Your favorite pre amp tube

**jnumme** · #1 12-14-2011, 06:57 AM

Ok, I'm new to bass heads with with a pre amp tube, so my question is WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PRE-AMP TUBE AND WHY ? also tell me what brand and model head you use ? Thanks I will take the best advise on purchasing the right tube .

Floyd Eye · #2 12-14-2011, 07:04 AM

IMO opinion ( and keep in mind I love rolling NOS tubes around in my old Fender guitar amps) a single tube in the preamp of ANY amp is almost pointless. I have had 3 and played several bass amps with a "Tube pre" ( consisting of a single 12AX7) and the difference with the tube engaged and not engaged was extremely minimal.

grendle · #3 12-14-2011, 07:08 AM

Depends on what head and what your going for. The same tube will sound different in different heads.

Personally. I like the raspy piano type tone, clear but growly. My favorite tube is a GE 5751 in both a Hartke 3500 and in my svt2 preamp v1 (EH 12ax7's in 2&3). It has a big 3d sound stage with nice lows and musical mids and highs . For 12ax7's I like EH and sylvania the best. Glassy highs, good lows , and they both grind pretty well. Different sounding eq curved on them though. The EH is flatter to my ears, the sylvania has a nice slight bump in the mids. Ymmv

bassnj · #4 12-14-2011, 07:08 AM

My favorite preamp tubes right now are Mullards. They warm things up nicely. I have them on my Ampeg SVP Pro.

grendle · #5 12-14-2011, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

IMO opinion ( and keep in mind I love rolling NOS tubes around in my old Fender guitar amps) a single tube in the preamp of ANY amp is almost pointless. I have had 3 and played several bass amps with a "Tube pre" ( consisting of a single 12AX7) and the difference with the tube engaged and not engaged was extremely minimal.

I find just the opposite once you get away from sovtek, jj, Ruby, and groove tube 12ax7's . They all sound about the same to me and not much different than SS. Just my. 02. The SS and tube pre's were about identicle sounding in my hartke until I went with a better tube. Then it was night and day, say cheap SS to highend boutique different. The new ampeg svt 7 sounds very much like a SVT 2 but only has a single tube.

I find multi tube setups are less effected by a single tube change, but you can blend the characteristics quite nicely. Ymmv

**jnumme** · #6 12-14-2011, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grendle

Depends on what head and what your going for. The same tube will sound different in different heads.

Personally. I like the raspy piano type tone, clear but growly. My favorite tube is a GE 5751 in both a Hartke 3500 and in my svt2 preamp v1 (EH 12ax7's in 2&3). It has a big 3d sound stage with nice lows and musical mids and highs . For 12ax7's I like EH and sylvania the best. Glassy highs, good lows , and they both grind pretty well. Different sounding eq curved on them though. The EH is flatter to my ears, the sylvania has a mice slight bump in the miss. Ymmv

I have hartke lh 1000 and I'm looking at everyone's descriptions of sound , I perfer a warm full punchy sound which I did get now with the stock tube. But I'm always wanting to try out different combinations.

Floyd Eye · #7 12-14-2011, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grendle

I find just the opposite once you get away from sovtek, jj, Ruby, and groove tube 12ax7's . They all sound about the same to me and not much different than SS. Just my. 02. The SS and tube pre's were about identicle sounding in my hartke until I went with a better tube. Then it was night and day, say cheap SS to highend boutique different. The new ampeg svt 7 sounds very much like a SVT 2 but only has a single tube.

I find multi tube setups are less effected by a single tube change, but you can blend the characteristics quite nicely. Ymmv

My Carvin RL1000 had a single 12AX7 pre. I immediately pulled the POS GT out of it and replaced it with an Amperex Bugle Boy. I also tried a Mazda Silver Anode and a couple Mullards. Made no discernible difference to me.

**jnumme** · #8 12-14-2011, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grendle

I find just the opposite once you get away from sovtek, jj, Ruby, and groove tube 12ax7's . They all sound about the same to me and not much different than SS. Just my. 02. The SS and tube pre's were about identicle sounding in my hartke until I went with a better tube. Then it was night and day, say cheap SS to highend boutique different. The new ampeg svt 7 sounds very much like a SVT 2 but only has a single tube.

I find multi tube setups are less effected by a single tube change, but you can blend the characteristics quite nicely. Ymmv

What is better tube then?

Floyd Eye · #9 12-14-2011, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnumme

What is better tube then?

Damn near any tube is better.

Muckaluck · #10 12-14-2011, 07:20 AM

I'm rocking 2 RCA 12AT7s and 1 Mullard 12AT7WA in the pre of my Orange AD200b. They made a huge difference in thickening the sound vs the JJ 12AX7s that were in there.

Floyd Eye · #11 12-14-2011, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muckaluck

I'm rocking 2 RCA 12AT7s and 1 Mullard 12AT7WA in the pre of my Orange AD200b. They made a huge difference in thickening the sound vs the JJ 12AX7s that were in there.

Yes indeed. A true tube preamp.

grendle · #12 12-14-2011, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnumme

I have hartke lh 1000 and I'm looking at everyone's descriptions of sound , I perfer a warm full punchy sound which I did get now with the stock tube. But I'm always wanting to try out different combinations.

I found the worst 5751 to be better and more hi fi sounding than the best 12ax7. The GE 5751 made the head sound more like an aguliar or Eden to me but better. Honestly I didn't use any of the eq ( graphic or filter) after finding that tube. Just a little eq on the bass was all.

**pacojas** · #13 12-14-2011, 07:24 AM

preamp - Demeter HBP-1

stock tube - 12AX7-EHX (russia)

my fav - 12AX7-B aka Shuguang 12AX7-C9 (china)

the Shuguang IS the highest gain pre tube on the audio market. while noiser by a hair, it absolutely blew the other tube away. it immediately sounded like a door opened and out came a beautiful sound!

-more presence
-better response across the spectrum
-harmonics just explode
-nice low end blossom & bloom

as always, YMMV

grendle · #14 12-14-2011, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnumme

What is better tube then?

Try a 5751 for starters. There are lots out there and everyone has their favorites. I personally like GE, sylvania, RCA, EH, and Millard. I do think the Millard and EH sound similiar though. I wasn't thrilled with 12ax7's but was like holy $hit! When I started rolling 5751's. They were what I heard in my head when you say "tube". Just my experience.

Floyd Eye · #15 12-14-2011, 07:32 AM

5751 has a 30% lower gain factor.
btw, it's Mullard and in my experience they sound nothing like an EH tube.

grendle · #16 12-14-2011, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

5751 has a 30% lower gain factor.
btw, it's Mullard and in my experience they sound nothing like an EH tube.

+1

If your looking for more gain, 5751's are not the way to go.

BassmanPaul · #17 12-14-2011, 12:20 PM

My favourite is the EF86 and I use JJs

**jnumme** · #18 12-14-2011, 01:05 PM

Wow, Great feedback thanks to all you bass players. Now I'm more confused cause everyone had there own opinion and tube so I guess just like strings I'll try em all till I find the one and once I do I will reply to this thread , so stay subscribed... oh plus I play a 2008 spector rebop 4dlx - ex passive

grendle · #19 12-14-2011, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnumme

Wow, Great feedback thanks to all you bass players. Now I'm more confused cause everyone had there own opinion and tube so I guess just like strings I'll try em all till I find the one and once I do I will reply to this thread , so stay subscribed... oh plus I play a 2008 spector rebop 4dlx - ex passive

+1
That's really the only way, the design of the head will change the way tubes sound in it. Welcome to tube rolling ! Lol.

JimmyM · #20 12-14-2011, 05:24 PM

I have an SVT from 69, a B-15 from 64, and a Super Reverb from 73, and I've changed tubes around in all of them, and I'll be damned if I can tell the difference between one tube and the next. Meanwhile, our guitarist has a 70's Fender Vibroverb that he just had retubed and rebiased and he said it ruined it and made it sound too harsh but I can't tell a lick of difference. So it's also perception. I buy NOS tubes when possible because I think they're built better, but I've yet to hear a difference in tubes that couldn't easily be done with a tone knob. So my advice would be to buy whatever NOS tubes are cheapest