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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink What's everyone's favourite tubes to use in a reverb tank?

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I know a 6K6 is standard wisdom but what brand and what brands and models for the 12AX7 and the 12AT7? New tubes or NOS? And does anyone use a 12AX7 in place of the 12AT7?

I honestly don't notice a big/any difference between pre-amp tubes. I've probably put in a 12AX7 for a 12AT7 before, but don't remember it(it was probably an accident).

I'd do new tubes for the pre-amp.

I'm a big fan of GE for power tubes, and GE also makes nice pre-amp tubes...Mullard also makes nice pre-amp tubes. Mostly I look for longevity, durability and ruggedness n my tubes....and, you know, no weird squeely-ringy noises...

I've heard real good things about Telefunken and also JJ tubes...

anyway, as long as the tube is functioning within parameters, the brand probably has very little significance...

I generally go with stock tubes and only replace them if they become problematic or blow.

NOS / boutique tubes are by in large a waste of money imo. The differance, or improvement in tone is minimal at best.

dp
I'm a big fan of GE for power tubes, and GE also makes nice pre-amp tubes...Mullard also makes nice pre-amp tubes. Mostly I look for longevity, durability and ruggedness n my tubes....and, you know, no weird squeely-ringy noises...

I've heard real good things about Telefunken and also JJ tubes...

anyway, as long as the tube is functioning within parameters, the brand probably has very little significance...

Yep...old RCA's NOS or good used also

www.northofmalibu.com

My favorite tube combo in my reverb tank is a Sylvania 6K6, Mullard 12AX7 and a JAN Philips 12AT7. I also sometimes use an RCA or GE 6K6. If you're having a problem with too much gain/harsh reverb you can sub the 12AX7 for a 5751 tube. This seems to tame the harshness a bit

RCA. I Love them!
7025 RCA, 12AT7 RCA, Blackplate RCA 6K6

Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini
(www.surfmusic.net)

surferjoemusic
RCA. I Love them!
7025 RCA, 12AT7 RCA, Blackplate RCA 6K6

Yes, that is good.

SSIV

LHR

surferjoemusic
RCA. I Love them!
7025 RCA, 12AT7 RCA, Blackplate RCA 6K6

Yes, that is good.

I had some fun trying a few of them in the past days. I left in another post also that I was trying using all 12ax7's in the tank and also got some good results... but the biggest thing I have found is the change of the tone of the high freqs: with this last config I have a much less trebly sound and a fuller tone.

Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini
(www.surfmusic.net)

dannylectro
My favorite tube combo in my reverb tank is a Sylvania 6K6, Mullard 12AX7 and a JAN Philips 12AT7. I also sometimes use an RCA or GE 6K6. If you're having a problem with too much gain/harsh reverb you can sub the 12AX7 for a 5751 tube. This seems to tame the harshness a bit

Sounds similar to what I have going on:

GE 6K6, Mullard 12AT7 and GE JAN 5751

RCA black 6k6 and JJ pre...the 12at7 tends to die slowly and un noticed unitl you a b it with a fresh one

I have a pile of old pre tubes that I sometimes will a b and go with whatever sounds best to me that day.

Give me reverb or give me death!
facebook.com/onenightstandards
https://www.youtube.com/scotstandard
scotstandard@yahoo.com

I've got an RCA Victor 6k6 installed right now, out of the 3 6k6's that I've got that one's currently my favorite.

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Sylvania or RCA 6k6 and JJs

What effect would using a 6L6 have (if it's even possible to mod the tank to take a 6L6)?

I know it's an old thread but I wanted to chime in. I have been rolling tubes a reissue unit that I got new about 90 days ago. Gigging with it a few times a week and daily rehearsal. A few observations:

The Belton spring pan really loosens up after a few months and drips a bit more after some use and car travel with the pan unlocked.

Also, the late 1960's Mullard 12AT7 and the late 1950's black plate RCA both sound great in this thing, slight preference to the Mullard, but not by much at all.
The black plate RCA 6K6 sounds great but the black plate Ken Rad 6K6 is just a bit more pleasing tonally. I really like the black plate GE (later version of the Ken Rad really) but it sounds darker just a little bit.
The RCA 7025 is the other winner for me. I use it in the last position.

buckaroo wrote:

I know it's an old thread but I wanted to chime in.

Always glad when you do. I think all the above has shown that it's worth the time & effort (and sometime$ coin) to plug & play to find 'that' tone that you alone are looking for.

I've kept my Belton pan around with the MOD in the tank currently, but found that a 5751 (a good one, not the even-lower-gain 5751-M Groove Tube) in place of the usual 12AX7 gives back a bit more chimey-ness and is easier than swapping the Belton back in if that's what I'm going for.

Lots of colors available on the paint-brush. That old RCA 6K6 does seem to be a go-to tube though and, on the fly, would be what I'd tell someone for a power tube.
Smile

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

JJ Gold and I did notice a real huge difference.

The Hicadoolas

Spent a few minutes a/b'ing this morning so will post to feed someone's search later. Mathematic sample of n-1 with what I had available; just my impressions in a '63 re-issue tank.

Power tubes:
Sylvania 6K6 noticeably more trebly than the RCA, or the "Wizard" currently in the tank which bears a very strong resemblance to the old RCA.

The EI (Elektronska Industrija) tube sounds also very bright, similar to the Sylvania.

Small bottles:
12AT7 position: Per Tubeswell comment in earlier thread, decided to try an old GE 12AY7 in this position in lieu of a (very good sounding) Russian Electro-Harmonix 12AT7. Both very musical, no harshness in front of any of the 6K6's. I'll leave it in there for now. This tube, with either an RCA or the Wizard after it, allows for alot of adjustment in terms of dwell. You can get really surfy too, but not too quickly and below salt-spray region is warm & luxurious.

12AX7 position: Little difference really noticed (was surprised) between a typical current Russian 12AX7 (Sovtek, GT marketing as 12AX7-R) and a moderately used JJ (Slovakian tube); see edit at the bottom. I have a Chinese tube around too, but didn't bother because it's so noticeably abominable in an amp. As mentioned by many previously, a GOOD 5751 in this position can be swapped for the typical 12AX7 if the resulting mix & tone is too harsh. The old GE 5751 is one of the few tubes that, imho, is worth every penny due to their value in taming the pre-amps of high-gain amps. Even the Almost NOS ones are 1/2 the price & worth it, this is a robust tube.

Still shows that it's really based on what 1 person hears as their sonic goal, since all the tubes in togetherness make up the result.

Ah, the stuff a person does when they don't have to recover from the summit.
Smile

Post-testing edit 1310 CDT: Played something that I know previously how it sounds and found slight diff in high clarity between Russian 12AX7 and the Slovak JJ. JJ wins for me, ymmv.

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

Last edited: May 23, 2014 13:10:52

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