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Tubes for a SVT-CL

#2
fenderhutz said:
First off. Where is the cheapest place to buy them?

Second. Any recommendations to get some good gain?

3 12AX7
2 12AU7
6 6550

I know of Bayou Audio and The Tube Store.
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Calling Psycho Bass Guy! He's the guy you need to talk to around here. He's nuts about Ampeg tube gear and and quite knowledgeable.

Lots of good tube suppliers to go to and I'm sure others will chime in. Doug's Tubes and Tube Depot come to mind as names I've seen bandied about here.
 
#8
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=392180 <-- my 12ax7 tube comparo

i, personally, prefer the original GE tubes but they may be a little less gain-y than you're looking for. they're mellower than the newer tubes (like sovtek WA or WE) but give me a much thicker yet well defined bottom to my sound.

i got all my NOS and used tubes off ebay. you can find some kickass deals on high quality NOS and used tubes (great old stuff like GE, RCA, and Telefunken tubes) there with a little patience, just make sure that the seller lists the testing numbers for the tubes along with "normal" range numbers since different testers end up with different numbers.
 
#10
Sorry for bringing it up but..

I'm about to retube my SVT-CL
It still sounds ok, but tubes are a bit worn
What is more I would like to have more 'grit' in the sound, like an overdrive in low frequencies

I've been always a huge fan of Sovtek tubes.
Do you recomend Sovtek 6550WE for this amp?
Also what pre-amp, and driver tubes should I use to get huge, gritty sound suitable for metal?

Thanks for advice.
 
#11
Your tubes are fine. If your amp works OK, new tubes would just be a waste of money. And any changes in drive levels would be minimal at best with a tube change. You're best off just saving your money and enjoying it. Tubes can last decades if they're well-made and taken care of properly.
 
#14
Are you looking for Cleaner and more Headroom??

Than all i would do is pop a JJ in the first preamp slot in your amp (which should be closest to the input.)

I imagine there are 3 12ax7's in the preamp section? Hell, put 2 JJ's in the first 2 slots

thats where most of the sound is coming from, so if you put a tube in that first slot that distorts really quickly, your sound will not have much headrooms
 
#17
Burning_Sphere said:
...Do you recomend Sovtek 6550WE for this amp?
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I got a set of them recently, and they rock! Make sure you get them from someone who burns them in before matching, preferably from someone specializing in tubes for musical instrument amps. I would recommend steering clear of eBay. Too many amateur "tube dealers" there.

Also what pre-amp, and driver tubes should I use to get huge, gritty sound suitable for metal?
Click to expand...

I have found that the new Tung-Sol 12ax7 tubes are outstanding - lots of gain, low noise, low microphonics. They are the best 12ax7s I've heard since the Ruby 7025 "Silver Specials" from around ten years ago. I only have two new Rubies left, so I was quite pleased that the Tung-Sols turned out so good.

As for the drivers, NOS Philips 12au7 tubes still seem to be available for reasonable prices (around 15 bucks) and would work nicely.
 

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