A 1st timer's tube rolling excursion with the Peavey VB-2

Earlier today, I resurrected BassJunkie730's VB-2 DI clip thread since it piqued my interest in tube rolling a while ago. I should have just started a new thread to begin with but here's the gist of what's going on:

And away I went. This certainly wouldn't be considered the most clinical of tests by any stretch, but hopefully I'll learn something and improve my tone in the process. Here's the hardware involved (besides the head of course):

-Spector NS5CRFM (EMG DCs & 2 band pre/DR Highbeams)
-MTD Kingston Artist 5 (Bart MM PU & Aggie OBP-1/LaBella Slappers)
-Pair of Avatar SB112 Neos, 4 ohms each
-Canare instrument cable/ProCo 16 guage speaker cables





First off regarding the stock JJs. I think they're a really good tube and I've achieved great tone with them in the 1/2 year that I've owned the head. I'll be keeping them around for future projects.

I started with the NOS Sylvania 12AX7A 7025s. In V1, the mids seemed much more pronounced than the JJs when centered and had the most detailed variety in mid shift points. It's a very warm tube but It still seemed a little "hollow" in the notes E and lower, just like the JJ. Overall, it's a step up from the JJ in mids and warmth but doesn't give me the articulation I want in my lows. This pretty much summed up my feelings of it in the V2 slot as well. The overdrive was warmer and the highs were less harsh but the lower notes were a bit of a blur still, so onto the next pair.

The fabled and perhaps over hyped (?) Telefunken 12AX7s: One is NOS and the other is used, which I found in and RCA box. "Fuller" and "more", the most overused and generic descriptions definitely apply here Fuller as in really warm but not too wooly even when pinning the gain and fuller still in the lows as in cleaned up and very discernible in the low B region. I've read alot about mid scoop when it comes to this tube and while the mids aren't as in your face as with the Sylvania, I was able to dial them to my tastes easily. The highs have a pleasing sheen to 'em as well. The OD channel is where it makes even more of an impact, if you can believe it.The peaks are tamed and lows are still discernible. I fell in love with the OD channel after slamming in the Tele. I may even want to use the channel live at some point now. That's how much I dig it. The Telefunken 12AX7 overall seems to have the right punch, depth and clarity that I seek as well as feeling more "expansive".

So the win goes to the Telefunkens that will from now on reside in the head. I'm definitely keeping a set of Sylvanias as well as the JJs so I can perhaps do a more subjective test in the future when I'm a little better educated on the subject. This probably wasn't the most helpful thread but it was a fun way to spend the afternoon regardless. Cheers all.