Retubing my rig - need preamp tube advice

[Jackie]

I guess my power tubes are really going to hell. With a maple body+neck/rosewood fretboard guitar, EMG81 pickup, Marshall cab with V30s and Presence on the 2:90 running at 2 o'clock (!) the tone is still muddy - definitely the tubes, they are as old as the world and my rig certainly didn't sound this muddy a few months ago.

So I'm set on the powertubes (=C= 6L6), now I have to decide on the preamps.

I recently discovered (while tube rolling for my Marshall) that I don't like JJ tubes at all and I like Chinese 12AX7 (TAD, Ruby) or New Sensor 12AX7s, preferably Electro-Harmonix.

In my Marshall, I liked the EH tube best in the PI and V1 slot because it gave the most clarity and just felt "right". TungSol wasn't bad either but the drive sounds started to sound thin.

Would a trio of EHs be fine? The reason I also mentioned the Chinese 12AX7s is because I like the bite and aggression they have in driver positions, so I'm trying to keep to this formula and have a Chinese 12AX7 in there somewhere. Which brings me to the other question - what are the roles of each preamp tube in the 2:90? 2xPI, 1xdriver?

Part two: TriAxis tubes...
I currently have 5xSovtek 12AX7WA which sound OK but I think there's something to be desired here. Like I said, the EH+Chinese is a tube combo that works for me (at least in my JVM) so here I just want to ask how this would "agree" with the TriAxis:
V1, V4 EH
V2, V3 Chinese
(V5 is fx return so either will do)

Any opininon is appreciated! :mrgreen:

P.S: tubes are hard to get where I'm from, and I'm a big fan trying stuff, but I can get tubes only once every now and then so I want to make sure I'm getting something at least in the ballpark of what I'd like. Hence the mile long post, because I have to rely on info gathered here.

 

[Triaxstasy]

Tone is sooo subjective :wink:

Here´s what I currently use in my TA:

V1 - TAD 12AX7WA
V2 - TAD 7025 Mullard Style
V3 - JAN GE 5751 (I did the IC3 mod; before the mod it was a Mullard CV4024 aka ECC81)
V4 - 12AX7 Mullard Reissue (these bottles are the sh!t, yummie in that position!!!)
V5 - Mullard CV4024

 

[Jackie]

Yeah I agree, tone is subjective. But I just wanted to make sure I'm not doing something that would stand out... I know I wouldn't recommend TungSols to any JVM user so I thought there might be similar "rules of thumb" when it comes to the TriAxis.

Oh, forgot to mention - no NOS tubes for me. Just current production.

 

[sleewell]

i just retubed my entire rack with JJs, i really love it. usually i go with mesa tubes but went with something different this time and am happy with the tone.

 

[Jackie]

I dunno, JJs seem a little gainy to me. They gave me this weird high-mid thing when I put them in my JVM. Maybe they'd work well in a MESA which is more low-mid oriented? I'll try them out I have three of them lying around, thanks for posting.

 

[toolshed]

i just retubed my entire rack with JJs, i really love it. usually i go with mesa tubes but went with something different this time and am happy with the tone.

that's all i use... jj's are the stuff.... www.eurotube.com they are also really helpful... you should send them an email and ask them what to use and tell them the tone your going for!!!

 

[Jackie]

Thanks, another vote for JJs. But I HATE Eurotubes.
I think Bob's a bit stupid to think that everyone should just buy JJs and be happy. Eurotubes my ***, if he was eurotubes, he had Ei and Mullards and other European stuff too, not just JJs. Why even ask for advice he'd just tell me "Put this JJ here, than this special snake-oiled JJ here". No thanks. Sorry for the rant I have nothing against JJ tubes in that way but it just pisses me off when a guy decides one thing should rule the **** world and the other tube brands are crud.

 

[K-Roll]

Thanks, another vote for JJs. But I HATE Eurotubes.
I think Bob's a bit stupid to think that everyone should just buy JJs and be happy. Eurotubes my ***, if he was eurotubes, he had Ei and Mullards and other European stuff too, not just JJs. Why even ask for advice he'd just tell me "Put this JJ here, than this special snake-oiled JJ here". No thanks. Sorry for the rant I have nothing against JJ tubes in that way but it just pisses me off when a guy decides one thing should rule the **** world and the other tube brands are crud.

you might actually be quite right.. being born in Slovakia I must say that around here where I live, JJ tubes are the last thing we are going with when something breaks down .. those tubes which we may usually purchase directly from JJ Electronic Cadca (city) are usually 90% failing in the first week. The paradox is, that it is not even cheaper to buy it directly from factory anymore, but on the opposite it's usually even more expensive cause when some UK/US/DE tube shop buys these, they take them in larger volumes..

Now hear this, when I know I need some JJs I usually order these from some well known US , UK or DE seller (yes the shipping cost is usually more than the tubes itself) where I know he/she tested and possibly selected these.. at the end of the day I'm usually getting more stable JJs from abroad than from our local factory/shop etc.. funny isn't it?

Eurotubes is based in PR and his relations with his slovak based family (or whoever that was he used to be visiting around)..
You know, if you had a contract with some brand you wouldn't be advertising other brands..

 

[Jackie]

You know, if you had a contract with some brand you wouldn't be advertising other brands..

Yep that makes sense to me. Anyway, I'm gonna try the JJs when I find some time, I have a feeling they might work better in a MESA than in a Marshall.

 

[domct203]

FYI-

The current Mesa 12AX7's are JJ's.

Dom

 

[Jackie]

I thought they were Sovtek? Interesting. I did look through some pics and they appear very similar, yes. Makes me want to try the JJs even more. I think it's tube rolling time! :mrgreen:

 

[domct203]

Current Mesa 12AX7 = JJ
Mesa "Russian 1" 12AX7 = Sovtek
Mesa "Russian 2" 12AX7 = Electro Harmonix
Mesa "Chinese" 12AX7 = Sino/Shuguang

Mesa 6L6GC STR-430 = Sovtek
Mesa 6L6GC STR-440 = Ruby supplied Chinese Shuguang

Dom

 

[Jackie]

Cool, dom! Thanks a bunch!

 

[Jackie]

Cash's starting to pile up and I think I might finally get my octet of =C='s for my 2:90.

Decided to reanimate this thread for a quick question:

Do I order
A) 2 matched quads?
B) 4 matched pairs (simulclass etc.)

 

[DangerMoney]

Dom,
I've got a pair of Mesa EL34 STR-447s. Any idea who/what they are?

As an aside, I've got them pulled out and in their place I'm using JJ E34Ls which I prefer as they've got more bottom end.
Thanks.

Current Mesa 12AX7 = JJ
Mesa "Russian 1" 12AX7 = Sovtek
Mesa "Russian 2" 12AX7 = Electro Harmonix
Mesa "Chinese" 12AX7 = Sino/Shuguang

Mesa 6L6GC STR-430 = Sovtek
Mesa 6L6GC STR-440 = Ruby supplied Chinese Shuguang

Dom

 

[domct203]

I'm not sure who is Mesa's current EL34 (STR-447) supplier.

The JJ E34L is very 6L6GC-ish, less mids and a more pronounced bottom end.

Dom