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Topic: JJ Tubes - problems in recent months |
Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 12 Jul 2006 12:56 pm |
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I thought I'd share some issues I've had recently with JJ preamp tubes. I've been using the JJ 12AU7 for over two years in the Black Box and for the past year with the Revelation Tube Preamp with great success. However, in the last few months, I've suddenly had a huge failure rate with the new batches of JJ's. I don't know what's changed at their factory, but many of them have come in bad or gone bad very quickly. When they work, the do sound great, but I just cant rely on them currently. The tubes I've had trouble with are the:
JJ ECC82 - 12AU7
JJ ECC83 - 12AX7
JJ ECC803s - 12AX7 Telefunken clone
So currently I've switched to these new tubes with great results so far:
EH 12AU7 (Electro Harmonix - Sovtek's premium brand)
Tung-Sol 12AX7
The new Tung-Sol is not really a clone of the original, but it is rapidly becoming a new favorite 12AX7 for both guitarists and audiophiles. I really like the tube. It's fat, quiet, high gain, non-microphonic, and very smooth sounding.
If anyone with a new Revelation Tube Preamp or Black Box purchased this year after February has tube trouble (spitting or crackling sounds), please let me know and I'll get you fresh replacements asap.
Thanks,
Brad |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 12 Jul 2006 1:17 pm
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| That's frustrating. I've seen occasional reference to declining quality control on JJ's over the past year on other boards. But there seems to also be some political axes to grind among some of the tube dealers out there--resentment of Bob at Eurotubes, for one thing....so totally not my problem that I really don't want to know about it---so I've had trouble knowing how much store to place in these reports. But I take your experiences as word-up. I'll be needing some 12AX7s soon and I will try the Tung-Sol. |
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Thomas Bancroft
From:
Matawan, New Jersey, USA
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Posted 18 Jul 2006 10:14 am
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| If your getting your JJ's from Bob at Eurotubes they have been vetted by him. If your buying them directly you must sort out the bad ones. |
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Joe A. Camacho
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Posted 18 Jul 2006 11:11 am
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Hey Brad,
I just received 6 JJ preamp tubes for my Twin Reverb from tubestore.com, I haven't installed them yet, is there any way of knowing that they're bad besides hearing them becoming microphonic? thanks, Joe |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 18 Jul 2006 11:32 am
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Joe, the main problems I've seen are that after a few days of use, they begin to make crackling sounds. Some are a little microphonic, but that's not the main issue I've dealt with.
Brad
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 18 Jul 2006 2:38 pm
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Brad,
I don't seem to be having any problems with my BB, but when the time comes for replacement, or buying now for an investment, what are the EH12AU7 and TUNG-SOL 12AX7 going for, presently?
Thanks. |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 18 Jul 2006 2:58 pm
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Chip. Most of the BB's out there have perfectly good JJ's in them. It seems to be in batches made in mid-early 2006 where the problems got so widespread. The EH and Tung-Sol tubes are around $12 - $16 or so.
Brad
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 18 Jul 2006 6:25 pm
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| Thanks Brad. |
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