I have a SWR Grand Prix ( Green Face) Preamp . I heard that by changing the tube you can fine tune your sound . I'm looking for a tube that can give me a warmer , very tasteful slap tone … How do I learn more about tubes?
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Double Bass SWR Grand Prix ( Green Face )
- Thread starter Wind Blade Khan
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If it is a ECC83 type tube, a Sovtek 12AX7LPS is well regarded, and not to expensive. After extensive testing, I choose this for my stereo preamp. And I have just ordered one to upgrade my ARTtube Project series preamp (which has a "handpicked" chinese tube). Will report back.
Tuning the sound of a preamp or amp by tube swaps is difficult because you really have to buy the tubes and try them out. That can get very expensive if you are looking at particularly desirable tubes, like vintage NOS varieties.
Recommendations of one particular tube over another has to be taken with a grain of salt because writing about a sound is always going to be subjective, not to mention thast the circuit topology also has an impact. How it sounds in a Fender style preamp may be different than how it sounds in an Ampeg, etc.
I owned a Grand Prix (never retubed it) and a Baby Blue and I never thought that the tube contributed much to the sound. As I recall, the 12AX7 tube is only for the initial gain stage, the rest (including the EQ) is all solid state.
Good luck!
Recommendations of one particular tube over another has to be taken with a grain of salt because writing about a sound is always going to be subjective, not to mention thast the circuit topology also has an impact. How it sounds in a Fender style preamp may be different than how it sounds in an Ampeg, etc.
I owned a Grand Prix (never retubed it) and a Baby Blue and I never thought that the tube contributed much to the sound. As I recall, the 12AX7 tube is only for the initial gain stage, the rest (including the EQ) is all solid state.
Good luck!
Tell me something what power amp and watts are you running? I'll be running this head through goliath ii 4x10 4 ohm .
I used the Grand Prix only for DI recording. The Baby Blue is a combo. Both were sold off long ago.
My two favorite new production tubes are Tung Sol and Mullard. Speaking very generally, Tungsols are a bight brighter and full range amd Mullards are more warm vintage sounding.
I have a Grand Prix, and have done some tube rolling... I used a NOS GE 5751 for a while, lower output but warm and "creamy", very smooth sounding...Ultimately, I settled on a 12AX7 pulled from a 50s guitar amp. I can't remember the brand, but it's a very aggressive, very forward sound. I can look if you like.
Preamp tubes can make a difference, even in the Grand Prix.
Preamp tubes can make a difference, even in the Grand Prix.
I remember getting real excited about the Baby Blue 2x8 so I bought one. Just like you, that single 12AX7 didn't really warm up the sound that much and the Aural Enhancer circuit realy colored the
tone and not in a good way IME. I connected my Walter Woods MI-100-8 to the speaker section and the sound immediately improved. I sold the amp and got one of the few Baby Blue 2x8 extensions
SWR built. The Woods sounded warmer than the Baby Blue and it's a solid state amplifier. Just my take.
