amp off every time you roll a preamp tube?

[Guiary]

 

Are you turning your amp off every time you roll a preamp tube?

 

 

Yep :poke:

[charveldan]

NOS Rosnov Manufactured. I do not like JJ preamp tubes at all. You can see one in the thubnail I posted earlier. 32 Codes. Great tubes.

My apologies sir, i can't stand JJ either.

[solarburn]

 

Yep :poke:

 

 

Otay.

 

I like to keep the other tubes ready to go and not have to warm them up every time specially the power tubes.

[charveldan]

Did someone say tOObz.................................

 

 

As stated before Blackburn Mullards from the 60's & 70's work well in Marshalls like my 78' JMP 2203, but some of the best sounding i have in that amp now are Amprex made in Holland for Hammond Organ.