Tonal differences in tube brands

MidnightFlamed · #1 12-09-2002, 10:19 AM

I was wondering how much of a tonal difference different tube brands have. I was thinking of ways to tweak my tone, and was wondering if I should try out some different tubes, though I'm not really sure if it's worth the cost. Do different brands change the character of an amp very much, or are more expensive brands just better in terms of reliability?

Globbits · #2 12-09-2002, 01:05 PM

I think qualitywise, sovtek/svetlana is worst, groove tubes is best, but i'm not sure if it's because of general reliabilty, or actual tone...

microdmitry · #3 12-09-2002, 02:57 PM

Mentioning GT here is funny, because they just re-label the tubes and sort out the broken ones. They've recently started making their own 6L6 tube, but aside from this they just re-label tubes and sell them under well-promoted brand.

As to the sound of different brands, it's highly subjective and depends on the mode of operation. I can't hear much difference between NOS and Sovtek 12AX7LPS, or Electro Harmonix.

urkoman · #4 12-09-2002, 09:58 PM

It depends on the valve model and what are you looking for (clearer, more fat, more overdrive...). My favourites were Telefunken´s or old RCA´s, but nowadays maybe JJ´s or Mazda are the best. Anyway, personal oppinion.

urkoman · #5 12-09-2002, 10:00 PM

Forgot to say there´s a god page about tube where different models are explained. It was eurotubes.com i think (not sure but something similar if not).

MidnightFlamed · #6 12-10-2002, 12:02 PM

Is the difference audible enough to say, replace tubes that only have 6 months wear to try and get better tone? I was thinking of trying some JJ tubes in my 5150 II....

pri0531 · #7 12-10-2002, 12:10 PM

Quote:

MidnightFlamed Posted:
Is the difference audible enough to say, replace tubes that only have 6 months wear to try and get better tone? I was thinking of trying some JJ tubes in my 5150 II....

I put JJ/Eurotubes in my 5150 and Legacy. They cleaned up the sound on both a great deal (more so on the 5150). A lot of hiss went away. Call Bob at Eurotubes and he will help you out www.eurotubes.com
Out,
GP

microdmitry · #8 12-10-2002, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MidnightFlamed

Is the difference audible enough to say, replace tubes that only have 6 months wear to try and get better tone? I was thinking of trying some JJ tubes in my 5150 II....

It depends on how much you play. If you play hours at near-full volume every day, then it would be wise to change power tubes once a year. If not - they'll last longer. There are a few reasons why they need replacement: because coating on cathode peels off and transconductance decreases, or grid structures deform from heat. Preamp tubes typically don't need replacement at all unless they burn out.

It goes without saying that to maximize the life of your power tubes it is crucial to flip the stand-by switch to "On" at least 30 seconds after you've turned on the main power.

Don't listen to the folks who are trying to sell you the tubes. You don't listen to the folks from Jiffy Lube saying you should change the motor oil every 3000mi, right? I change it every 7500mi instead, as my car's manufacturer specified. The same applies to the guys who are selling tubes. They'd be happy if you changed your power tubes every week.

microdmitry · #9 12-10-2002, 02:38 PM

Oh, and if you replace power tubes and notice the improvement in tone, try comparing them to the old ones after playing them for a couple of weeks.

flyz · #10 12-11-2002, 10:51 AM

I got JJ tubes from Bob too...they're amazing but keep in mind that they are a bit on the dark side (sonically speaking)

MidnightFlamed · #11 12-11-2002, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Don't listen to the folks who are trying to sell you the tubes. You don't listen to the folks from Jiffy Lube saying you should change the motor oil every 3000mi, right?

Specifically, I was thinking of changing tube brands for a different tone. I know that my tubes really are practically new in terms of wear, but it's on an amp that still has stock chinese tubes in it. In other words, I'm more or less asking "do all tubes sound the same?"

And, my car's manufacturer suggests 3000mi oil changes.

In fact, every car I've owned has. What are you driving?

bammbamm · #12 12-11-2002, 01:49 PM

You'll notice some varience in tone, but to claim that one brand is VASTLY superior to another, is not really a valid argument. I have had tubes from GT come bad out of the box cause an entire trace path on a 5150 chassis to burn up when the guy just wanted new tubes. So the GT's had a short on the plate to the heater that blew about 3 feet of solder run which I ended up having to rewire... NO FRIGGIN thanx, that would seem to be a quality control issue to me... I personally swear by Sovtek, but thats me.
You can generally find a discernable difference even amoung the same brands of tubes from different lot numbers.

I guess your best bet is to try a few and see which suits you.

I have tried Ruby, GT, Sovtek, Svetlana, RCA, Phillips (N.O.S.) and some old JAN NOS's as well, I liked them all fine, they did what I wanted. The thing is, I can pretty much adapt how I want my sound to be with the tone and gain controls, so to me, unless I'm using a slightly lower gain preamp tube, my output isn't going to be so unlistenable that I can't deal with it. I have never had a new, good tube affect any amp I own or have worked on that adversely.

Bamm

somata · #13 12-13-2002, 12:13 PM

you trust that your car manufacturer doesn't want to sell you a new engine or car?

microdmitry · #14 12-13-2002, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MidnightFlamed

Quote:

Don't listen to the folks who are trying to sell you the tubes. You don't listen to the folks from Jiffy Lube saying you should change the motor oil every 3000mi, right?

Specifically, I was thinking of changing tube brands for a different tone. I know that my tubes really are practically new in terms of wear, but it's on an amp that still has stock chinese tubes in it. In other words, I'm more or less asking "do all tubes sound the same?"

And, my car's manufacturer suggests 3000mi oil changes.

In fact, every car I've owned has. What are you driving?

Last year's Toyota Camry. 7500mi oil changes, 5000mi if you're hauling a trailer or the roads are poor or you're in stop and go traffic all the time.

Now to the tubes. In any case they won't sound "dramatically" different. In fact, until you crank them real hard, you might not notice any difference at all. When tubes are cranked they start to distort, so the subtle differences in their transfer curves come into play. But since these differences are subtle, don't expect to dramatically change the sound of your amp by throwing in a new pair of new tubes. And if it sounds that new tubes make a lot of difference, play them cranked for a week or two, then compare with the old ones. You'll see that after the initial burn-in period there is more of a psychological difference than anything else.

microdmitry · #15 12-13-2002, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by somata

you trust that your car manufacturer doesn't want to sell you a new engine or car?

People are still driving Camrys that are older than dinosaur poop. So I guess I can trust the manufacturer here.

And they have 100K mile drivetrain warranty after all. If they want to sell me a new car they better specify what they should, because if it dies on me, I'll buy a Honda.