Ordering preamp tubes from tubedepot.com but I don't understand ALL of the options!

[TheEsupremacy]

Can someone please explain me what all these mean. When you order a preamp tube it give you a drop down box with ALL these choices.

 

Standard Test

High Gain

Matching

Balanced Triodes

Matched + Balanced Triodes

Low Noise and Microphonics

 

What the hec?

 

I want to order preamp tubes for my JSX and 6505 Combos and don't know which ones to pick.

I know for my PI I need a Matched + Balanced, I got that.

But what should I choose for my others?

Help please.

[Stephan1980]

Can someone please explain me what all these mean. When you order a preamp tube it give you a drop down box with ALL these choices. Standard Test High Gain Matching Balanced Triodes Matched + Balanced Triodes Low Noise and Microphonics What the hec? I want to order preamp tubes for my JSX and 6505 Combos and don't know which ones to pick. I know for my PI I need a Matched + Balanced, I got that. But what should I choose for my others? Help please.

 

:poke:

[TheEsupremacy]

:poke:

 

Thanks.

 

Anyway, it's for the preamp section of a 6505 combo. Is the standard test ones fine or should I get the low noise/microphonics ones?

[Stephan1980]

Thanks. Anyway, it's for the preamp section of a 6505 combo. Is the standard test ones fine or should I get the low noise/microphonics ones?

 

Ask Doug at dougstubes

[TheEsupremacy]

 

Ask Doug at dougstubes

 

 

Is it that hard for you to help me since obviously you know the answer?

I'm sitting here with the order page minimized hoping somebody will laugh first, then HELP.

[Stephan1980]

sorry i don't know anything about a 6505 preamp. Doug would tho.

[TheEsupremacy]

sorry i don't know anything about a 6505 preamp. Doug would tho.

 

I'm asking about the preamp choices though. I know what tubes I want.

I just don't know if I should order the standard ones, or the high gain ones. I have a set of high gain JJ ECC83's in my JSX and they sound great, so I guess I should choose the high gain option for the 6505? I don't know.

[Stephan1980]

jj's are good tube as long as they're close to specs which they should be if they're tested. if you like a lot of gain get the high gain ones. probably low noise would be good in your gain channel gain tube whatever that is.

[TheEsupremacy]

 

jj's are good tube as long as they're close to specs which they should be if they're tested. if you like a lot of gain get the high gain ones. probably low noise would be good in your gain channel gain tube whatever that is.

 

Ok. I think you're right. Thank you.

[Stephan1980]

u may wanna try some chinese tubes to compare to the JJ's as well.

[TheEsupremacy]

u may wanna try some chinese tubes to compare to the JJ's as well.

 

I'm actually going to buy a bunch of different ones. Couple of Tung sols, Mullards, Sovtek LPS for PI, Chinese 9th gen, I just don't understand what all the choices are about.

[fallencreations]

Standard Test = normal test to make sure tube is operational

 

High Gain = actually opposite of what it sounds, handles more high gain therefore making it actually have LESS gain

 

Matching = should be self explanatory, matches tubes to be same

 

Balanced Triodes = what you normally use for phase inverter slot

 

Matched + Balanced Triodes = same only matched, probably won't use for guitar head

 

Low Noise and Microphonics = mainly for playback equipment

[smith10210]

Can someone please explain me what all these mean. When you order a preamp tube it give you a drop down box with ALL these choices. Standard Test High Gain Matching Balanced Triodes Matched + Balanced Triodes Low Noise and Microphonics What the hec? I want to order preamp tubes for my JSX and 6505 Combos and don't know which ones to pick. I know for my PI I need a Matched + Balanced, I got that. But what should I choose for my others? Help please.

 

Balanced triode for the PI slot.

High gain anything over 100 i believe. I had HG JJ's that where 103.

Standard under =100.

Matched pairs or quads which i just bought measure the same so one hasnt more gain than the other.

Low Noise/Microphonics are usually what you look for in the V1 preamp slot. They just test for low noise since that is the first stage in your preamp and you want something quiet. Im sure there are more people that can add to this..

[OverDriven]

 

Standard Test = normal test to make sure tube is operational High Gain = actually opposite of what it sounds, handles more high gain therefore making it actually have LESS gain Matching = should be self explanatory, matches tubes to be same Balanced Triodes = what you normally use for phase inverter slot Matched + Balanced Triodes = same only matched, probably won't use for guitar head Low Noise and Microphonics = mainly for playback equipment

 

 

Every time I've seen high gain, it means they are literally higher gain (create more distortion). Like the JJ's with a gain rating of 100. Low noise/microphonics tubes are not mainly for use in playback equipment. They are for use in high gain amps that are prone to noise and microphonics.

[fallencreations]

 

Every time I've seen high gain, it means they are literally higher gain (create more distortion). Like the JJ's with a gain rating of 100. Low noise/microphonics tubes are not mainly for use in playback equipment. They are for use in high gain amps that are prone to noise and microphonics.

 

 

You could very well be right. This is what I was told from tubedepot where I regularly order tubes. I have never seen a high gain amp benefit from low noise/microphonics. If it is a good tube you should get very little microphonics anyway and taking away the extra "noise" usually removes what you bought a high gain amp for in the first place.

[TheEsupremacy]

So for a 6505 preamp section I should probably just order the standard tube option then? especially if I'm going to move them around and such right?

[Stephan1980]

So for a 6505 preamp section I should probably just order the standard tube option then? especially if I'm going to move them around and such right?

 

 

jk

[DAFSTRAT]

 

sorry i don't know anything about a 6505 preamp. Doug would tho.

 

 

 

Listen to this man. Doug knows his {censored} and is excellent to deal with.

 

http://www.dougstubes.com/

 

Just shoot Doug an email tell him your gear and what you are trying to achieve.

 

Oh, and to my knowledge you don't need a balanced tube for the phase inverter slot although many people do.

[TheEsupremacy]

jk

 

 

It's cool man. I've actually learned a lot from this thread.

[DirtyBird]

Just get 3 standard Chinese tubes. They sound great in the 5150/6505s, and they're by far my favorite of all I've heard for the gain stages.

 

I've been through:

Sovtek

Tung Sol

Electro Harmonix

JJ

Chinese

JAN Phillips 80s NOS

 

The Chinese ones just sound far thicker and richer to me than the others.

 

When you look at the back of the amp, from left to right the tubes are:

Phase Inverter, fx loop buffer, Gain stages 5/6, Gain Stages 3/4, Gain Stages 1/2

 

PI and fx loop buffer dont matter so much for the tone. Dont buy into the balanced phase inverter BS. If you want, buy one balanced tube and one unbalanced tube and see if you can hear a difference. Im not enough of a cork sniffer to tell.

 

A 12AX7 has two different independent tube circuits inside of it, hence the "Dual" in "Dual triode". That's what balanced means. I dont think matched woudl matter at all for anything you are doing, don't bother with that unless it's power tubes. You always buy matched sets of power tubes. Otherwise dont worry about it. The Phase inverter splits the signal into two halves so each half of the power section can amplify the sound. In theory the two different tubes inside one 12AX7 should bebalanced anyway, but they vary, so a balanced PI tube makes sure the signal is balanced as it goes through the PI circuit. I don't think it makes a difference, though. I also woudlnt bother with the low noise stuff either. Just get a bunch of standard 12AX7s. Mix and match brands and make your own determinations, but I personally love the chinese C9's, although apparently they're in short supply suddenly?

[DAFSTRAT]

 

Just get 3 standard Chinese tubes. They sound great in the 5150/6505s, and they're by far my favorite of all I've heard for the gain stages. I've been through: Sovtek Tung Sol Electro Harmonix JJ Chinese JAN Phillips 80s NOS The Chinese ones just sound far thicker and richer to me than the others. When you look at the back of the amp, from left to right the tubes are: Phase Inverter, fx loop buffer, Gain stages 5/6, Gain Stages 3/4, Gain Stages 1/2 PI and fx loop buffer dont matter so much for the tone. Dont buy into the balanced phase inverter BS. If you want, buy one balanced tube and one unbalanced tube and see if you can hear a difference. Im not enough of a cork sniffer to tell. A 12AX7 has two different independent tube circuits inside of it, hence the "Dual" in "Dual triode". That's what balanced means. I dont think matched woudl matter at all for anything you are doing, don't bother with that unless it's power tubes. You always buy matched sets of power tubes. Otherwise dont worry about it. The Phase inverter splits the signal into two halves so each half of the power section can amplify the sound. In theory the two different tubes inside one 12AX7 should bebalanced anyway, but they vary, so a balanced PI tube makes sure the signal is balanced as it goes through the PI circuit. I don't think it makes a difference, though. I also woudlnt bother with the low noise stuff either. Just get a bunch of standard 12AX7s. Mix and match brands and make your own determinations, but I personally love the chinese C9's, although apparently they're in short supply suddenly?

 

 

 

Penta labs are an excellent chinese tube IMO. Didn't work for me so well in the Laney but work very well in other amps.