Going back to mesa tubes....

[tramp]

Well I've had a set of jj's in both my Triaxis and 20/20, and despite input from various posters on this board regarding nos tube configs I am finding it difficult to make a choice and no one is willing to say this is a good all round set etc (the problem being a; I live in the UK and tube prices here are silly b; I dont have the time or money to go buying 100's of NOS tubes and trying them in each pos.

Guess you are getting the picture, the question I'm asking right now is can the MESA BOOGIE TUBE SPAX 12AX7 be used in all positions on the tri (I'm thinking as it's shielded it might make for a lower noise floor...or should it only be used for the input stage and standard mesa tubes thereafter??
Am I making sense!

So unless someone can point me in the direction of a decent tube set AND where to get them I'm back to mesa for my tubes (for now at least!)

Cheers guys

 

[ANIMATED SUSPENSION]

I'd get a set of drive tested Electro Harmonix DR250 12ax7's from Watford Valves, which are the same as the Mesa ones only cheaper. The SPAX7 (or a low noise, low microphonic equivalent) is only really necessary in v1.

 

[tramp]

Yup, I've already been pm'd by Thom.. . but thing is he has a ton of knowledge and knows his tubes but was not specific enough with me to say go with this set and more importantly where to get the tubes!! he rightly gave me many choices but as I said I've neither the wealth or the time to do his advice justice (although I would pay well for a good set of tubes!!) I just need someone to say this tube in V1 etc..... thats why I first went with Bob and the jj's 'set'...it was easy you see...

So unless I can get a good alround NOS set under advice then it back to mesa cause I'm sure the JJ's arnt doing me any favours....

Cheers

 

[212Mavguy]

It would help if you ask this question with a description of what you would like your triaxis to sound like, and what kind of music you play. Otherwise how can someone give you an accurate V1 Choice and so on?

Absolutely!

Sure, you can use all Mesa spa ax7's. Might make you very happy for at least a while, too. But there are vintage tubes that sound better to my ears and others' ears as well.

I'd get back with Thom AKA Timbre Wolf again and have the idea that a quick, one shot instant gratification solution is not the best for you. Is no such thing actually. Ask him for the links to his tube reviews, they are among the best and most thorough I have ever read outside of Vacuum Tube Valley Magazine. The Wolf is the very real deal for sure, we have corresponded and even traded tubes that both of us had not had the chance to listen to. We learned from each other and found that we had a lot in common as far as opinions on different tubes' sounds...

In order for you to develop the tones that best please your ears, you have to have the will and expend the resources to experiment on your own. You WILL need to buy more tubes than the minmum needed to operate that piece, period. I used eBay. Got some guidance from an experienced buyer when I started, if you have little or no experience there, having an experienced ebay mentor is pretty much a necessity, IMHO.

The answer for many is choosing from new production tubes, however, those that have gone beyond blindly following the store employee advice and done the science of buying and experimenting and listening with their own ears tend to prefer the sounds of vintage old stock or new old stock tubes.

The best platform for tube rolling and listening to individual preamp tubes is a simple, single ended amplifier, like a vintage Fender Champ, for example. What you learn from that can be applied more efficiently to more complex platforms. It worked very well for me. I'm sure that sounds pretty extreme, however.

Another way that might be more practical and acceptable to you is to swap out tubes in your triaxis, namely, the first position in the channel that uses the least amount of preamp tubes to operate that given channel. Should be V1 in most amps and preamps.

Read you Triaxis manual carefully if you have not already, and be willing to spend some time, you will be rewarded, and do trust the Timbre Wolf on this.

Peace.

 

[Timbre Wolf]

Yup, I've already been pm'd by Thom.. . but thing is he has a ton of knowledge and knows his tubes but was not specific enough with me to say go with this set and more importantly where to get the tubes!!

As Shredd said, I like to put out my experience, but let you make the choices. I could easily tell you what to put in your Triaxis:
V1 Raytheon long black-plate 12AX7A, or Sylvania short black-plate 12AX7
V2 Mullard CV4024/12AT7WA (from the '80s), or RCA black-plate 12AT7 (if you use the Sylvania in V1
V3 RCA 3-mica blackplate 5751
V4 Mullard long-plate 12AX7 (f91 or f92 type)
V5 RCA (or other manufacturer) black-plate 12BZ7

But you'd try it out with your settings, your taste, your guitar, your speakers, etc. and probably chew me out for leading you astray. I figure if I give you the character choices, you can learn to find the tones you like best, rather than try to chase after what I or others like best. I've done this enough to know that no-one has the same taste.

Given that you live in the UK, I would certainly urge you to seek out local bargain sources for the long-plate Mullard 12AX7. Get a couple of those, and your search will be mostly over! You could fill out the other positions with tubes available from Watford Valves - much more affordable to you than to me. Or, perhaps, save up for the new Tube Tech (Mullard's Blackburn tube plant is coming back with a new 12AX7 design), and support your homeland's business.

I'd like to try to help you, and will be glad to continue the dialog. But, ultimately, it comes down to choices you'll have to experiment on.

Cheers!

- Thom

 

[goodwill559]

Ask him for the links to his tube reviews, they are among the best and most thorough I have ever read outside of Vacuum Tube Valley Magazine. The Wolf is the very real deal for sure,

Timbre wolf, may I have the links to your tube reviews?

thanks,

Will

 

[tramp]

Ask him for the links to his tube reviews, they are among the best and most thorough I have ever read outside of Vacuum Tube Valley Magazine. The Wolf is the very real deal for sure,

Timbre wolf, may I have the links to your tube reviews?

thanks,

Will

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=749

I found this one bloody brill!!.....anyways Mr Timbre, I'll look into what you are suggesting, and I know you are right and choices are subjective...but at least you are sending me on my way, and I'm sure over the coming years I will have many 'tubes' at my disposal

Thanks to all you chaps for the guidance!!

Also Thom where in the US would you say I'm able to source these from (As I have Family in NY)

Cheers!! & respect

 

[tramp]

V1 Raytheon long black-plate 12AX7A, or Sylvania short black-plate 12AX7
V2 Mullard CV4024/12AT7WA (from the '80s), or RCA black-plate 12AT7 (if you use the Sylvania in V1
V3 RCA 3-mica blackplate 5751
V4 Mullard long-plate 12AX7 (f91 or f92 type)
V5 RCA (or other manufacturer) black-plate 12BZ7

So If I were to give this set a go how would they sit in my Tri as regard to the 'boogie bias'??

I'm thinking you could become a tube pimp! and work sets for us chaps

 

[Dror520]

Can I put an SPAX7-A preamp tube in the V1 of the mark iv and then 4 12ax7 tubes from v2-v5 ?? and btw how do I know which position is each one ?

 

[212Mavguy]

Hi Dror,

Don't know any reason why not, and by the way, the manual for your amp is available online from Mesa's website, it should provide your amp's tube assignments, and a whole lot more great info besides! Peace.

 

[Timbre Wolf]

So If I were to give this set a go how would they sit in my Tri as regard to the 'boogie bias'??

I'm not sure what you're asking with this question. Though unconventional, these tubes work spectacularly in the Triaxis. You may be thinking of the power tube bias range that Mesa uses for fixed-bias amps, but that does not apply to preamp tubes.

As for where to buy the tubes - pretty much anywhere they're sold :lol: They're not so common that every dealer has them. I have listed dealers I recommend, in this thread, where others have also spoken up. That said, I have made most of my purchases from eBay. You've got to know what you're looking for; know how to i.d. by the tubes' internal construction clues, not just the label or box.

I'm not going to attempt to list links to all the tube discussions I've had. It is just too much work, and the search feature will reveal relevant threads for those who wish to delve deeper. Try searching on The Gear Page too - that's where I and others have had the majority of these discussions.

Best Regards, Iain, and all.

- T

 

[tramp]

Holly cow!! just looked on ebay and it's mind blowing, for instance I saw some Mullard long-plate 12AX7 f92 from 1959!!!! I was deadly serious Thom you could get a little niche going puting good sets together!!..

How many tubes do you go through before you hit a rich 'seam'???

God I'll get divorced if I were to spend my evenings on ebay!!!

 

[goodwill559]

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=749

I found this one bloody brill!!.....
Thanks to all you chaps for the guidance!!

Cheers!! & respect

Tramp, thank you so much for finding and posting that link!

 

[Timbre Wolf]

How many tubes do you go through before you hit a rich 'seam'???

Well, I've gone through a lot!! Nobody had the detailed character descriptions I craved, so I had to try them out myself.

Remember that, on eBay, you're liable to get a few duds. Don't sweat it too much (work with the seller though), 'cause, in my experience, that's made up for in bargains in other auctions. Try out used tubes first, find out if you like their character, then you can go after true "NOS" (as in un-used) when you're stocking up on your favored types.

- T

 

[tramp]

Know a good divorce lawyer??

 

[Timbre Wolf]

Know a good divorce lawyer??

:lol: Interesting that this post came up with a divorce mediation advert directly above it! When I got divorced, about 11 years ago, I/we did it without lawyers - didn't want to be supporting their families too!

But, as in all things, it helps to plan ahead. I'm glad to see you've got your priorities straight :wink: Just purchase a few tubes at a time, and she may not notice.

- T

 

[tramp]

I'm finding it hard to get anything but the Mullards!!..........jeeze

 

[212Mavguy]

Did Picasso only use one color on his palette? :wink: Well, maybe on his "blue" series of paintings...Don't be in a hurry! Take your time, and discover bit by bit. Don't be surprised if your desired tones evolve over time to be different than what you loved at the start. With a variety of tubes available you can voice an amp for a particular guitar or speaker cab. 8) That is lots of fun!

 

[tramp]

I'm looking forward to the journey, just need some wheels first