How to select tubes for your amp |
1.How to select tubes for your amp(preamp)
The V1 tube amplifies the guitar signal immediately after it enters the jack input of the amp's normal channel. This tube is very important for the tone and how sensitive the volume knob is. A weak, old and worn out V1 tube will give you a dull tone with potential lacking lows or highs and you might have to set the volume knob relatively high to achieve a certain volume
Acoustics - Clean guitars: Electro Harmonics 12AY7, GE 5751, Fender 12AT7
Blues - Classic rock: JJ 12AX7, TTE 83CC, Mesa Boogie 12AX7
Grunge - Classic metal: TT 12AX7, Tung Sol 12AX67, JJ ECC83S
Thrash Metal - Extreme metal: SOVTEK 12AX7LPS, JJ ECC83S, TT 12AX7.
GE 12AX7WA: clean, dark sound.
GE JAN 5751: 30% lower gain than a 12AX7, bright sound.
RCA 12AX7A: hi gain, american fat sound, good for crunch.
RCA 7025: lower gain, very good for clean tones.
RAYTEON 12AX7: lower gain, enhanced higher frequencies, great dynamics.
MULLARD 12AX7/ECC83 modern/old logo: hi gain, enhanced mid frequencies, suggested for british amps (beware of the price!).
BRIMAR 12AX7: similiar to the Mullard, but slighly less gainy.
TELEFUNKEN ECC83: high definition, bright sound, less gainy than a Mullard. Very expensive!
TUNGSRAM ECC83: Balanced sound, enhanced mid-lows,high definition, high headroom.
RFT ECC83: strong lower frequencies and good for crunch, lower headroom and break up level, suggested for blues.
TESLA ECC83S:good amount of gain, suggested for british sounding amps.
2.How to select tubes for your amp(Power tubes )
EL84: JJ EL84 for a Standard sound, Sovtek / Electro Harmonix for an all around tone, JJ EL844 For a tight, low power sound.
EL34: JJ EL34, Electro Harmonix EL34 for a sound ranging from blues to hard rock, TT EL34 and Tung Sol EL34 for Heavy Metal, SED EL34 for dropped tuning and Bass.
6L6: JJ 6L6 and TT KT66 for a sound ranging from blues to hard rock, TT 6L6, Tung Sol 6L6, Sovtek 6L6 WXT+ for heavier tones up to the extreme metal, and SED 6L6 for dropped tunings and bass.
JJ 6V6 are lower power tubes, which leads to a lower output and a softer overdrive.
KT88 / 6550: JJ KT88, are basically good for every genere, Electro Harmonix KT88 are suggested for Bass amps, while SED KT88 are rich of lower frequencies.
|