Best 12ax7 Preamp tube for V1

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

V1 is considered the Preamp tube that gets the workout in the Preamp section. What brand would you suggest for the V1 position?

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Depends what tonal characteristics your preamp circuit has (eg.. what preamp are you using? )...the preamp tone you have now with the current complement of tubes, , and the direction you want to tweak it.

Dave Meis · From: Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA

While I wouldn't make a suggestion for a specific tube, I have (and have had) lots of tube amps. I have a small pile of tubes, both new production and NOS, and rolling them through different amps using guitars with different pups, any one of them can sound good (or bad). Most new production amps are designed to use new production tubes. My opinion of NOS is: while I'm sure there are really good ones out there, many of them didn't pass muster when they were made, and were set aside, and that's what's available now. Not that there aren't great ones out there, but it's a crap shoot. I have some that work great in some amps, but are noisy in others. I know this isn't an answer to your question, but I HAVE had mostly good luck with new production Tung-Sol pre-amp and power tubes, Svetelana power tubes, and 'selected' tubes, like TAD or Ruby. I've been surprised to find the best sounding tube is sometimes a tube from China (like TAD or Ruby). If you decide to roll some through, you could 'borrow' one from a different hole in the same (or different) amp and plug them into V1. If you have friends with tube amps, maybe they'd let you roll some of theirs so you could see the difference. It can be dramatic, but usually isn't, in my experience. It really comes down to what amp, what guitar and how lucky you are! Smile

If I can get mine to be QUIET at idle, I stop there! Smile

Good luck!

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Depends on the circuit and application.

I had an ART PRO MPA II dual mic/instrument preamp that I was using in my home recording studio. I tried several different 12AX7 tubes in one channel, even a NOS RCA 12AX7 and none was any better than the "no marking" OEM (Probably Chinese).

When I was doing amp repair, in the early 70's, I only used RCA tubes.

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Thanks for the responses. I have a bunch of Mesa Boogie, Fender and Vox amps. Usually when a preamp tube goes bad the suspect tube is V1. The other tube #2 suspect is the phase inverter I believe and in the past I would just re-tube the entire amp. Kind of a waste when the amp has a tube effects loop and tube reverb circuit.

Here are few pics of my tube amps in my studio. I have a bunch more in my man cave in the back of the house. I don't want to think about changing every preamp tube in this heard.

Steve Sycamore · From: Sweden

Here's a good comparison of all or most currently made 12AX7 tubes, plus similar models that can replace 12AX7's too.

https://www.amplifiedparts.com/tech-corner/12ax7-comparison-current-made-tubes

Mike Neer · From: NJ

My favorites are the Amperex Bugle Boys for what I perceive as a more hifi sound.
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Mark Kuban · From: Texas, USA

For new production, the Tung Sol 12ax7

Carl Mesrobian · From: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

Len, go by what sounds good. If you want clean, look for a lower mu rating. Results in less gain up front and less overdrive to the next stage. Let the output stage handle the gain. But there are so many variables - cabinet resonance, speaker, component values drifting from spec in circuit. Humidity (yes I said humidity)..

If you retube your collection people in the factories are going to be working some Saturdays Rolling Eyes

Go by the chart that Steve Sycamore posted. Get an assortment and try them out. I use JJ's short plates and also have piles of RCA's, GE's, etc. kicking around from the 70's that I swap in and out and mark them as to how they are in each amp. You can also hit the ham radio flea markets and get US made tubes as-is for cheap

http://web.mit.edu/w1gsl/Public/ne-fleas

Happy hunting Smile

_________________
--carl

"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Thanks for all the suggestions. Going to check out all the tubes mentioned👍

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Carl, what is the difference between long plate and short plate 12ax7 preamp tubes? I've heard the term "long plate" but not sure what it actually does for an amp.

Also, gold plated pins on a tube. Any benefit or just a selling point?

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