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Post subject: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 10:47 am
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OK, I know this is subjective, but after using up the last of my stash of old tubes I was wondering what people around here thought were the best new production tubes. With new old stock becoming harder to find and more expensive we're all going to be using new tubes sooner or later.( Except some of us geezers, if the GE 6L6's I just put in my twin last as long as the last set they'll probably outlive me. :lol: ) I know there are still NOS out there, but I just saw Mesa STR415 (6L6) for $110 a pop. A couple of weeks ago I bought my first new production tubes, reverb driver(12AT7) and recovery(12AX7) and they sound good, durability we'll see?
Thanks for any opinions,
filerj


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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 2:48 pm
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What tubes were you looking for? I and a few others here had great luck with the TAD tubes. I'm running their 6L6 and 6V6, also tried and liked their 7025 preamp, but I prefer the Mullard reissue for preamp.


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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 3:41 pm
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cedarblues,
Thanks for the quick reply. As far as what tubes I'm lloking for, your typical 7025's(12AX7's), 12AT7, 6V6's and hopefully not for a while but 6L6's. I just used the last of my GE 6L6's in my twin, but the last pair lasted more than 10 years and I'm not playing the twin as much as I used to. I have a Deluxe Reverb II that I just had to replace the reverb driver and recovery tubes in ( I used GT gold series and they sound good, I know GT doesn't make their own tubes, so I'm not sure what kind they are.) I would just like to know what other forumites find as good new production tubes. I have seen some posts about TAD tubes and they seem positive, but they don't produce the tubes just test them and then brand them as theirs, I think.
filerj


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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:01 pm
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For 12AT7 type tubes, I like the Philips ECG 12AT7WA or WC. They are tough, can handle currents needed to drive the reverb tank, and are pretty good in the PI section. And still at a good price.

http://thetubestore.com/12at7.html

I like the reissued Tungsol 12AX7 in Fenders. RI Mullards 12AX7 and Sovtek 12AX7LPS are good--- but should be selected for quietness (as they are long plates).

The TAD 6V6GT-STR have been pretty good, so far, in my Princeton Reverb. Both my BF and SF run the tubes hot. And had issues with three sets of new RI Tungsol 6V6GT (red plating, shorting, premee deaths).

I have yet to try a new 6L6GC. As I'm still using a 1990's vintage stash of Svetlanas. I have been using selected 1980's Reflector 6N3S-E for 5881 and 6L6GC (biased a bit cooler-- around 32-36 watts per push-pull pair). They sound pretty good. Good midrange. Close to original Tungsol 5881/6L6WGB of the 1950-60's.

http://www.hifitubes.nl/catalog/ussr-6p ... p-308.html

Still pretty good selection of NOS duo-triodes out there. Good to know the military equivalents. For instance, the 6072 for the 12AY7. Or 7729 for the 12AX7.


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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 6:14 pm
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+1 on the Svetlana's......a pity that the winged C's are now OOP.

I've had pretty good luck thus far with the Electo-Harmonix 6L6EH's.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:22 pm
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The modern tubes that i like seem to be replica's of the older RCA tubes. I like Tungsol's 12ax7's for preamp tubes and they don't seem to make a bad 12at7.As for power tubes i like Tube Amp Doctor (TAD).


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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:12 am
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I'm running a Mullard 12AT7 in V3 and Mullard RI 12AX7 in V4 in both DRRI and SR, really love the way the reverb sound now. But in my SR I found that only vintage 12AX7 sound best in V4, so the RCA always goes back in there.

I'm also using a balanced Mullard 12AT7 in V6.

http://thetubestore.com/mul12atcv.html


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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:25 am
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As of last night...
Mullard RI 12AX7 in V1,V2
Mullard CV4024 in V6
Electo-Harmonix 6L6EH in V7,V8

The rest are GT's that came with the amp.
The 12AX7 Mullards are long plate compared to the short plate GTs that were installed but the amp sounds quieter. I always thought long plates would be noisier but not so here.
The CV4024 seems to have "smoothed" out the tone. Only way I can describe it. The original V6 was a long plate. Now, short plate.

V1, V2 and V6 were replaced last night. V7, V8 about a month ago.

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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 6:02 am
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cedarblues wrote:
What tubes were you looking for? I and a few others here had great luck with the TAD tubes. I'm running their 6L6 and 6V6, also tried and liked their 7025 preamp, but I prefer the Mullard reissue for preamp.



+1 on the TAD 6L6's and thier 7025s too. And if Cedarblues, says thier 6V6s are good too you can believe it.

T2

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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:20 am
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Thanks for all the info guys, BMW and cedarblues thanks for the links to the tube vendors.
filerj


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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 10:21 am
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tyronne wrote:
V7, V8 about a month ago.


How do you find those 6L6EH's, Ty?

I've had a pair in a 2 x 10 Bandmaster conversion for close to 20 months now and they seem to enjoy that amp. I checked the bias about two months ago and it's still set "on the money" at 34mA -- they haven't drifted a bit.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:47 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
tyronne wrote:
V7, V8 about a month ago.


How do you find those 6L6EH's, Ty?

I've had a pair in a 2 x 10 Bandmaster conversion for close to 20 months now and they seem to enjoy that amp. I checked the bias about two months ago and it's still set "on the money" at 34mA -- they haven't drifted a bit.

Arjay


Really liking them now Arjay..I was thinking of checking the bias again to see if they drifted. More so since I replaced the PI last night. Not sure if changing V6 would effect the output tubes bias. What would you say?

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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:57 pm
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Not likely.

The only possible significant cause of a change in the idle bias would be either the tubes aging prematurely or some unexplained variance in your plate voltage.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 3:11 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
Not likely.

The only possible significant cause of a change in the idle bias would be either the tubes aging prematurely or some unexplained variance in your plate voltage.

Arjay


Thank you for your knowledge! I wasn't sure and at the risk of sounding dumb I wanted to ask and be safe.

I'm going to check the bias anyway...kinda curious.

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"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield


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Post subject: Re: Best New Production Tubes?
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:21 am
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I'll be interested in your findings, Ty.

TIA

Rawk on!

8)

Arjay

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