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NOS tubes - are they really better than current production tubes?


guitar_face

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Originally posted by gafyagaton





You NOS tards want me to believe that EVERY hit song or popular album was recorded with NOS tubes. I happen to know thats not a fact. I happen to know that MANY big name guitarists.....use current production tubes. Why? because Current production tubes are all you really need.


For as long as hit songs/albums can be created with current production tubes.... the need for NOS tubes is extremely questionable.


You want me to believe "NOS" tubes are the secret ingredient that makes one album sell more copies than another.


BULL{censored}!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Stuff your NOS tubes where they belong! Underneath the rubble of some 1950s tube factory.


I am hereby ANTI NOS TUBE (except for tube mic preamps).



Reminds me of a certain poster from 1 year ago who told me on the phone how much he spent experimenting with NOS tubes to find out which works best for his amp.... and I was thinking to myself:


"dude. YOUR MUSIC SUCKS with or without NOS addiction. Why not spend that $400 on a music instruction book?"

 

 

 

Who said NOS sells more product?

 

If you suck than no tube will make you play better. I think everyone here will agree with that.

 

If you have an old Super or Deluxe than I think NOS tubes might make it sound better than current production tubes.

 

Get the tubes that your amp was designed for.

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Originally posted by Paul J. Edwards

It is so funny how no one can have an opionion here without causing some jerk to flame them.


If you have an old amp get old NOS tubes. If you have a newer amp get tubes that the amp was designed to work with.


An audience member will not be able to tell the differend but you will and it will effect how you play.



Old tubes were built to more exacting specs. Medical, and military equipment used them and they had better be reliable. Not so much anymore. Who cares if a jerk off has his amp melt down?

+1. If you are using an older amp I suggest checking out kcanostubes site. Mike makes great recommendations. If you have a new amp stick with what the designers used.

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Originally posted by guitar_face

gafyagaton - I got nothing against you but your arguments are very weak and a tad annoying. No offence.

 

 

 

No offense taken... cause I'm not arguing!!

Have your FILTHY ROTTEN NOS tubes and the fungus smelling box they came in.

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Seriously, this thread is cracking my ass up!!!


My recommendation to you is to call up (or email) the various tube vendors out there, such as Doug's Tubes. Ask them all of the questions you can think of and get all of the opinions you can. Only you can decide if NOS is for you. Yeah, I've never tried NOS, well, except when they where, hmff, stock (yeah I'm that old). Well, I was playing quit a bit in the early 70's and yes those tubes lasted for quit a while. In the 80's, if you played much, they were similar to todays tubes, as fars as longevity (sic) is concerned.

JMHO,

TW

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I would say that the NOS American and Western European made tubes were better made than mose current stock tubes. As for which tone is better, well, I think that is up to the listener. Personally, I think each amp is different and even which tube slots (V1, V2 etc...) the tubes are placed in makes a difference. For what it is worth, I tend to spend a little extra and get NOS preamp tubes and sometimes even NOS power tubes. I don't know that I hear a big difference but it is still worth it to me.

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I don't trust this guy(wassup smokes!?!?!)

Originally posted by Smokey

NOS is overhyped thanks to the cork sniffers.


Audio amp guys pay the big $$$ for em', as the difference is more noticable than on a guitar amp circuit which distorts/overdrives/alters the signal anyway.

 

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I have a {censored} load of of ANOS 12ax7, 12at7,12au7 and so on... I believe some are really hard to beat like the RCA 12ax7, and GE white label 12ax7. I definitely wouldn't pay the going street price for them though.

a RCA 12ax7 or 7025 in V1 is really nice

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I've bought many NOS and new production tubes and have tried them out in many amps.

The quality of construction back in 50's, 60's, 70's and even the early to mid 80's was better, so most times w/NOS you'll get a product that will last longer. But I've had a few NOS tubes take a {censored} on me after a few weeks,..so go figure.

As far as sound quality verses the newer stuff, a lot depends on the amp they go in. In my experience NOS tubes make the biggest difference in cleaner and low-medium gain amps like vintage Fender's Tweed, Bassman, Super, etc, Marshall's Plexi's, JTM45, etc, Vox's, blah, blah. And of course the boutique amps of those styles can benefit greatly too. That's not to say a good NOS tube doesn't make a difference in more modern high gain amps as well, but a lot depends on the way the circuits are designed.

I have two amps that I run NOS tubes in, my Top Hat Emplexador has a pair of NOS Tesla EL34's in her and sounds great, but it's hard for me to tell a difference compared to the original EH's I had in there. And I run a couple NOS RFT's in my Stiletto (V1 and V5 PI slots), and in this amp the RFT's do make a difference. RTF's are lower headroom/higher gain with a great lowend and midrange and rounded off highs, so in the Stiletto that's naturally bright it's a perfect match. For the rest of my amps the new production stuff works just fine.

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I never said you could buy NOS for 10 bucks I said
Dont spend too much but only get them if there 10 or 20 more I think 10 is more like it !!!
That means 10 more than new tubes tard if you read the posts properly your replies would be better.
You cant even buy a good quality new tube for 10 maybe a preamp tube but doubt it.
Its not worth spending BIG money on NOS when new tubes are of "HIGH" quality
They test them all of them and do repeated blind tests where the results are impressive.
I am not saying all new tubes are good you have to search for good ones the same goes for some NOS there not all GOOD .
The fact that you will only use NOS and nothing else shows your not listening and dont know as much as you claim to know and you havent tried many new tubes obviosly because there are GOOD ones.
It doesnt matter what ERA your amp is from there is a new tube to suit even old style 6L6s for a an old fender etc.

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Originally posted by LiquidPCB

I never said you could buy NOS for 10 bucks I said

Dont spend too much but only get them if there 10 or 20 more I think 10 is more like it !!!

That means 10 more than new tubes tard if you read the posts properly your replies would be better.

You cant even buy a good quality new tube for 10 maybe a preamp tube but doubt it.

Its not worth spending BIG money on NOS when new tubes are of "HIGH" quality

They test them all of them and do repeated blind tests where the results are impressive.

I am not saying all new tubes are good you have to search for good ones the same goes for some NOS there not all GOOD .

The fact that you will only use NOS and nothing else shows your not listening and dont know as much as you claim to know and you havent tried many new tubes obviosly because there are GOOD ones.

It doesnt matter what ERA your amp is from there is a new tube to suit even old style 6L6s for a an old fender etc.

True, but on the average good NOS tubes last 5 times longer than new production. In the end you haven't really saved any money unless you splurged on Mullard 12AX7s or Genelex KT66s.

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Many NOS tubes are made to the exact tube specification which makes then great tubes.
What that also means that they are usually great CLEAN tubes that break up later so are not the best if you want some good distortion before your amp is absolutely flat out
Big problem for rockers.
So chuck your right but I would rather have a great big dirty distorted sound than your tight clean sound good luck.
And go spend all your money on over rated NOS tubes good.
And PS GREAT JOKE 250 $ NOS TUBES IN A 50$BEhRINGER PRE AMP AHAHAHAHHAHAHHHHHHHHAHAHAHHAHAWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

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