the TAD 12AX7's are nice in fender amps in my opinion. but can be boomy in some amps. and for power tubes there isn't a huge variety of new production 6V6 tubes, but JJ's are always reliable.
the best combination I have ever had in a DRRI, if you can find some is the Marconi 6V6's, RCA 12AT7 and Amperex 12AX7's fantastic sound!

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http://hitestguitars.com/

http://www.tubedepot.com/6v6.html

http://www.nostubestore.com/



This one will help you decide what direction you want to go:

http://thetubestore.com/6v6types.html

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Hi, this is a good link for preamp tubes, with plenty of good advice:

http://www.kcanostubes.com/content/fend ... mendations

FTW!! Someone who knows their tubes. Good advice here.

The 12ax7 and 12at7 tubes are really what will shape your sound the most. Your power tubes are more responsible for response and attack sort of thing (spongy, bold, etc..). Poorly made, cheap, or failing power tubes can suffocate what comes out to the speaker.

Fender amps aren't as transparent as some other amps may be. There's only so far you can go to shape the sound of them. But there's still room to work with, and a good set of NOS or UOS preamp tubes will give you more options. A Fender is gonna sound like a Fender. But what you like about your Fender is what will help you choose an optimal set of tubes for you to get it where you like it.

You have to think of your preamp tubes like an EQ. If you put a tube in V1 that is very bassy or boomy, there's not much else you can put behind it that the boominess won't drown out.

In my HRDV right now I've chosen this setup:
V1- Amperex ecc83
V2- Mullard ecc83
V3- GE 12ax7a Long Plate

I like big bottom in my Fender (and all amps frankly). The GE has a deep, rich, bass characteristic. But if I put that tube in V1, the amp as a whole will boom and I can't get the sizzle of the Amperex to come through as it should when I dial in the highs. It will muddle the highs a little. Amperex 12ax7/ecc83s are known for possessing a good clear sizzle in the high frequencies, not so much for bass tones. The Mullard is very well known for it's prestine midrange qualities, and the GE for it's Big Bass characteristics. So in a general sense, and my own general rule, I arrange my preamp tubes accordingly:

V1- highs
V2- mids
V3- Bass

Effects loops or reverb tubes can a lot of times come through clearer with 12at7's even if it's designed for a 12ax7. Food for thought. My personal favorite for these positions are GE 12at7wa/ 6201 tubes. They're dead quiet, and give a lot of headroom for effects and reverbs to do what they do best.

No need to get too crazy with expensive Telefunken or other high priced NOS tubes. Fender amps aren't transparent enough for those subtleties they're known for to be effective enough to matter. $25-$35 a piece for Amperex, Mullard, RCA, GE, etc... are enough for Fender amps. It may seem like a lot compared to prices of modern tubes, but the differences and quality of them are very much worth it. Especially in the studio.

Keep in mind, this is just my approach to tubing my amps. I haven't used a modern preamp tube in years. Modern power amp tubes are just fine for me though. I'm currently running Mesa branded GT's and they're feeling fine. JJ's are great too. Both brands do their own screening, and Mesa color codes their pairs which is good for a HRDV considering the biasing in pairs.

Hope this helps. Cheers.

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