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Post subject: question about tubes
Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 3:07 pm
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with many different manufacturers of the same type of tube, how on earth do you decide what tube is right for you?

for instance, my amp has 3-12ax7 and 2-6l6 tubes. when time comes to replace them, how do i decide which ones to use?

is there a guide out there somewhere?


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Post subject: Re: question about tubes
Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 3:55 pm
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You already have two "guides".

They're externally attached to each side of your skull.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: question about tubes
Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 7:55 pm
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point taken- but shopping for tubes is like shopping for a new speaker. there are a lot of choices, but they are about impossible to audition. i guess i'll worry about that problem later


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Post subject: Re: question about tubes
Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 9:29 pm
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A good place to start might be to check out some reviews/comparisons, like these at TheTubeStore. At least this might give you some idea of what type of tubes would give you the sound that you want. Opinions about tone vary greatly.

http://thetubestore.com/accessories.html

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Post subject: Re: question about tubes
Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 5:44 pm
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+1 Shimmilou

And to be honest, if you are new to tubes, those cheap Chinese tubes that many amps are supplied with sound great, and then you hear an identical amp with some well made tubes... you'll become a believer then.

Art


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Post subject: Re: question about tubes
Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 5:20 am
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Tough question phreddybee. Tube are as subjective as strings, speakers, picks, guitar cords etc.
At least preamp tubes usually won't break the bank. One of the most important thing is reliability. A tube can sound awesome, but if it only lasts a couple of months, what good is it. Like Shimmy says if you're new to tubes the cheap Chinese stock tubes sound great, but in reality they don't. Read reviews, try different brands. Preamp tubes are plug, don't need biasing, and can effect how much gain you'll have on tap. It's a fun place to start. Power tubes like your 6l6 or 6v6 always need to have the bias checked unless your amp is a cathode bias amp.
The quest for tube tone is a fun maddening thing. My Egnater Rebel 20 has two sets of power tubes 6V6 and EL84 that can be blended to any degree. Right now I'm running JJ's. When there time is up, I'll probably try some NOS RCA's or something. As musicians, we always thing we can sound better.

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Post subject: Re: question about tubes
Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 9:59 am
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shimmilou wrote:
A good place to start might be to check out some reviews/comparisons, like these at TheTubeStore. At least this might give you some idea of what type of tubes would give you the sound that you want. Opinions about tone vary greatly.

http://thetubestore.com/accessories.html


Great resource there.

Also check out http://www.kcanostubes.com

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Post subject: Re: question about tubes
Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 10:00 am
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May be a bit old for info but:
http://www.vacuumtube.com/Mfg.htm

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