Just got into Tubes is it worth the money for Mullards?

[AK47]

Anyways I am tottally redoing my rack and was pulling tubes to see what I have and to clean dust out of my power amps and preamps.

Most of my stuff is used like my Strategy 400 so I have a variety of tubes that I have pulled when I was cleaning. For example I had Fender, Sovtec and Mesa EL34 tubes. So I am considering going back to all stock Mesa or maybe changing the tubes up to experiment.

I went online to do some more homework on tubes. I am aware that most tubes are NOS and just about all the tube factories have closed except in China.

I also see the Mullard tubes is where its at. Is the price justified? Do these sound good for metal or hard rock?

[Cygnus X1]

From what little I know...

New tubes are made in Russia, Czekoslovakia, and some other eastern European countries. China also makes tubes. Mullard reopened a factory in the UK and is making 12AX7's, and gearing up for more.

Tubes are not made in the USA because environmentalists made it too prohibitive
to manufacture tubes here. (Go figure).

Some new manufactured tubes are excellent...and some NOS are over hyped.
I happen like to the the grind of Chinese 12AX7's in high gain applications. Just have to sort through them to see what fits. I also love the sound of JJ's 6V6's, new and still under development. Others here have their preferences to give...
You don't necessarily have to pay 300 for a matched set of 6L6's to get a great reliable set of tubes. Nor do you have to buy Mesa's voodoo just get tubes spec'd for the Mesa.

[phill_up]

if you want to do a little research. The JJs are bad ass and Bob is kick ass!

http://www.eurotubes.com/

[Cleveland Metal]

Haha, I absolutely think JJ's are not all that at all. Especially the 12ax7s. JJ's are dull, sedate and just not impressive at all. I will never buy another. They do act reliably tho and stay the same.

Sovtek are, for the most part, brittle and not that pleasant. Very reliable tho...

MESA are just rebranded whatever... Overpriced really. Not bad tubes, just pricey for what they are.

Chinese are often excellent sounding preamp tubes just buy extras, they do die and many start losing it after a while. Older cheese grater getter versions are really nice. lotsa gain. 80's production I think?

Some amps LOVE the new Tung Sols. Umm, some don't. Nice tube usually tho.

Mullard preamps are very nice, way over priced. Lotsa NOS stuff that sounds great for the buck tho.

NOS RCA 7025s are quite nice. Bright, gainy and crisp. One of my favs if you can get them.


Power amp (especially 6L6, KT88), I absolutely love Winged C.

[marcus]

Tubes are not made in the USA because environmentalists made it too prohibitive
to manufacture tubes here. (Go figure).

And here I thought it was because tubes are obsolete technology with low margins that are only used by luddite guitar players Err, excuse me, those tone gurus that are in search of "mojo"

Honestly though, do you have any proof that this is the case, or are you just beating another of your dead hobby horses here :think: Semiconductor manufacturing is much more harmful to the environment (just check the superfund map of Silicon Valley), so this explanation just doesn't make much sense to me. Now back to the thread.

[metalchurch79]

I like Tung-Sol, Electro Harmonix, and Sovteks myself.
I'm not a "vintage gear snob" so I am not looking for the type of sound that the Mullards have, so to me they're useless and overpriced.
I've heard them and they dont impress me at all for Metal.

I've had JJ's and I dont think they are 'all that' either.
Sovteks are brittle, with lots of low end, decent amount of gain, and they are very reliable.

+1 on the Mesa tubes. They are re-branded whatevers and you're only buying the name.

[Cygnus X1]

And here I thought it was because tubes are obsolete technology with low margins that are only used by luddite guitar players Err, excuse me, those tone gurus that are in search of "mojo"

Honestly though, do you have any proof that this is the case, or are you just beating another of your dead hobby horses here :think: Semiconductor manufacturing is much more harmful to the environment (just check the superfund map of Silicon Valley), so this explanation just doesn't make much sense to me. Now back to the thread.

???

Someone has a tube up their butt I guess.

Tung Sol, RCA, Phillips, etc used to make tubes in the US. RCA mothballed and eventually sold off their specialty tube making equipment to Eastern European companies because it was too expensive to file for the necessary EPA requirements. Make of that whatever you will.

Here is a good article about who and what...and there a few small US manufacturers, but not able to break through much.

http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/tube_makers.html

[phill_up]

man... Its a good thing we are never going to order a pizza!
I didn't like the electro harmonics, sovteks or groove tubes.

I'm really digging the GHS Boomers 09 - 42

Someone has a tube up their butt I guess.

"clicky"

[Racerx2k]

I've had most luck with JJs in the pre as well as in the power section, in my Laney AOR, which is a picky tube amp.

[Cleveland Metal]

I have to say, I've owned a lot of tube amps... Some display tubes more than others.

Some aren't too picky, and you mostly notice gain, or maybe darkness/brightness.

I have to say, I've never seen a preamp that displayed the characters of tubes more than this CAE3+se (actually it shows character of cords, strings and all sorts unpleasant things). My god tho, you really can tone sculpt with tubes alone with this thing. Not sure its's good or not haha... Glad I shave my head, or I'd pull my hair out with it.

[Cygnus X1]

man... Its a good thing we are never going to order a pizza!
I didn't like the electro harmonics, sovteks or groove tubes.

I'm really digging the GHS Boomers 09 - 42

"clicky"

+1 on the boomers.
Using .01's on the short scale, .009's on the 25.5 scales.
Where has BillZ disappeared to now anyways?

[ulijdavid]

I had one of THD Univalves for a while. I never gave much thought to what tubes were in an amp. With switching out tubes in the Univalve, it proved to my ears that each tube has its own sound and tone. Unfortunately, I got fed up with swapping tubes and spent more time experimenting than playing. For me, the bottom line is experimentation if you are looking for a particular sound. Its great to start on the internet for suggestions, but obviously only YOUR ears are going to tell you what the "Holy Grail" tube is.

[marcus]

???

Someone has a tube up their butt I guess.

Tung Sol, RCA, Phillips, etc used to make tubes in the US. RCA mothballed and eventually sold off their specialty tube making equipment to Eastern European companies because it was too expensive to file for the necessary EPA requirements. Make of that whatever you will.

Here is a good article about who and what...and there a few small US manufacturers, but not able to break through much.

http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinti...be_makers.html

It was too expensive to file for EPA requirements because tubes were obsolete and they weren't economically feasible anymore. Are you saying we should let manufacturers of obsolete technology rape the environment to prop up their ailing industries? As for having something up my butt, well, I don't like cheap shots at environmentalists. This country would be a polluted shithole (even more than it is!) without them. What's up your butt that you are taking swipes at environmentalists in a thread about choosing tube types?

[DonP]

I like the Svets that came in my DSL100.

Back to the original post, I'm not sure I'd pay up the butt for premium tubes, but I've never had a tube swap off to try and hear the difference.

I would think any changes in tone could be dup'd with turning the knobs on the EQ.

[Cleveland Metal]

I would think any changes in tone could be dup'd with turning the knobs on the EQ.

Possibly on "some" amps... But generally, a really big "Nope" there...