greg_moreira
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- Jan 21, 2008
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Hi folks.... Ive been reading about tube options for a while, and its a lot to take in! Basically...Im well past the need for a retube all around. Ive had this triple rec for years using the same tubes(pre and power), and I use the amp regularly between gigs and rehearsal. Guess Ive gotten lucky that they have lasted as long as they did....
Anyways, the power section is pretty simple, and I think Im going to try out some EL34's here......but preamp tubes have me a little stumped! From what Im reading, the tube types need to be mixed and matched(more specifically...the positions for the cathode followers need a diff tube type......?)
Im just wondering what you guys are having success with for your preamp tubes. Im definitely not looking for huge gain here. Actually, I think I might be more of a stiletto ace kinda guy, but the rectifier was the most reasonable option for me when I bought...and Ive made it work rather well. Just so you know where Im coming from with my sound....I use channel three most often in modern mode, and I run the gain around noon typically(or a hair less), I dial In a lot of mids(3/4 or sometimes more), and run both the presence and treble a shade under noon. Bass never more than 12:00 either, so I get a fairly tight, accurate and fairly thick sound. Plenty of gain still I guess, but definitely not into the scooped metal sound. If you check www.myspace.com/redlightcrisis you can hear my guitar sound on the recordings, as opposed to me really trying to explain it.
I read great things about the tungsol 12ax7 preamp tubes....but then some mesa recto users say that it sounds grainy and harsh! I just need something articulate and full, thats also tight enough without being brittle or harsh, and Ive got no clue where to start in terms of replacing all the preamp tubes. Right now, my EQ is a little dramatic in terms of how much mids I have to add and how much treble/eq I have to pull to get the sound where I need it. What I dont want is to end up with tubes that make it even more "sterile"....and if at all possible, Id like some tubes that promote this sorta sound that Ive already got a little moreso(hence the reason for trying some EL34's).
Thanks a lot for any insight!
Anyways, the power section is pretty simple, and I think Im going to try out some EL34's here......but preamp tubes have me a little stumped! From what Im reading, the tube types need to be mixed and matched(more specifically...the positions for the cathode followers need a diff tube type......?)
Im just wondering what you guys are having success with for your preamp tubes. Im definitely not looking for huge gain here. Actually, I think I might be more of a stiletto ace kinda guy, but the rectifier was the most reasonable option for me when I bought...and Ive made it work rather well. Just so you know where Im coming from with my sound....I use channel three most often in modern mode, and I run the gain around noon typically(or a hair less), I dial In a lot of mids(3/4 or sometimes more), and run both the presence and treble a shade under noon. Bass never more than 12:00 either, so I get a fairly tight, accurate and fairly thick sound. Plenty of gain still I guess, but definitely not into the scooped metal sound. If you check www.myspace.com/redlightcrisis you can hear my guitar sound on the recordings, as opposed to me really trying to explain it.
I read great things about the tungsol 12ax7 preamp tubes....but then some mesa recto users say that it sounds grainy and harsh! I just need something articulate and full, thats also tight enough without being brittle or harsh, and Ive got no clue where to start in terms of replacing all the preamp tubes. Right now, my EQ is a little dramatic in terms of how much mids I have to add and how much treble/eq I have to pull to get the sound where I need it. What I dont want is to end up with tubes that make it even more "sterile"....and if at all possible, Id like some tubes that promote this sorta sound that Ive already got a little moreso(hence the reason for trying some EL34's).
Thanks a lot for any insight!
