trinityamps.com

Hi,
I've built my first amp a plexi kit and it sounds bloody good to me, but i
was thinking of trying some old valves mullards etc.
Has anyone got any thoughts whether it's worth it and what sort.
I've got to fit a vvr, on friday eve in the workshop 5 minutes didn't get to 5
on the dial and we had complaints, great compliment i thought. lol.
Thanks.

Definitely do it! Mullards and Telefunkens are generally the best, but outrageously expensive. So you can look at other NOS valves, such as Philips and Valvo, which are often the same or similar to Mullards, for instance. And communist made Polam, Telam and Tesla (pre JJ period) can yield some really wonderful tones. I've also lurked around eBay and got some good quality used Mullard and Brimar 12AX7s from time to time. Have a look in the Tubes Talk forum on 18watt.com for more discussion on this topic.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

The Tung Sol 12AX7 & Mullard Reissues are very good as well if you want some new tubes.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Stephen, are you talking about the New Sensor Mullard re-issues?

That's correct. Very nice tubes IMO.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

A NOS 5751 also is a cool tube to try. You can usually pick a JAN Phillips up for under $20.

I like it in my V1. Smooths the tone out and reduces the highs a bit.

I don't like 5751s in an 18W. Cripples the gain a bit too much for a good Marshall style amp IMO. YMMV....

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

What position do you like them/it in? I tried one with my Tung-Sols and thought it was pretty lifeless in V1, less gain and bland in V2, and wooly in V3. Then again, I love the TS's in my S111. While some have reported they are too bright, I find them perfect in my amp. The JJ's are shrill sounding. \

Ah I'm not a sucker for gain so I like em.

JJs are a good tube for me in my 18W. Pretty crunchy and emphasize in the mids. I think they are higher gain than most 12AX7s.

Depends on what you're looking for I suppose. The only NOS tube I have is a Jan-Phillips 12AT7 in my Triwatt PI. Nearly all my other pre-amp tubes are Mullard reissues, new Tung-Sols & a few JJ's.

I've tried all three in all positions in my sIII. The TS is brighter & a little more complex is the top end. The Mullard is slightly darker & a little warmer overall (my current favorite V1 tube in my Triwatt & sIII for that very reason). The JJ is the darkest & least complex tonally, but as noted it does "crunch" nicely due to the more middy voice. I'm not a fan of JJ's in V1 but they work nicely in other positions.

Don'r forget to spend a little extra for the Rectifier (EZ81). We're talking longevity here.
Stew

Try Terry Kilgore (aka: tubetramp, aka sargent overdrive) knows his valves, great NOS tubes at really good prices

Everything I have is running NOS from him now. The late 70's Saratov / Reflektor mil-spec "el84's" are great and should last for a LONG time.
Has a nice selection of US and european pre's too

+1
terry_kilgore2003@yahoo.com

++1

Terry (aka Sgt Overdrive aka Tube Tramp) really knows how to get hold of quality tone-laden NOS tubes, at great prices. No more need to take out a second mortgage to put a set of NOS tubes into your amp.

Also FYI, for those who may not know, in a previous life Terry was guitarist in the Dave Lee Roth band. And he sure can play. Here's a funny and very politically in correct YouTube clip of Terry at NAMM 2008 www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWeEnS0wsVo


To me the JJ 12AX7s sound a slightly blurry - they lack a little definition. Still not bad tubes. New Sensor's fake T-S 12AX7s are a little too bright for me, although I really love their sweet definition. Out of the new production, the fake Mullard 12AX7s are my favourite because they have the mid range warmth, as well as the sweetness and clarity of the fake T-S ones. I use NOS tubes90% of the time , and I have to say that I'm real impressed with these "Mullards".

You really should hear what Terry Kilgore has to say about JJ tubes though! Not really printable.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

I had JJ 12AX7's and Tung Sol - Really loved the tung sol's in my S111.

The JJ's are another story. They sounded worse then the sovtek stock tubes that came in my fender hot rod. When I first got my sIII I ran the JJ tubes and I never really messed with it that much - it sounded cool but I wasn't vibing with the sound, my jams on the amp were short and uninspired. Then I switched in the sovteks for a major improvement, then I switched in the Tungsol's to take me to heaven. Now it's the amp I use 99% of the time.

Then I did what I should have done in the first place and E-mailed terry kilgore. His tube prices are fantastic and he is funny as hell. Now I'm rockin in tube heaven with a better sound than the tungsols. Had I just done it in the first place it would have been cheaper than all of my new stock tubes put together.

So what kinds of NOS tubes did you end up with in your sIII?

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

I've got JJ's now and my Plexi sounds "brassy." Per the recommendations on this thread, I've ordered Tung-Sol's and Mullards. We'll see.

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Cheers,
Steve

Along the lines of what I said before, I personally find the "Tung-Sols" a bit too bright - especially for an 18W amp, since EL84s also tend to be fairly bright - although they have a sweet clarity and excellent definition. The Mullards have all that sweetness and definition, but with a better tonal balance - ie they aren't over-bright IMO. YMMV....

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

The Tung-Sol's I ordered were 12ax7's. The Mullards are the EL84's. Thanks for the advice. If I still don't like it, I'll replace the Tung-Sols with Mullard 12's.

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Cheers,
Steve