Carvin Quad X Tube Preamp - can you help with distortion?

[bpd111]

Ok, I'm considering another option: is anyone familiar with the Carvin Quad X Tube Preamp? If so, what do you think. I'd appreciate your comments. Thanks in advance.

[bpd111]

Apparently no one is familiar with this preamp, but I bought one since I posted. It has just about everything I'm looking for but I'm very disappointed with the distortion. It "stacks" all 9 12ax7 tubes for it's distortion, and I'm wondering if replacing some or all of the tubes should get rid of the grainy distortion.

[Drew]

Originally Posted by bpd111

It "stacks" all 9 12ax7 tubes for it's distortion

Nine tubes in a cascading gain stage? Jesus, that's what, 18 stages???!!!

Depends, as for the replacement... what's in it now? I absolutely love what the JJ's I put in my TSL did to the tone- warmed it up and smoothed it out a little.

Although, with all those tubes, you might want to switch to a slightly lower gain tube than a 12AX7- I mean, I'm sure theres MORE than enough gain on tap for any conceivable tone you could want to dial up as things stand now, right?

-D

[bpd111]

Pretty much. I just can't think of any other way to describe it except - grainy. I've messed with the EQ(s), but I am simply not satisfied with the distortion. I'm not sure what's in it now for tubes. I opened it up the other day and they aren't marked at all. I'm wondering if they're the original tubes.

[EKG]

I had one years ago and I couldn't get it to sound they way I wanted to, either. I tried it with a tube power amp and a solid state. Still, not quite enough "oomph". I agree with Drew on the JJ's. Put them in my Legacy and it made a difference. I should have tried it in the Quad-X.

[Drew]

Yeah, if "oomph" is what you're after, the JJ's gave my marshall a bit more low-end growl than any bone-stock TSL head i played through while playtesting different amps (and the rest of the one, as randomly tested across three states, were pretty consistant from ehad to head). They might do the trick. They're a touch cleaner than the svetlanas, i think, that come stock in the TSL's, so that mgiht help too.

-D

[adamcbest]

hey I have a TSL and i'm unhappy with the sound.. what are these JJ tubes you are using? I may give them a try. It sounds like they might be what i'm looking for.. are they available at any big guitar store??

[EKG]

Try here ;-)