Tungsram and RFT finaly in my C+

[cremona]

After some reading i decided to buy three 3 RFT 12ax7 and Two Tungrsram 12ax7.

Prior to that i had all new mesa boogie stock 12ax7 tubes.

But a month ago i found 2 GE nos tubes and swaped the V1 and v2 mesa out for the GE , that made a great improvment so i decided to order a full NOs preamp tube job.

I put the two Tungsram in V1 and V2 and the rfts for the rest, the sound have really changed alot.

tone wise the sound is darker and more saturated, smoother , but the biggest change is the bandwith , by that i mean the bass goes deeper with more sub bass notes but it goes the other way too , sound is filled with overtones and soundstage is alot deeper with that sence of 3D.
And talk about dynamics, this think is now a fire breathing monster , it sounds really furious whan you play the guitar hard but at the same time it also sings more.

The sound im getting right now is pretty magical

If you have a C+ i can only say that the stock mesas sound clinical soulless and dead in comparison to the tungsrams and rfts

Worth every penny

 

[Boogiebabies]

That's pretty much what I hear as well.

God bless European ECC83's.

 

[cremona]

I agree

When i installed them i experimented a littel , to my ears the RFT 12ax7 was best in the PI (V5) compared to the Tungsram.
I installed one tube at the time to hear each step, and the first one i changed was V5 , that made a huge jump regarding the lows and grunt.

I also tried putting RFT in v1 and v2 that was very rock and role, but with the Tungsram in there and RFT`s in the remaining slots , it became magical.

With each new tube it just got better and better, balance in sound is now spot on IMO

 

[dodger916]

After some reading i decided to buy three 3 RFT 12ax7 and Two Tungrsram 12ax7.

Prior to that i had all new mesa boogie stock 12ax7 tubes.

But a month ago i found 2 GE nos tubes and swaped the V1 and v2 mesa out for the GE , that made a great improvment so i decided to order a full NOs preamp tube job.

I put the two Tungsram in V1 and V2 and the rfts for the rest, the sound have really changed alot.

tone wise the sound is darker and more saturated, smoother , but the biggest change is the bandwith , by that i mean the bass goes deeper with more sub bass notes but it goes the other way too , sound is filled with overtones and soundstage is alot deeper with that sence of 3D.
And talk about dynamics, this think is now a fire breathing monster , it sounds really furious whan you play the guitar hard but at the same time it also sings more.

The sound im getting right now is pretty magical

If you have a C+ i can only say that the stock mesas sound clinical soulless and dead in comparison to the tungsrams and rfts

Worth every penny

Another convert! I would also recommend Amperex ECC83s if you want to add some brightness without the harsh icepicks.

 

[Boogiebabies]

After some reading i decided to buy three 3 RFT 12ax7 and Two Tungrsram 12ax7.

Prior to that i had all new mesa boogie stock 12ax7 tubes.

But a month ago i found 2 GE nos tubes and swaped the V1 and v2 mesa out for the GE , that made a great improvment so i decided to order a full NOs preamp tube job.

I put the two Tungsram in V1 and V2 and the rfts for the rest, the sound have really changed alot.

tone wise the sound is darker and more saturated, smoother , but the biggest change is the bandwith , by that i mean the bass goes deeper with more sub bass notes but it goes the other way too , sound is filled with overtones and soundstage is alot deeper with that sence of 3D.
And talk about dynamics, this think is now a fire breathing monster , it sounds really furious whan you play the guitar hard but at the same time it also sings more.

The sound im getting right now is pretty magical

If you have a C+ i can only say that the stock mesas sound clinical soulless and dead in comparison to the tungsrams and rfts

Worth every penny

Another convert! I would also recommend Amperex ECC83s if you want to add some brightness without the harsh icepicks.

I put mid 80's Chinese 12AX7's and Sovtek 5881's in your C+ and it sounded like God speaking.

 

[Old BF Shred]

Yes I also have a couple of "Bugle Boys" in my VOS tube stash. They are awesome.
I also have a couple Sonotones, an RCA, 2 Tungsrams and my absolute favorite, about a half dozen Telefunken 'ax7's.

They all are better than most of the new production tubes. I will say, however, I do like the sound of the JJ ECC83's in my Stiletto. They tame the bright tendencies in that amp quite well, IMO. Other than that, the older tubes are superior sounding.

 

[cremona]

I think that the most interresting part is that the change is more the sounds within in the tone and not just the tone.

The difference tonewise is not night and day , but its all those overtones and sounds within the basic tone that makes those old NOS preamp tubes magical.

If thats makes enysence

Its also very clear that there is ALOT more going on in the Freq extrems, like the stock mesas simply couldent recreate those deep and high tones that the guitars produces.

The stock mesas made the C+ sound more like the sounds i hear from a recto or the mark 5 i played the other day, or modern ,digital.

IMO one of the differences between good amps and the cream of crop amps is the way the amp picks up the guitars natural resonance and you playing style, in this area IMO the C+ is as good as eny Diezel, Fuch i have heard, with thise new RFT and tungsrams those kvalitys gets even more magnified .

 

[Platypus]

Where are you guys getting these tubes from?

 

[dodger916]

Where are you guys getting these tubes from?

I find them on eBay.

 

[av8or3]

I too have been changing out the preamp tubes in my amps. I'm fond of the Tungsrams in just about every slot. I recently put a shortplate Mullard 12AX7 in VI on my simulclass. WOW! Lost a little gain but the smoothness (took the edge off) of the tone changed dramaticaly. I like it so much better that I bought another NOS Mullard off e-bay ($59) and will put it in my 60 watter.
My MKII still had all (I think) factory preamp tubes in it, they were Tungsram's. I'm not changing a thing with that rascal, it will blow the doors off anything as it's a hundred watter.
Lots of fun
see 'ya, Jim

 

[JOEY B.]

Where are you guys getting these tubes from?

http://www.tubemonger.com/12AX7_ECC83_ECC803S_E83CC_7025_CV4004_CV492_CV4035_M8137_s/6.htm

I have the Tungsram in V1 and V2 , the RFT in V3 and V4 of both my C+ amps. Lots of juice and bounce in the clean channel, with the RFT smoothing the highs of the lead channel. The right Sylvania power tubes will make as much difference or more than the preamp tubes. :wink:

 

[mreeve25]

I have Mesa STR 415's, and Sylvania ECC83's in my 60 Watt C+. It flat out whoops the other 2 C+'s I have owned. The sustain and single palm muted notes are amazing! Now if I could only decide on which pickups to replace my EMG's with.

 

[cremona]

Hi JOEY

Yeah those sylvanias are proberly my next thing to get, the are pretty damm expensiv but my thourgt is that when i now like the sound of the amp so much, making it sound its very best is money well spend.

Another obsevation , NO bass problem enymore , i can actually feel through my feet through the floor, , 80 just under the top slider is penlenty enurgh for chunky metal madness,

BTW are thise sylvania el34 legit ? http://cgi.ebay.com/Two-6CA7-EL34-Sylvania-Fat-Boy-matching-pair-EL34-/270579637830?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3effcd9e46#ht_500wt_1154

 

[av8or3]

BTW are thise sylvania el34 legit ? http://cgi.ebay.com/Two-6CA7-EL34-Sylvania-Fat-Boy-matching-pair-EL34-/270579637830?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3effcd9e46#ht_500wt_1154

Yep, those are Sylvania's and appear to be STR416's
Jim

(I'm watching 8)

 

[cremona]

BTW are thise sylvania el34 legit ? http://cgi.ebay.com/Two-6CA7-EL34-Sylvania-Fat-Boy-matching-pair-EL34-/270579637830?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3effcd9e46#ht_500wt_1154

Yep, those are Sylvania's and appear to be STR416's
Jim

(I'm watching 8)

GREAT

let the bidding begin

 

[dodger916]

BTW are thise sylvania el34 legit ? http://cgi.ebay.com/Two-6CA7-EL34-Sylvania-Fat-Boy-matching-pair-EL34-/270579637830?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3effcd9e46#ht_500wt_1154

Yep, those are Sylvania's and appear to be STR416's
Jim

(I'm watching 8)

GREAT

let the bidding begin

I have a pair of them...great tubes. It would great to know if they were matched with respect to current draw. Transconductance isn't relly a matching measure.

 

[Old BF Shred]

Where are you guys getting these tubes from?

I did some repair work on some solid state stereo gear for a friend and in payment he gave me some old tube HiFi gear that he got for free (Ampex, McIntosh) that had several of these old tubes. Others I got from repairing amps for friends over the years where I said, "can I have the old tubes?" and was told "sure!". :mrgreen:

Now they know better and I have not been able to get many that way lately! :wink:

Otherwise, craigslist or ebay, but the secret's out so it may not be cheap. Also some tube dealers will offer NOS or good used (VOS) for a fairly reasonable price. I have seen them at Tube Depot, for example.

Good luck!

 

[JOEY B.]

I have a pair of them...great tubes. It would great to know if they were matched with respect to current draw. Transconductance isn't relly a matching measure.

More food for thought. The last pair of these that I bought were a matched pair. They were about 6 mA different in my C+, but within 1 mA when installed into the Class-A sockets of my Electra Dyne(same plate voltage but hotter bias than the C+). I wonder how many of the tube vendors match their pairs at 485 volts, and at what bias voltage? :wink:

 

[JOEY B.]

Words of wisdom: If anyone sees a RARE Boogie amp or Sylvania tube auction, it would be in your best interest NOT to post it in the forums, unless you want the price to skyrocket. The Private Message would be a much better source to answer any questions regarding these unique items, if you are truly interested in a purchase. 8) SOMEONE PLEASE STICKY THIS POST!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Neptical]

Words of wisdom: If anyone sees a RARE Boogie amp or Sylvania tube auction, it would be in your best interest NOT to post it in the forums, unless you want the price to skyrocket. The Private Message would be a much better source to answer any questions regarding these unique items, if you are truly interested in a purchase. 8) SOMEONE PLEASE STICKY THIS POST!!!!!!!!!!

Joey--little late on that one eh?
Plus you wanna sticky it?
:lol:

All the Best,
~Nep~