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preamp tubes for eden head
- Thread starter awa
- Start date
i've tried a few different tubes in my wt-400
i believe the stock tube is chinese. Sovtek tubes have a darker tone and are warmer. The chinese tubes are brighter and seem to have more gain. Overall the difference is kind of subtle once the whole band gets going.
i believe the stock tube is chinese. Sovtek tubes have a darker tone and are warmer. The chinese tubes are brighter and seem to have more gain. Overall the difference is kind of subtle once the whole band gets going.
I'd stick with a 7025, whichever brand you choose. I tried a GT 12AX7 in my WT-300 and it didn't do much for me. The 7025 has a little higher gain.
FWIW, I ordered a spare tube from Eden, thinking I'd at least get Eden ink at double the regular price ($15 vs. $7.50), but they just sent me a Ruby 7025 (Chinese). It may be that Eden has Ruby print the Eden logo on the tubes but, hey, I want it to say Eden if I'm paying double.
FWIW, I ordered a spare tube from Eden, thinking I'd at least get Eden ink at double the regular price ($15 vs. $7.50), but they just sent me a Ruby 7025 (Chinese). It may be that Eden has Ruby print the Eden logo on the tubes but, hey, I want it to say Eden if I'm paying double.
I just tried swapping out the stock Ruby 12ax7 in my WT-550 last weekend with a few tubes that I had acquired over time. I tried a "never-used" NOS RCA 12AY7, a new GT 12ax7, and a new GT Gold Series 12ax7R3 (R for for Russian).
After going through the rounds swapping out the tubes and playing a good number of fingerstyle and slapping riffs in the comfort of my living room, I was very surprised to find that the stock Ruby tube sounded the best to my ears as far as having a fat bottom end, warm mids, and refined highs which are not brittle or harsh. The Ruby tube had the most gain of the three. A friend of mine recommeded that I try the GT 12ax7R3 in particular because it would be great for bass. I found it to have slightly less bottom, and slightly harsher high end, with slightly less gain than the stock tube. I must stress that these difference were subtle, sonically speaking.
It was a fun exercise which leaves me with three spare backup tubes in case of emergency. I'll still be interested in trying out other tubes though, so I look forward to hearing comments from others.
After going through the rounds swapping out the tubes and playing a good number of fingerstyle and slapping riffs in the comfort of my living room, I was very surprised to find that the stock Ruby tube sounded the best to my ears as far as having a fat bottom end, warm mids, and refined highs which are not brittle or harsh. The Ruby tube had the most gain of the three. A friend of mine recommeded that I try the GT 12ax7R3 in particular because it would be great for bass. I found it to have slightly less bottom, and slightly harsher high end, with slightly less gain than the stock tube. I must stress that these difference were subtle, sonically speaking.
It was a fun exercise which leaves me with three spare backup tubes in case of emergency. I'll still be interested in trying out other tubes though, so I look forward to hearing comments from others.
Bump - I'm interested in the differences too, I have a Eden WT 800 and have never even thought about replacing the tube with other manufacturer's tube... interesting. How does a person know what tube number to buy if someone wants to experiment? Is there a crossover chart to get the correct tube from a given manufacterer?
you can ask the manufacturer of the amp or here. most tubes have the # right on thempistoleroace said:
the tube in the 800 is a 7025/12ax7 (they're interchangable). there's gobs of tube info on the net as well as here on tb. do a search for preamp tube. Like gfab333 said, the stock ruby sounds about best. I couldnt remember all the tubes i tried that day, but my findings were like his. And also, like gfab said, the differences were subtle. Some circuits seem to respond more to tube swaps than others. With my demeter you can tell a big difference. With the eden you can tell, but it's not so dramatic. Even with the demeter, once the whole band gets going i'd bet you couldnt tell me what type of tubes are in it.
I'm using JJ's ecc83's in my tube pre and like them a lot. My Pre is not Eden by the way but tube to tube the JJ's sound sweeter to me. I tried GT, Mesa, Ruby and pulled a Sovtek out. Note - I'm not after high gain, just warmth and clarity and a bit of that 'soft compression'.
You might want to try the new GT 12AX7M. It's a nice warm tube, with excellent overdrive characteristics. 25 bucks a pop though. Still, it could be (debatably) worth it, if it gives you the sound you're looking for.
I just put in a JJ ECC83 in my WT-300C and it sounds a little smoother and warmer, but I just inherited this amp and I'm pretty sure the tube I replaced was the original from 1995 (because of the Eden Silk-screening and the 12AX7 stamp in red) so it probably has a lot to do with a 18 year tube versus a new quality one.
