Current production favorites for Boogies?

[nosajwp]

What do you guys like for current production tubes for your Boogies? Here's mine:

6L6GC: SED (no contest)
12AX7: not sure here
5AR4: JJ

Feel free to name your favorites for these or other tube types...these are just the ones I use. I'm not sure about 12AX7's...I've only really used JJ's, and while they were nice, I don't want to limit myself. Same goes for the 5AR4, but I figure that's less of a tonal issue than the 12AX7's.

 

[R_ADKINS80]

6L6GC= TAD GC STR no contest what so ever!
12AX7 depends on the slot. V1 is SED =C= no contest...the rest is vintage tubes.
Rectifier tubes = NOS SED =C= 5U4G big bottles.

 

[prspastor]

6l6 SED I've had them in my F-50 for years
12AX7 I've become fond of Electro Harmonix's AX7
EL84's - I'm still searching, thinking about trying EH's here too

 

[paytojt]

Can someone tell me the differences between the stock Mesa 6L6, the TAD, and the SED?

 

[R_ADKINS80]

You'll get mixed reviews on all brands of tubes...some people love and some people hate. Here is my take on those tubes.

Stock Mesa STR440 6L6GC: Garbage....only keep on hand incase I have to send my amp in for warranty work. Sound very shrill, seriously lack any useable low end, Peaky annoying mids.

SED Winged C: Much better tube. Decent low end. Probably the smoothest mid range of the 6L6's I have. Still doesn't compete with the tone of my TADs so I keep them as back-ups to use if I have to wait on a new set of TADs.

TAD 6L6GC: The baddest 6L6GC I have ever used or heard. The low end these are capable of can level buildings. (Bass at noon is equal to bass cranked wih my winged c's) But it is not flubby or muddy in any way at all. The mid range is very useable as long as you don't push it too high. I find 9-10:00 is about all I can take but there is plenty of mid there for my tastes. They also have more top end extension so be very careful with the treble and presence knobs. I usually run my resence between off and 9:00 and my treble depends on what mode my channels are on but usually around noon-1:00. (the only exception being when I run the red channel on vintage or raw then the trebel gets pretty well cranked otherwise it's too dark with my preamp tube combo.

 

[domct203]

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[LerxstLee]

6L6GC= TAD GC STR no contest what so ever!
12AX7 depends on the slot. V1 is SED =C= no contest...the rest is vintage tubes.
Rectifier tubes = NOS SED =C= 5U4G big bottles.

I have not tried the TAD (Tube Amp Doctor) 6L6GC-STR but
my favorite new stock tube is the TAD 6L6WGT-STR It is the short version
with black plates and dual side getters . Holding them side by side to a RCA they
look close . Keep in mind , looks seldom translate into sound
I am not sure what the difference would be but imHo I love the TAD above and their el-84 takes a beating ,
sound great ,and won't quit . Some day I would like to try the TAD EL-34 but I am happy with my
sound now and have spent enough on tubes .
I have tried the Tungsol Kt66s (big bottle ) that are $149.00 a quad , I noticed nothing special
about those 'cept they look great .I will soon list my tubes I should sell as they were just plugged in
and listened to , some probably not long enough , I will also give a brief description as to how long
they were or were not used maybe I can roll some giving you all a chance to try some different tubes,
and save you some cash . All my power tubes are mesa spec'd from the dealer so they are within
2 or 3 M.A.s of stock mesa .
/cheers

 

[droptrd]

Where do you find SED 12ax7's?

 

[droptrd]

Oh yeah, I dig the SED 6L6 the most. The TAD comes a close 2nd for me. Dont use rectifier tubes. Fro preamp tubes, Im been running a sovtek 12ax7lps in v1, C8/C9's in v2 & v3, whatever in v4 and a balnced lps in v5.

 

[R_ADKINS80]

6L6GC= TAD GC STR no contest what so ever!
12AX7 depends on the slot. V1 is SED =C= no contest...the rest is vintage tubes.
Rectifier tubes = NOS SED =C= 5U4G big bottles.

I have not tried the TAD (Tube Amp Doctor) 6L6GC-STR but
my favorite new stock tube is the TAD 6L6WGT-STR It is the short version
with black plates and dual side getters . Holding them side by side to a RCA they
look close . Keep in mind , looks seldom translate into sound
I am not sure what the difference would be but imHo I love the TAD above and their el-84 takes a beating ,
sound great ,and won't quit . Some day I would like to try the TAD EL-34 but I am happy with my
sound now and have spent enough on tubes .
I have tried the Tungsol Kt66s (big bottle ) that are $149.00 a quad , I noticed nothing special
about those 'cept they look great .I will soon list my tubes I should sell as they were just plugged in
and listened to , some probably not long enough , I will also give a brief description as to how long
they were or were not used maybe I can roll some giving you all a chance to try some different tubes,
and save you some cash . All my power tubes are mesa spec'd from the dealer so they are within
2 or 3 M.A.s of stock mesa .
/cheers

That is because the New Sensor KT66 is NOT a real KT66.....mearly a Sovtek 6L6WXT+ crammed into a KT88 bottle. Real KT66's are either NOS or JJ. Nobody else makes a new production REAL kt66 besides JJ.

 

[Old BF Shred]

Where do you find SED 12ax7's?

Yea, I've checked my favorite vendors (tubestore and Depot, Antique, etc).
Have never seen them.....but if they make 'em I'll bet they're good!

 

[LerxstLee]

I only quoted the 2nd post , Never heard of sed ax7s .
I do not think you are referring to me :?
I will stick with Mullards/sylvania/rca/ge's for ax7s .

 

[fishyfishfish]

Got curious and got a quad of TAD's 6l6GC Str. Very, very good sounding tube. I think I like them better than EL34's.
Pre amp I have a mish-mash of NOS. Nothing to exotic, but tons better than stock.

 

[R_ADKINS80]

SED 12ax7's have been out of production since '03. I found one on ebay and snagged it and it was the best sounding V1 tube I had, including my vintage stuff. Sadly it went severely microphonic on me after about 8 months. I found one guy on ebay in the UK that has like 140 of them but I just don't have any extra cash to throw at tubes until I get my taxes done.

 

[LerxstLee]

Got curious and got a quad of TAD's 6l6GC Str. Very, very good sounding tube. I think I like them better than EL34's.
Pre amp I have a mish-mash of NOS. Nothing to exotic, but tons better than stock.

Glad you took a shot and really glad you liked them .
I find the price very reasonable for the tubes and a very good sounding tube
at that . Plenty of new tubes cost almost twice that price and I have never
had one go south , You can beat them , and they just keep begging for more .
Wait until they break in .
/cheers

 

[nosajwp]

Anyone else have any current production favorites for their Boogies?

 

[cscotto]

I just put an octet of TAD 6L6GC-STRs in my 2:100. They are fantastic. For my Nomad 100, I prefer SED Winged =C=s.

 

[LerxstLee]

I am begging to agree with randall smiths article.
If you put your amp back to the way it was when you bought it,
you will find the sound you liked, with the tubes that came with it.
You did infact buy your mesa because you liked the way it sounded.
Being musicians we are perfectionists spending hours , and even more money on tubes
than the amp even cost ,trying to find a better sound.

If the amp did not sound great why did you buy it ???
I think they build them around what is available.

I put one N.O.S sylvania 12ax7 in V1 and a N.O.S mullard ballance 12AT7 in the p.i.
2 5u4 N.o.s sylvania's , 4 tad 6l6wgcstr's , and 2 mesa branded siemens el34s that they
still sell. I think the major difference comes from the sylvania 12 ax7, the 5u4s, and
you have to love the sound of a siemens EL34.

N.O.S tubes were really noticable when you had perhaps 2 preamp tubes , 1 P.I.
and a quad of whatever mullards , then you stuck sovteks or groove tubes in.

That is now a whole different amp.

I would not want to hear an original '59 bassman with all sovteks. My ears hurt now at the thought.

With all the switching , tone mods, original or not, 6 preamp tubes , 6 variations of output tubes
can you really hear the difference. I thought I could.
I take my little orange tiny terror . Simple amp.
1 Preamp tube , 1 P.I tube and 2-el84s.
I can change that first chinese tube to a n.o.s 12 axy sylvania and the difference is unreal.
Put in two N.o.s siemens or mullard el84s instead of the TaD el84s and sure its a bit smoother but is it worth half the cost of the amp?
Just my $0.01 worth .

 

[pie4peace]

I use 4x 6L6 Groovetubes gold series (matched quartet)
and Pre-amp : all 12ax7 groovetubes

sounds killer :twisted:

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

I have a mate that runs Mesa STR454 6L6s and SPAX7 preamps in all position bar the last. I think he ran a Tung Sol in that spot. Apparently he dig the SPAX7 more than the NOS Mullards in the same positions...