What Preamp valves do you guys use?

[steve]

Cool,cheers guys.Thanks for the replys.

[Skybone]

I always get my valves from http://www.hotroxuk.com/.

They're based in Nottingham, and the stuff usually comes next day. They also do great deals on Electro Harmonix pedals. Cheaper than Watford Valves anyway.

[Johnny Mac]

volkswagen means peoples car, doesnt it?

I'm just doing a module on the holocaust at university at the minute, its all very interesting...but very hard to comprehend. I've studied it before, but i really still cannot get my head around it at all.

Incidentally, i dont think phillips were involved at Auschwitz; i have a list somewhere - there were only a few companies; Siemens and Farben chemicals being two of them.

Mercedes Benz proudly put their name to a van that piped it's exhuast fumes into the back. Guess who the passengers were?

[HJM]

hotrox are very good, and they do good deals on BKPs too!

[BigBazz]

I used to have Electro Harmonix in my 5150 but i wasnt so happy with them, i replaced the Preamp and poweramp valves with JJ 6L6's/ECC83 and i couldent be happier, much more responsive and a more lively tone, the poweramp valves looked a bit bigger than the EH ones i had in there too, the tech told me something about Russian valves not being as good as Ctech valves (or something along those lines) and that JJ's were about the best you could get without spending loads for NOS stuff.

[5F6-A]

In my JTM45 clone -->  V1: Mullard ECC83
                                   V2: Mullard ECC83
                                   V3: Philips ECC83 ( driver )

In my Single-ended 6V6 BF amp --> V1: GE 12AY7
                                                     V2: Mullard ECC81

                                                     No ECC83s/12AX7s in that one!!


That's it!!

[Jagwyre]

I just ordered a jj retube kit for my Traynor YCv40WR from Bob at www.eurotubes.com, his site seems really cool, hope it isn't just hype.  I really like his band also, great clips, very much like the best 60s and 70s rock, as good as Janis Joplin's band with more updated sounds.  I'll let you know how it sounds compared to the stock sovteks.  $55 plus shipping, ships from Oregon.  He personally picks out the tubes and actually seems to customize them for you, and I did get a personal email from him.  Amp is already cool, but I am really excited about how it will sound after retubing.  His site actually had 3 retubing packages for my specific amp and he looks like a serious tube pro.  My wife heard me talking about it and now she wants to be retubed!  Well, gotta go to help her out on that!  :shock:

I am fiddling with Adobe Audition to do some mp3s for the group, but it is slow going due to a lack of free time.  Cheers!

[Jagwyre]

followup to my last post, the user reviews are a bit hard to find on Eurotubes, so here goes:

http://www.eurotubes.com/euro-t.htm

At least it is obvious he is not a corporate 'me-too' kinda site.  with VH2s and jjs, this Traynor is gonna scream like porn starlet on payday

[Floyd Pepper]

Interesting that people have compared NOS values to modern ones and say there's not much difference.  I found NOS Mullards to be one for me.  My Cornford Harlequin 6W came with Sovtek 12AX7s and a Sovtek EL84.  

I tried Sovtek 12AX7Bs but couldn't tell the difference.  

Electro Harmonix 12AX7EH sounded a bit thicker clean and a bit clearer.

As for the EL84, I put in a Mullard EL84 rated at 70% emissions. With this it sound more chunky. With the Sovtek EL84 it sounded as bit too smooth the old Mullard added more depth to it.

What hit the spot was the old Mullard EL84 and a pair of Blackburn Mullard ECC83s from 1962.   The difference was like a filter bloking some of the frequencies had been removed. The amp sounded truly amazing. It sounded good before but with the Mullards it's hard to think how it could sound better. Every sound setting sounded fuller.

I tired a NOS foreign Mullard EL84 too but it didn't sound as good as the used Mullard. With it the sound was lacking something.  Looking at the valves their internal construction was different. Perhaps the foreign Mullard had been made by someone else and badged Mullard? Perhaps you can't beat British Mullards?

Good thing about the Harlequin is it only needs 3 valves so it's cheap to play about.  :)