6SL7 vs 12AX7

[Passinwind]

If I could build my own from the ground up I'd never buy any amp again lol

I took me a few decades to get around to doing that, and yeah, nothing commercial is on my radar all that much any more. I do enjoy dissecting and modding other people's designs a lot though, so never say never.

My 12ax7 preamp has 5751's in it. 12au7's were a bit too low gain, but the 5751's sound great. I also tested them in my Champ and they made it have a tone more reminiscent of the classic bigger Fender amps.

The biggest drawback to 5751s is probably cost, at least for NOS. They work really well in Fenders and Fender variants in certain slots though, for sure.

 

[BurningSkies]

They were not cheap... RCA black plates from a reputable dealer.

I blame SRV.

 

[BassmanPaul]

The most obvious difference is that the 6SL7 is bigger!!

If you want to go the other way take a look at the 6112.