diagnosis help w/DC-3 re-tube

[pss]

Volume dropped off significantly so I figured it was time to re-tube. I obtained the EH 12ax7 and sovtec el84. Now here's the problem, right before the volume went half dead the amp was sounding real sweet with TS9 and the strat. I replaced the tubes. Now I have to turn all kind of knobs to get a good tone at a specific volume and a specific style of pick attack. A certain setting on the clean channel will sound real good but if I dig in slightly I may end up with harsh over tones giving the sensation of someone taking a hammer to a glass next to your ear. Things are no longer balanced and behaved. The lead channel is way more gain sensitive reminding me of plugging in a big muff on an ampeg v4 - waaaay too buzzy/fuzzy. But oddly the sustain is diminished. So I back off the gain but it doesn't seem to have the testosterone that it had before, just copious amounts of unauthoritative volume of either buz, flab, or whoof.

Before the volume fell off and I changed the tubes I had a four channel tone monster (TS9) will balls AND manners. Now I have a clone of my better half in a black cube with major PMS.

BTW - the tubes are all matched and don't exhibit any noise or light shows.

Can anyone shed some light here?

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

Have no experience with the DC amps, but I have tried the EH pre's in my Triple-Rec and IMO they suck. Not noisy or microphonic or anything, but just VERY bright and harsh sounding. Try some JJ's....some people think they're kind of dark but they take that nasty fizz and harshness away, and to my ears are very linear-sounding...what goes in is what comes out. The new Tung-Sols are supposed to be nice too but I have not tried them.