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is 12AU7 a straight swap for 12Ax7?


bluesboy

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Originally posted by Doug's Tubes

1. At 20% of the gain of a 12AX7, a 12AU7 in an amp with a single 12AX7 in the gain stage will probably not not even be useable.


2. I clearly do not charge enough for my NOS tubes. I was selling vintage 50's blackplate 12AU7's for $18 each new.........

 

 

PS. this info wouldve been helpful before lol

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Originally posted by Doug's Tubes

1. At 20% of the gain of a 12AX7, a 12AU7 in an amp with a single 12AX7 in the gain stage will probably not not even be useable.


2. I clearly do not charge enough for my NOS tubes. I was selling vintage 50's blackplate 12AU7's for $18 each new.........

 

PSS... i just found a whole crapload of threads with people saying 12au7 works fine... :wave:

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Originally posted by bluesboy

WTF there was another thread where they recommend using a 12AU7 to lower the gain... i've also heard this in other places. Doug, do you have a nice 12AUT that i could use? what would you charge???? (PS ive bought from you before)

 

****NOTE****

He said "in an amp with a single 12AX7 for a gain stage....

:D:D:D:D:D

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Originally posted by bluesboy

WTF there was another thread where they recommend using a 12AU7 to lower the gain... i've also heard this in other places. Doug, do you have a nice 12AUT that i could use? what would you charge???? (PS ive bought from you before)

 

 

That could be, but maybe it was suggested for an amp that has 3 or 4 12ax7's in the gain stage. Then the 12AU7 is a possibilty, even a 12DW7 which is half 12AX7 and half 12AU7. I have 50's vintage grey and blackplate, some triple mica, GE, RCA, Sylvania, that I just raised to $18.....no wonder I had a local audiophile over when they were $15 each to pick up 20 of them!!!!

 

I'm thinking no lower than a 5751 for the Valve Jr, maybe, just maybe a 12AY7, but no lower gain than that.

 

I have an online catalog enabled now for 24/7 shopping, so go poke around.

 

PS. I thought you were a customer, I'm a little shocked that someone would spend $39 on a tube for a $100 amp. You can always call me for advice or suggestions, when I can't sell you the tube you should have, I have always referred customers to Mike at KCA and Bob for the JJ product I dont sell.

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Originally posted by SteveVHT



****NOTE****

He said "in an amp with a single 12AX7 for a gain stage....

:D
:D:D:D:D

 

 

how many preamp tubes does the epi valve junior have?

 

Edit: my above statement is loaded with sarcasm... I know it only has one, and these threads were specific for the epi valve junior... if it doesn't work ill ebay it and buy a 12at7.

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I thought I read somewhere that there are some circuits that, if designed for a 12AX7, a 12AU7 might not fall within the proper operating parameters. I'm thinking it might have been a tremolo or reverb driver circuit the guy was having a problem with. The amp was producing no sound at all with the 12AU7 and came back to life when he swapped in a 12AX7. Anyway, this might not apply to your situation but just thought I'd share. I'll see if I can find where I read this...

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Originally posted by bluesboy




how many preamp tubes does the epi valve junior have?


Edit: my above statement is loaded with sarcasm... I know it only has one, and these threads were specific for the epi valve junior... if it doesn't work ill ebay it and buy a 12at7.

 

 

I have the Epi Valve Jr head, and it has a single 12AX7 and EL84.

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I've got a valve jr head ... I had to replace the power tube within 2 weeks .. it was making a white noise kinda sound ..

 

I threw in a Mesa EL84 ...

 

I tried a Mesa Russian 2 which someone told me was a EH 12ax7 ..

that sounded very nice .. a little on the dry side but nice ..

 

I ended up with a GT silver series 12ax7-c ... was told that a chinese reissue ..

 

anyway the GT took off some of the gain and smoothed it out real sweet and nice .. I like it better than the EH for the Valve Jr .

 

but the EH in the V1 on my Rockmaster just sizzles baby !!!!

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Originally posted by bluesboy

Im hoping that the people who posted in those other threads about using a 12au7 in the E.V.J. will chime in and lend some info here?????



EDIT:

 

 

 

Again, the 12AU7 will work, I feel that it's just too much of a loss in volume.

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Originally posted by GRIFF10672

I've got a valve jr head ... I had to replace the power tube within 2 weeks .. it was making a white noise kinda sound ..


I threw in a Mesa EL84 ...


I tried a Mesa Russian 2 which someone told me was a EH 12ax7 ..

that sounded very nice .. a little on the dry side but nice ..


I ended up with a GT silver series 12ax7-c ... was told that a chinese reissue ..


anyway the GT took off some of the gain and smoothed it out real sweet and nice .. I like it better than the EH for the Valve Jr .


but the EH in the V1 on my Rockmaster just sizzles baby !!!!

 

 

I put a lower gain JJ ECC803S and a JJ EL84, and its nice and fat with the right amount of headroom. Complete change from stock tubes. I've left it right there.

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That's a big jump lower as far as the gain factor goes. A 5751 or 12AT7 may have been a better starting point.

 

 

 

Originally posted by bluesboy

i use pedals for my distortion... i was just looking for some more clean headroom

 

 

Understood.

FYI:

When I said "gain", I'm talking about the amplication factor (12au7 being 19/20), not distortion.

 

I'd still score a 5751 w/ extra thick 2 mica spacers, or one with 3 mica spacers.

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Originally posted by ZX-Matt

That's a big jump lower as far as the gain factor goes. A 5751 or 12AT7 may have been a better starting point.





Understood.

FYI:

When I said "gain", I'm talking about the amplication factor (12au7 being 19/20), not distortion.


I'd still score a 5751 w/ extra thick 2 mica spacers, or one with 3 mica spacers.

 

 

 

cool, thanks for the info

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Originally posted by bluesboy

WTF there was another thread where they recommend using a 12AU7 to lower the gain... i've also heard this in other places.

 

Hopefully you don't believe everything you read on the internet.;)

 

It IS true that it will lower gain. The point is, will it lower it too much? In most amp situations it will. The only time I've seen 12AU7s work in guitar amps or pedals is in EXTREMELY overdriven stages.

 

Otherwise, you're better off with a 12AT7s, 5751 or 12AY7. No one can predict what you will like, so try a few.

 

http://www.kcanostubes.com/content/newsletter_details.asp?ArticleID=4

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