volume drop/cut out and static again and now NO SOUND!

[tbonesullivan]

Fair enough. I've had 12ax7s die for me in that section on my Rocket 44 in the past. They were all Sovtek made. But the quality of 12ax7s is generally poor today anyway. Anyone who has lived through a plane crash or had a child with a de novo genetic condition will tell you that sometimes all the holes in the cheese line up. When I think of it, I've had loads of tube failures in the first gain stage tube too which on the Rocket 44 is V2.

I have had tubes die too, even ones that are supposed to be "good" for that position. Many cathode follower circuits run the voltages WAY over spec, which you could do in the old days, but not so much with "new" tubes.

I will say most of the tubes I have had die were Russian ones.

Except for one Beijing Square Getter that just... cracked for no reason.