Author Topic: What Preamp valves do you guys use? (Read 12014 times)

steve · « **on:** October 12, 2005, 02:02:26 PM »

I will be replacing my preamp valves in my Trace Elliott Speed Twin soon, i just wondered if you guys had and recommendations.Its a warm high gain tone i aspire to.Thanks in advance.Steve

withoutwarning · « **Reply #1 on:** October 12, 2005, 03:50:09 PM »

JJ Tesla tubes are supposed to be really nice. I have Sovtek 12AX7LPS tubes in my Soldano Supercharger and SP77...they're not the greatest tubes from what I hear but they give me the tone that I'm looking for so I've stuck with them. I have Electro Harmonix tubes in my Engl 520 and my little 15 watt Laney...they are really warm sounding. The clean sounds are superb. I've tried Engl tubes as well but didn't like them...

TwilightOdyssey · « **Reply #2 on:** October 12, 2005, 04:04:48 PM »

Siemens.

indysmith · « **Reply #3 on:** October 12, 2005, 04:23:46 PM »

EHX all the way baby. just about cheapest out there, and the best sounding i've tried!!!

The amazing Phil · « **Reply #4 on:** October 12, 2005, 05:04:30 PM »

I'm not sure, all I know is that they're 12AX7s, but they don't seem to have anything on them, at least not in the Laney. But when it comes to replacing tubes I'll probably hit Watfordvalves.dom or maybe Matamp.

big steve · « **Reply #5 on:** October 12, 2005, 05:17:52 PM »

watford valves is brilliant for valves. i don't know, i'd probably go for sovtek or harma but that's purely reputation, i don't know what valves are in my lc30 at the moment :P

_tom_ · « **Reply #6 on:** October 12, 2005, 05:39:23 PM »

at the minute I have two stock Groove Tubes in V1+2, and a GE 5751 in the V3 slot. I'm gonna replace em soon, but dunno what with, I was thinkin about getting a whole retube kit, does anywhere sell whole kits?

willo · « **Reply #7 on:** October 12, 2005, 06:28:19 PM »

Quote from: TwilightOdyssey

Siemens.

did you know Siemens used slave labour from the Auschwitz camp in WWII? I'm not saying stop using them or anything like that...i just found out that at uni the other day and it blew me away.

disclaimer:im not inferring any kind of political comment here, just trying to show an interesting fact...

The amazing Phil · « **Reply #8 on:** October 12, 2005, 06:51:20 PM »

Yeah, scary stuff.

PhilKing · « **Reply #9 on:** October 12, 2005, 07:46:18 PM »

Groove Tubes, TAD and EH. I have Harma power tubes, but haven't tried their pre-amp tubes.

I also have a ton of Mullard, Brimar, Tung-Sol, GE, Mazda, Bugle Boy, RCA and other original valves. I looked out a few years ago and bought a job lot of pre-amp valves for a small amount. Some of them are good, but to be honest the new ones give almost the same sound now, and are probably more reliable. The Groove Tube 12AX7M is a great preamp tube.

HJM · « **Reply #10 on:** October 12, 2005, 08:20:04 PM »

Don't mention IBM then........

I like the Groove Tube Mullard clone, does it for me. Raytheons are good if you can get them, and the Chinese groove tube is pretty good.

Skybone · « **Reply #11 on:** October 12, 2005, 08:39:11 PM »

I'm running 2 Sovtek 12AX7WC (supposedly good for high gain) and an ECC83M that was in the amp to start with.

I think that next time I'm going to change the preamp valves, I'll maybe go for something like the ECC83M vintage-y style.

Ratrod · « **Reply #12 on:** October 12, 2005, 10:07:32 PM »

Quote from: willo

Quote from: TwilightOdyssey
Siemens.

did you know Siemens used slave labour from the Auschwitz camp in WWII? I'm not saying stop using them or anything like that...i just found out that at uni the other day and it blew me away.

disclaimer:im not inferring any kind of political comment here, just trying to show an interesting fact...

Then Phillips probably did too. In fact, every industry in Europe was confiscated by the Germans back then. And guess who invented Volkswagen.

indysmith · « **Reply #13 on:** October 12, 2005, 10:15:41 PM »

i saw a picture of hitler next to a VW beetle t'other day. that thing must have been way ahead of it's time. it looked really weird...

willo · « **Reply #14 on:** October 12, 2005, 10:21:03 PM »

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.