Are EH 12ax7's good for pre's?

[Tag]

I'm thinking of switching out the Groove Tubes pre in my Ashdown EVO for an Electro Harmonix one that I have sitting around. Good idea?

[burdizzos]

Give it a shot. If it sounds better, keep it. If not, put the GT back in.

[bpocall]

I think most preamp tubes are 12ax7's. Try it out and see which you like better.

[Deville]

I'll be surprised if you notice any difference at all.

[der oxenrig]

I've had an EH 12AT7 go microphonic on me, but i've never used one of their 12AX7s.

[RyCLB]

I've used both the GT 12AX7's and the EH 12AX7's. I find that the two sound pretty similar. For a really warm and fat tone, though, I'd try a Tesla 12AX7 or a GE JG-5751 (similar to a 12AT7 - a little less gain than a 12AX7). The GE and the Tesla are a little bit more expensive (or a lot more expensive in the GE's case), but I personally love the sound of them. You could also experiment with using GT or EH 12AT7's, or if you're just plain nuts, go down one more step to a 12AU7. Just my opinion, tho. For reference, I've used these tubes in an Ampeg SVP-Pro and an Alembic FX-1.

 

Here's a good tube site with decent prices and some good preamp tube gain info:

 

http://www.thetubestore.com

 

Hope this helps!

[der oxenrig]

Oh yeah I forgot, I think both of those tubes are made by Sovtek, so they are gonna sound pretty similar, and not as good (IMHO) as a good N.O.S. or a JJ, etc, especially when pushed. The only thing they have going for them is durability.

[RyCLB]

 

Originally posted by The Ox Oh yeah I forgot, I think both of those tubes are made by Sovtek, so they are gonna sound pretty similar, and not as good (IMHO) as a good N.O.S. or a JJ, etc, especially when pushed. The only thing they have going for them is durability.

 

Hm, so what you're saying is NOS tubes don't last as long or are more fragile than EH or GT tubes?

 

All the NOS tubes I've ever owned have lasted just as long and taken just as much of a beating as the EH and GT tubes I've used. The only difference as far as I can see between new tubes and NOS tubes is 1. the tone, and 2. the price.