Questions i don't see asked:

[Dead Moon Rising]

Some random thoughts i had while reading about NOS tubes:

Do preamp tubes wear out like power tubes? especially considering that alot of them are overdriven?


and has anyone compared multiple NOS tubes of the same brand? I mean do all vintage Mullard ecc83's sound similar?


I understand alot about mfg. practices and how that can effect the different characteristics of tubes, but was quality control that much better in days gone by? I would think things would be better now after decades of manufacturing, use, and so much experimenting. not to mention more knolwedge and modern equipment to mesaure tube specs.

I guess i wonder if Buying a NOS tube is a crapshoot or not, because how do you guarantee it's a genuine NOS and not been used and abused. i can obsess over my tone, and the NOS thing is tempting, but one more thing to obsess over.

 

[carlsoti]

Your questions are vailid, and a primary reason many of us are "afraid" of going the NOS route. If they were cheaper because they were "old", there wouldn't be as much hesitation, I think. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for your questions.

 

[Dead Moon Rising]

Thanks for the replies. I really want to try the Mullard in V1, i've heard nothing but good things about that. and I think i'll keep reading here and see if i can find some more forums to study up on.

 

[Setzer]

I would highly recommend the Mullard in V1 myself.

I got one to try and was a bit sceptical whether or not I personally would hear much of a difference and boy was I surprised how good it was!

 

[stokes]

NOS tubes are better because in the old days everthing and everybody used tubes.Todays market is basically tube guitar amps and the even smaller tube hi-fi market.If they dont make them with a shorter lifespan,they wont sell enough to be profitable.Also,in the old days the biggest consumer of tubes was the military,not just the USA,but worldwide.If you didnt make them to last you didnt get a military contract,if you didnt get a military contract you were out of business.You can argue that NOS tubes sound better or worse than current production,since it is all subjective,but there is no doubt as to NOS having a much longer lifespan.

 

[domct203]

Sometimes the Vintage tube market may be a crap-shoot, and it appears expensive but so was this:

Of all the tubes in that box, there's about 4 I will still use.

My current preamp sounds great, and was alot less $$ than that box of unused glass.

V1-RFT 12AX7
V2-Mullard 12AX7
V3-GE 12AX7 Long Plate
V4-Mullard CV4024 (12AT7WA)
V5-RCA 12AX7
V6-Mullard CV4024

I think I like 12AX7's better in the PI so I'll most likely swap the Mullard with an RCA or Sovtek LPS. The Mullard 12AX7 sounds great in V2, and I like both the RFT & RCA in V1. I've always liked the full bottom end of a long plate in the last gain stages, and the GE kicks the JJ 803S in the dirt.

All the tubes sound good in the Reverb slot, but IMO the CV2024's warmth is great.

Bottom line is I have 6 tubes in my amp that slay 31 in a box. That's money well spent on NOS/Vintage tubes.

Now, about speakers .............

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Dom

 

[CoG]

Sure, it *looks* that way, but Doug recommends the same kit for every amp that has 5 preamp tubes.

I asked him for a recommendation for my Rec Pre and he gave me the same list of 5 tubes he gives everyone else, didn't even look for any information on the preamp which he obviously knew nothing about-- it has six preamp tubes, different preamp chain than a Recto, no PI, two outs :roll:

at least with eurotubes, bob doesn't pretend there's some kind of juju going on. I've never had a JJ preamp tube come to me not working 100 per cent, unlike Tungsols. So I use an NOS RCA longplate in V1 (nice investment to try once but not really worth the $$$, if they ever die I probably won't replace them) and JJ ECC83/81s the rest of the way.

the NOS investment that was worth it for me was JAN 5751s for my Valve Jr.!

 

[domct203]

Let me guess.. Doug's tube kit and Eurotubes' kit.

That and alot of variations of them.

And for the OP:

I guess i wonder if Buying a NOS tube is a crapshoot or not, because how do you guarantee it's a genuine NOS and not been used and abused. i can obsess over my tone, and the NOS thing is tempting, but one more thing to obsess over.

I can understand the obsession my brother, just make sure you spend alot more time playing guitar than you do tweaking the amp or you may have the wrong amp/guitar. If you like your 'core' tone (like me), but want a clearer, more articulate pallet, NOS/Vintage is for you.

You have to jump in the pool to get wet sooner or later. Just make sure you know how to swim. Search E-Bay, start comparing prices, and look at the sellers feedback. Keep asking questions on the board, I did and it helped alot. Understand your amp's gain stages and how they affect tone and playability.

My GE 12AX7 (not 12AX7A) is a Vintage tube, not NOS. It performs flawlessly, was guarenteed to test good and was only $31.00 w/shipping.

On the flip side, I bought a used RCA that tests great (from the seller), it sounds great but is too noisy to use in V1 or V2. But it works fine in the PI (V6).

The Mullard 12AX7 is a really great tube, as well as the RCA 12AX7. They can be found at resonable prices if your patient. If you pop one of them in V1 and really don't feel it's worth it you can always re-sell it.

Good luck,

Dom