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Author Topic: New Tubes Advice  (Read 115130 times)

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rickeb1

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #45 on: Time Format »

Quote
too round sounding to MY ears, and not spikey enough in the upper registers (i find my ears want those higher high later in life! LOL ).  i like an edgier, crunchier distortion...

Hey George, given your preferences, I think you may like the long-plate Sovtek 12AX7-LPS.

~ Rick
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El Chiguete

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #46 on: Time Format »

Do you guys think that depending if you use a tube in an MP1 or an MP2 the tubes will have different tonal characteristics?

I just ask this because rnolan has good things to say about the new Mullards (but only tested on an MP2)... so should you expect the same good tone independent if its on a MP1 or MP2? or has someone tried out a tube on both the MP1 and the MP2 and on one sounded good and on the other not???
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MarshallJMP

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #47 on: Time Format »

There will be differences due to the different design of the filters used in both MP-1 and MP-2.But they won't be big.
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rnolan

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #48 on: Time Format »

They've been tested in MP1, when I was looking for tubes I was posting with a guy on the old depot who was the first to test the Mullards, he had MP1 and loved them, I bought 4 after that test and his comments, at that point I'd put in some Boogie SPA's in my stage MP2 (coz I could buy them at the local music shop), and found they broke up on the bottom E.  Put in the Mullards and they really suite my playing.
As MJMP says, there will be differences but overall not too big a difference between MP1/2.  The Mullards will be more 3D and squeal nicely (pinch/pick harmonics), the Boogies (JJs) have a beautiful controlled feedback.
There's other posts where a new member here put them in his MP1 and liked them allot.  He went with the short plates which I'm yet to try, put a pair in, tell us what you think  :thumb-up: I guarantee they won't be bad, and I suspect you'll really like them.

So I've used Boogie SPAs in both the MP1 and MP2, they work well in both but as I said above broke up a bit on low E in the MP2.  The MP2 has more gain so they sounded even better, but good in both a not big difference in tone. Compared to the Mullards I find the JJs a "tight" tube.
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rnolan

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #49 on: Time Format »

Being the MP1 addict that I am ;) (I own 4 originals), I've used JJ's, reissue Mullards and Tung Sols.
The JJ's are nice for the price, I also have them in a first gen Carvin Quad-X. I have the Mullards in one of the MP-1's and they are fat, clean around the edges and overdrive/distortion to your hearts desire.
The Tung Sols....my favorite. Like the Mullards in many ways but more of a focused, hi-fi modded Marshall tone. I also have 9 of these in a 2nd Gen Carvin Quad-X and they turned it into a monster. The clean channels sparkle and Channel 4 became incredibly ass kicker.
AS always, this topic is subjective to an individuals taste and ear and this is solely my opinion. Any of the above will blow away the more common EH WA+WB variations.
Best regards,
Randi :D
And from earlier in this post....
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trader144

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #50 on: Time Format »

Rnolan, I gotta hand it to you...I am sure you knew this post was coming.
After many suggestions, I finally took your advice (tubes are such a risk and I am tired of being burned).

The Mullard reissue 12ax7 is great---everything you said it was going to be.
The best sound through the GCS-3 ever (I might have to go back and change my posts about the GCS-3).
I can get a classic Marshall sound, a round fender sound, and even a round fender vibroking sound.
Also a massive improvement to the clean tube channel making things round and thick.

I haven't tried it through real speakers...but if it sounds this good through the GCS-3......it must be even better with celestions.

Prior to the Mullard, I recently changed to matched Ruby HG's and for my taste the sound was too shrill and thin (these tubes are soon to go on reverb.com).

Being risk adverse on tubes, I bought 1 Mullard to try it.
I first tried the Mullard in V1 and a Ruby HG in V2 - not very happy with the sound. Then I replaced the Ruby in V2 with an original MP1 tube and bang....major improvement.


Revision to my post:
My first mullard was a bad tube and it died after about 2 weeks. When I replaced it, the sound was incredible and plenty of distortion in V1 where it currently sits. I get the most color out of it when it is in V1 and my settings are OD1-7 and OD-2 0.7 (thanks El Chiguete) where a Ruby sits in OD-2 until the 2nd mullard arrives.
« Last Edit: Time Format by trader144 »
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trader144

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #51 on: Time Format »

Day 2.
The Mullard moved from V1 to V2 as I couldn't get enough saturation from it for solos in V1, and the original MP1 tube moved to V1. Sure I can play a solo well clean...
Now I have more than enough saturation and I still get the Mullard color I needed.
I am debating a 2nd Mullard for V1 - hesitant about getting enough saturation.

One thing having different tubes is I am really learning is the difference in V1 and V2; never really understood that before even though reading the manual and online. Seems that OD2 is basically your tube amp head's drive/distortion, and OD1 is basically your pre-amp head distortion pedal (to kick in for solos).

So I really like having 2 different tubes so I can add in a raw dirty sound when I need it, but I don't always have to live with a harsh sound.

Strange question: are there any tubes which mimic a digital distortion sound (for example, a grey modded DOD250)? That could make OD1 very dirty on top of my Mullard in OD2.
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El Chiguete

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #52 on: Time Format »

I am debating a 2nd Mullard for V1 - hesitant about getting enough saturation.

I believe Rnolan changed both of his tubes to Mullards so he can comment on this (I want to know too).

One thing having different tubes is I am really learning is the difference in V1 and V2; never really understood that before even though reading the manual and online. Seems that OD2 is basically your tube amp head's drive/distortion, and OD1 is basically your pre-amp head distortion pedal (to kick in for solos).

This is just my reasoning behind how I setup my presets now. I set OD2 thinking the values of it like the type of tone/distortion that I want based on how much gain was available on the amp that I'm trying to recreate the tone:

60s marshalls = 0 to 4 (yes you can get sound out your MP1 using the OD2 at 0.0)
70s marshalls = 4 to 6
80s marshalls = 6 to 8

And then I use the OD1 settings for just how hot would I be boosting the signal infront of those amps to recreate more saturation of them or just go from rythim to lead tones. For example if you have OD2 at 0.0 and the OD1 at 1-2 you get a really clean marshall tone, if you go higher deppending on your pickups you will go for a more rounded clean to a clean tone starting to break up.
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trader144

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #53 on: Time Format »

Day 3.
With the Mullard in V2 and the original in V1, I have great distortion, however on clean tube I seem to have lost much of the classic thick round sound that the Mullard gave while in V1 which made it possible to get a sweet fender vibroking sound. Doesn't matter where I put the settings on OD1 or OD2.

It also seems like V1 and V2 are not equally driven - V1 seems to drive the same tube more than when it is put into V2.

So, maybe 2 Mullards will provide enough distortion....hmmmm
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El Chiguete

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #54 on: Time Format »

DUUUUUDE all I need is to hear how your test with the 2 Mullards goes for me to buy them! So no presure of getting the other one soon... jeje.

BTW, are you using the short plate or the long plate versions?
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Systematic Chaos

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #55 on: Time Format »

They've been tested in MP1, when I was looking for tubes I was posting with a guy on the old depot who was the first to test the Mullards, he had MP1 and loved them, I bought 4 after that test and his comments, ...

I guess that was me ;-)

...
So, maybe 2 Mullards will provide enough distortion....hmmmm

Yap, 2 Mullard Reissues (Long Plate) will do the trick.
Another tube that goes in the same tonal direction with even more gain on tap is the Tube-Town TT E83CC
A very full an rich sounding tube with a nice low end and a smooth top end plus more gain than a JJ ECC83 Hi-Gain labelled tube.
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rnolan

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #56 on: Time Format »

Hey SC, it was a while ago  :wave: , I've put Mullard long plates in both my MP2s (the short plates are more recent but I'll give them a try next tube change). I use one MP2 in my recording rack and the other (I bought new many many moons ago) is still the mainstay in my live rack.  I fell for the Mullards from the start, best tubes I've heard in MP2, I love them, and as I've said before, they track your fretting in ways I'd never thought possible (3D??), the slightest change in finger pressure is tracked by the tube, and they love to squeal off harmonics mmmm. And plenty of gain  >:D .
The patches I use are my tones, I haven't tried to copy other sounds (I used to a bit more when I had MP1 and played lots of covers from different bands, but even then I just went for what I liked).  I put some new tubes in my old 1972 Marshall 50 a while ago and gave it a run, it was my amp/sound for many years, it was ok, but nothing compared to MP1/2....
I've not tried different tubes in V1/2, I love the sound I have with the 2 Mullard long plates.  For 3TM MP1s the short plates may be a better choice (based on MJMPs advice re 3TM tube choice) as sooo much gain and they should be a little less microphonic.
Anyway, based on both SCs MP1 experience and my subsequent MP2, my advice (for what it's worth) is put a pair in and drool  :whoohoo!:
There was another member who went with the short plates for his MP1 and loved them so it's not uncharted waters.
 
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trader144

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #57 on: Time Format »

http://atoragon.blogspot.com/2012/04/which-tubes-choose-for-your-guitar-amp.html?m=1

Great post on choosing a tube.
« Last Edit: Time Format by trader144 »
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trader144

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #58 on: Time Format »

rnolan

On the 2x Mullards in an MP2.
You said plenty of gain....when you are pushing the distortion hard on OD1 and OD2...can you give a comparable example of a guitarist that it sounds like so I can understand how high they will go?

I already know they sound sweet and thick at low and mid levels, just want to know about where the useable top end is.

David
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Systematic Chaos

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Re: New Tubes Advice
« Reply #59 on: Time Format »

rnolan

On the 2x Mullards in an MP2.
You said plenty of gain....when you are pushing the distortion hard on OD1 and OD2...can you give a comparable example of a guitarist that it sounds like so I can understand how high they will go?

I already know they sound sweet and thick at low and mid levels, just want to know about where the useable top end is.

David

I think that question can not be answered easily per se....for Rnolan, cranking OD1 + 2 hard will sound like Rnolan cranking OD1 + 2 hard. With the MP-2 in particular, it depends on what type of Voicing is selected, further and in general for all (pre-) amps how the EQ is set, what kind of guitar, what kind of pups in the guitar, what poweramp, what speakers.....

If I hook up the MP-2 (Voicing 7 Warm HiGain, EQ set to taste) to my mesa 2:90 going into a 4x12 with all V30 and use an Ibby RG2620QMSP with DiMarzio CrunchLab bridge and Liquifire neck I will have a Petrucci'ish tone.
If I alter (the Voicing and) the EQ a tad bit, I´ll probably be able to do some Mark Tremonti
If I do that same thing on the MP-1 Classic it might go in the Doug Aldrich kinda direction.
If I do the same thing thing on my Mod3.1 MP-1 I´ll sure as hell can go in the In Flames 5150 sounding ballpark....play with the EQ and it does the SLO100 creamy thing.....

Know what I mean.....  8)

The tubes won´t alter the core tone of the (pre-)amp that drastically, they´ll just make it a little thicker/creamier and more 3D-like...
   
« Last Edit: Time Format by Systematic Chaos »
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