Preamp tube suggestions

[kpinks]

Hey guys, just wondering, I would like to try a few different pre-amp tubes in my Soldano HR-100+, to see if I like the sound a little better. I am one of those guys who are stuck in the eighties. I am looking for the Nuno, Lynch sort of nasty sound. Any recommendations on a pre-amp tube for this type of stuff? I don't like my sound too bassy, I like mids, highs with just the right hint of bass.
Thx
Kev

[bammbamm]

The only suggestion I would make is use a low noise tube in the 1st slot, that said, You aren't going to see major tonal swings by just replacing the tubes.
Your EQ section handles that stuff.

[losgatosrg350dx]

in the affordable range here is my rating, based from smooth to high gain sustain

starting from a mellow mullard 12ax7
http://tubedepot.com/mu-12ax7.html
this is one of the worst sounding i think....

next would be the grouping of high gain high handling smooth sustain
philips
ge
sylvania
rca
raytheon
these are all expensive and offer little to no need, but some people can hear the different in modded super texans and princetons...

next are the tunes from regular handling to all out handling

jj 12ax7 for a smooth flat slow responce, usually a fav for marshall amps
there are a couple types, old tesla spec and new spec, either way they suck and arent worth the money
a sino 12ax7 tube i beleive is WAY better and cheaper than a jj
next would be a sovteck 12ax7 in that range with better response qualities
next would be OLD NOS version of mullard, amprex and telefunken but they all range from 100+ dollars a tube! and arent worth it unless you like them, they do have a sweet tone to them - but are pretty out there, i cant tell between them and a new production mullard
origional raytheon, black sables, and rca/ge...like made beofre 1960's these are still the best i think for clean tone but all range from 300+ per tube, CAN be worth it, but not for me

then on is the most common and probably the best ones made curently

eh12ax7(high gain rating)....these guys make exceptional new tubes, great responce, great material, great heat handling and AWESOME structure and feq matrix between the grid from emmiter to collector
i would suggest getting this one in the high gain tested version, ONLY. BECASUE the tube handles better, more headroom, no flattening of signal responce, and improve gain structure between tubes.....very smooth but also shimery

next is the new tung sol 12ax7, i suggest you read about this one, if you want a clean ultra responsive signal this is where it is at. some old tungsol's are actually not that great, they have the same type of tone te new ones have but are more closely relted to the ge 300+ dollar tubes with that clean bass responce..its just a different material in it

but for the most part i in love with the tone of tung sol, i can drive MEGA bass into it from my preamp and it wont mudd out and take over the mids or the highs, makes it a very tight super tight responce and shoves the bass down delaying it so the uppers are more present, but the bass is still thick

now its a decision as to where these tubes go

for your preamp, lets say you have a mesa preamp unit or a digitech 2120 or a vox tonelab


these all are preamp units only no poweramp

you should use a more tonaly stable tube for the preamp section where your tone matrix is at....being able to use a tube that has a natural level between bass mid and treble is where the zone is..i still suggest a eh12ax7 high gain version for all of this

now for poweramps, there is usually a couple of PREAMP tubes in it, just like the carvin rack amp, peavey rack amps, engl, etc....for these your two options are smooth dead responce, out in your face, shimmery fast reponce...


these two decisions are entirely on tase just like a powertube
i suggest for a slower mid sound responce maybe for a acdc tone well choose anything from a quality eh to a lower quality sovtek or even a mullard type...but if you want to drive your powerstage and get full charachteristics from those power tubes, were talking about a tungsol 12ax7, wich also increases gain, headroom, freq responce etc...this is like putting he output stage on crack, and getting all that jiuce into the tubes.....

remember....the volume of an amplifier is not entirely corrolated to the wattage
it is solely based on the responce of the amp
the faster the response between the tubes and the circuit
the faster the tranny operates
that harder the speaker hits

tubes also add other things, hopefully this helps...but its just a ballpark responce

[kpinks]

Thankyou very much for taking the time to write all this. A lot of valuable info here.
Regards
Kev

[microdmitry]

Originally Posted by kpinks

Thankyou very much for taking the time to write all this. A lot of valuable info here.
Regards
Kev

You aren't really taking this seriously though, right? "Slow response"? WTF is that even supposed to mean?

[bammbamm]

Originally Posted by microdmitry

You aren't really taking this seriously though, right? "Slow response"? WTF is that even supposed to mean?

Well, you see, there's this stuff in the tube, it slows down electrons, see, and well, all the slowed electrons, well, they don't respond so quick 'cuz they've been gassed, and they are kinda lethargic now. Anyway, you get these transient pusles where these electrons who don't even belong in that tube, they come around causing problems, hassling the locals, and spray painting the walls.
Well the "getters" which are the cops of electrons, they go and get all the transients and send them over to the next county and punish em real good.

Of course, if you wanna go and buy those cheap riff-raff tubes, go ahead, but the Mullards are all growed up and don't act like that.
</sarcasm>

[bammbamm]

Originally Posted by losgatosrg350dx

in the affordable range here is my rating, based from smooth to high gain sustain

starting from a mellow mullard 12ax7
http://tubedepot.com/mu-12ax7.html
this is one of the worst sounding i think....

next would be the grouping of high gain high handling smooth sustain
philips
ge
sylvania
rca
raytheon
these are all expensive and offer little to no need, but some people can hear the different in modded super texans and princetons...

next are the tunes from regular handling to all out handling

jj 12ax7 for a smooth flat slow responce, usually a fav for marshall amps
there are a couple types, old tesla spec and new spec, either way they suck and arent worth the money
a sino 12ax7 tube i beleive is WAY better and cheaper than a jj
next would be a sovteck 12ax7 in that range with better response qualities
next would be OLD NOS version of mullard, amprex and telefunken but they all range from 100+ dollars a tube! and arent worth it unless you like them, they do have a sweet tone to them - but are pretty out there, i cant tell between them and a new production mullard
origional raytheon, black sables, and rca/ge...like made beofre 1960's these are still the best i think for clean tone but all range from 300+ per tube, CAN be worth it, but not for me

then on is the most common and probably the best ones made curently

eh12ax7(high gain rating)....these guys make exceptional new tubes, great responce, great material, great heat handling and AWESOME structure and feq matrix between the grid from emmiter to collector
i would suggest getting this one in the high gain tested version, ONLY. BECASUE the tube handles better, more headroom, no flattening of signal responce, and improve gain structure between tubes.....very smooth but also shimery

next is the new tung sol 12ax7, i suggest you read about this one, if you want a clean ultra responsive signal this is where it is at. some old tungsol's are actually not that great, they have the same type of tone te new ones have but are more closely relted to the ge 300+ dollar tubes with that clean bass responce..its just a different material in it

but for the most part i in love with the tone of tung sol, i can drive MEGA bass into it from my preamp and it wont mudd out and take over the mids or the highs, makes it a very tight super tight responce and shoves the bass down delaying it so the uppers are more present, but the bass is still thick

now its a decision as to where these tubes go

for your preamp, lets say you have a mesa preamp unit or a digitech 2120 or a vox tonelab


these all are preamp units only no poweramp

you should use a more tonaly stable tube for the preamp section where your tone matrix is at....being able to use a tube that has a natural level between bass mid and treble is where the zone is..i still suggest a eh12ax7 high gain version for all of this

now for poweramps, there is usually a couple of PREAMP tubes in it, just like the carvin rack amp, peavey rack amps, engl, etc....for these your two options are smooth dead responce, out in your face, shimmery fast reponce...


these two decisions are entirely on tase just like a powertube
i suggest for a slower mid sound responce maybe for a acdc tone well choose anything from a quality eh to a lower quality sovtek or even a mullard type...but if you want to drive your powerstage and get full charachteristics from those power tubes, were talking about a tungsol 12ax7, wich also increases gain, headroom, freq responce etc...this is like putting he output stage on crack, and getting all that jiuce into the tubes.....

remember....the volume of an amplifier is not entirely corrolated to the wattage
it is solely based on the responce of the amp
the faster the response between the tubes and the circuit
the faster the tranny operates
that harder the speaker hits

tubes also add other things, hopefully this helps...but its just a ballpark responce

1> Spell check is a nice feature, try it.
2> More than Half of your info is just plain wrong.
3> Follow this advice, you're asking for a headache and a crappy sounding amp.

[losgatosrg350dx]

Originally Posted by microdmitry

You aren't really taking this seriously though, right? "Slow response"? WTF is that even supposed to mean?

slow responce is anything, from the materials used, from quality to how well it was refined and processed...all tubes have different responces just like dynamic qualities

what do you think all tubes RESPOND equaly////hmmm

[losgatosrg350dx]

Originally Posted by bammbamm

Well, you see, there's this stuff in the tube, it slows down electrons, see, and well, all the slowed electrons, well, they don't respond so quick 'cuz they've been gassed, and they are kinda lethargic now. Anyway, you get these transient pusles where these electrons who don't even belong in that tube, they come around causing problems, hassling the locals, and spray painting the walls.
Well the "getters" which are the cops of electrons, they go and get all the transients and send them over to the next county and punish em real good.

Of course, if you wanna go and buy those cheap riff-raff tubes, go ahead, but the Mullards are all growed up and don't act like that.
</sarcasm>

i agree some mullards are nice i know people who use them strictly in thier fender tube amps, old ones that is...but not new manufacture...i dont like them at all, they sound soo flat!

[losgatosrg350dx]

bam i have boxes of tubes

and this is just based on my experience with them, ive gone through soo many, even just for fun to find out what they sound like, and to always hone my sound

and none of it is false, of course my amps ive had might be bias, to certain kinds since i play a certain kind of tune-age that is to my taste

but its all legit on how ive come to be friends with my fellow glass
and this is my dog honest experience
and i dont think i said anything to have this fellow have a bad sounding amp

all in all it will be his ears that will do the choosing

[bammbamm]

Wow...

[microdmitry]

Originally Posted by bammbamm

Well, you see, there's this stuff in the tube, it slows down electrons, see, and well, all the slowed electrons, well, they don't respond so quick 'cuz they've been gassed, and they are kinda lethargic now. Anyway, you get these transient pusles where these electrons who don't even belong in that tube, they come around causing problems, hassling the locals, and spray painting the walls.
Well the "getters" which are the cops of electrons, they go and get all the transients and send them over to the next county and punish em real good.

Of course, if you wanna go and buy those cheap riff-raff tubes, go ahead, but the Mullards are all growed up and don't act like that.
</sarcasm>

Check this out if you want true batsh1t insanity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVTj08qTwGw

[losgatosrg350dx]

it actually registers as the term transient response

when you have transient signals wich are inherently available in all tubes durring operation, durring the function it produces charachteristics that enchance or degredate the flow of electrons, therefore hindering the response of the tube, and how the tone sounds also. cleaner/quicker response means a higher/thicker signal
hey theres lots of way to talk about tubes...this is just what i heave learned over the years, and i always beleive that some tubes do respond faster, and i can feel that when i play like a princeton, or a super texan....where the clarity is reaaaaaly expresive

[bammbamm]

H.D. has never been forthright with real information.
He's out there.

[losgatosrg350dx]

H.D.

what..?