Svetlana or JJ?

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Svetlana or JJ?

Maybe we are on the wrong page here...

When we are talking about the Svets, we are talking about power tubes only. They have only started recently making preamp tubes they are really sucky at this time, you don't want a Svetlana preamp tube for sure. Just the power tubes are what you want from them. Seems that the tubestore suddenly isn't listing them anymore. I'm emailing them to find out what the problem is. I see the svetlana site is still down also.

For preamp tubes, look to JJ Ruby, older "cheese grater getter" chinese, new electro harmonix etc. Even the new stock chinese are cool.

http://tubestore.com/12ax70ectyp.html

For a lower gain 12ax7, I use 5751s in my clean channel. They're about 70% gain of a 12ax7
http://tubestore.com/jange5751.html

[ November 08, 2003, 12:09 PM: Message edited by: Cleveland Metal ]

[DeadNight Warrior]

Re: Svetlana or JJ?

Originally posted by Misanthrope189:
The Mesa ones are Sovtek...which is Russian, right?

Cheers,
Nick

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ahh, my bad... [img]images/icons/blush.gif[/img]

[Firebird V]

Re: Svetlana or JJ?

Yeah Cleve is right about the re-branding. MESA claims they check them again to tighter tollerances on there machines but who really knows... The Boogie Svets sound the same as my Groove Tube (another re-branded tube) Svets and my www.tubestore.com tubes too. The tubestore tubes were the least expensive... Well not exactly, The Boogie ones I have were a freebie from a friend but that doesn't count...Heh heh. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

As for preamp tubes, I really really like the cheapie chinese 12ax7's that the tubestore sells. I have gotten a bunch from them and never have gotten one with a microphnic problem or anything that would be considered a defect. And they were really cheap $$$$ too.

[img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[ November 09, 2003, 04:55 PM: Message edited by: Firebird V ]

[Firebird V]

Re: Svetlana or JJ?

Cool. Good news then... Just changed the name. Thanks for the info!

[Deneb]

Re: Svetlana or JJ?

Most of the workers in Mesa, that assemble the amplifiers, and do the testing are Latino/Chinese ladies I was told by someone who lives by the Mesa factory.

I have used several sets of Mesa tubes in my Mesa amplifer, and had them tested everytime I put them in, and they were very close to each other valuewise (so sayeth the gentleman who tested them).

Sventlana is just a name anymore. Some people like them, others do not. Personally I do not. For my Mesa I use whatever Mesa sells, not the bottom end, not the top end, the medium ones, they are 54$ a set I think?

I have ran tubestore tubes in my Mesa, and in all reality I noticed no real difference, I just know the values on the tubes I got from Mesa were all close.

Preamp tubes, I have the Mesa ones in my amps, because that is what I bought. My Marshall TSL100 had these stock tubes that were about on the verge of being microphonic, and they were great...until they went.

My Marshall has JJ's in it. This is EXACTLY what I was told by David Sarge, the gentleman who put my tubes in my Marshall, and his buisness name is Engineered Sound. He is the head of the Electronics Dept. at PSU University Park campus, and his credential list is huge.

I called and said, Dave I want to retube my marshall, it's about that time. I did the preamp tubes (no biasing), the power amp tubes, I do not know how to bias, so I would like you to to do them and give me a recomendation for tubes.

He asked me what style of music I played, and I told him, Metal/Hard rock, high gain music. I need power tubes that give me headroom, and break up good at all volumes. He told me "I like the put JJ's in Marshalls. They seem to keep that "Marshall Tone" very well." Then some other stuff that they are great made, and they are very consistant.

He retubbed and biased my Marshall with 4 JJ El34s for 150$.

Cleve I am guessing plays very high high gain brutal music, that is probably why he likes the chinese preamp tubes. In all honesty, you can't go wrong with them.

[parntz145]

Re: Svetlana or JJ?

I have all JJ tubes in my triaxis and 2:90 poweramp.I love the 6L6 but I have noticed that the 12ax7 are a little dark sounding.I also am going to try the chinese 12ax7 in it.I have not heard anything bad about them.As a matter of fact everyone I know who has tried them ends up loving them.Paul

[nandrewjackson]

Re: Svetlana or JJ?

I prefer the Sovtek 12AX7WA preamp tube the best. The microphonics are low, the "tone" is kind of high pitched, and it has this cool "loose" and "jangly" sound when the gain is pumped up. The JJ ECC83S (12ax7) is good, too. great sound, with no microphonics, but it is a tighter sound, not "jangly" like the sovteks.

The tubestore.com is great. I've been ordering tubes from them for quite a while. they have a system called "perfect pair" for power tubes. they label each tube with a sticker that tells you the current draw of that particular tube. when you get a number you like, or what number your amp is biased to, then you just order that number when you get new ones, and you won't have to bias your amp again.

I have a mesa solo 50 head, and for a couple years they have been sending me perfect pair number 18. I called them to ask if any other numbers would be safe for that amp, (fixed bias amp) and they said, I could run up to about a 25. I ordered a set, I think it was 23. Sounds better now, more headroom, later breakup. the folks at tubestore.com are really nice people, highly recommended.

nan

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Svetlana or JJ?

Ahhh, response from the Tubestore on the dissapearance of Svetlana tubes is:
_________________________________________________
Hi John,

Svetlana is now called SED (Svetlana Electron Devices):

http://store.yahoo.com/thetubestore/svetlana.html

[email protected]

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Svetlana or JJ?

As I said, I use an assortment of preamps tubes. I use Old Stock RCA 7025s, JAN GE 5751, Old Chinese "cheese grater getter" tubes (very cool for $7), New Chinese, A certain Sovtek (I forget which) for my gain channel, and some other NOS tubes I play with.

My preamp really shows preamp tube nuances.

Power tubes, Svetlana (tried and true), or sometimes Tesla.