What NEW 12AX7 is BEST

[cowboy]

I really love the old Telefunken ECC83/12AX7 tubes, I know it's NOS, but they're really reliable and sound wonderful!

[BluesDude]

Maybe it would help to rephrase the question.

Which 12AX7 tubes have you found to be complete crap and should be avoided in terms of reliability (fails often), spec (gain all over the map), and sound (unusable by anyone's standards)... and for what application in the amp was it bad.

The sound/tone part often seems to be somewhat subjective. For example: Tube A transformed my amp Tube B was just horrible. It is not uncommon that people will tend to exaggerate the difference if there was a marginal difference. When a more accurate statement might be Tube A sounded pretty good, Tube B was a little better (I seem to hear a difference and like it).

Example of a bad tube brand/manufacturer: I used Tube C and based on most people's judgment it was total crap (name the reason)... the amp just was not fit for use by any discerning guitarist. In other words, if I were performing I would rather use a cheap solid state amp plugged into a line 6 modeling processor to model my amp and cabinet (than use my amp with that tube in it).

[guitician]

OK, here's how I would rephrase it......

Which New Production 12ax7's have the most consistent test numbers and last the longest?

[Pedro Vecino]

Most consistent and very lasting, Chinese 12ax7. But it´s not the better sounding in all the circumstances.
Tung Sol is also a good tube, though it continues having the typically russian compression in overdrive circuits. The samples that I have tried had high transconductance values and very similar between them. The problem is that it´s not possible to use with cathode followers.
New 12AX7WC Sovtek also are good tubes for clean sounds and reliable.
ECC83JJ ... very dependent on the selection but more prone to degrade. Gold pins that I tried, same as Tung Sol: high transconductance and very similar between them.
Real good classic sound: Groove Tubes 12AX7M, but more inconsistent with values.
Regards

[Ludus]

I have read answers above but didn't found answer to my question too: I have a little Marshall VS40 amp that have ECC83 in preamp section. As it stopped to respond I tried to replace it with 3 different manufacturers: EH, JJ and Mesa (based on slightly scratched title). To me seemed that JJ made best distortion in boost mode than other two and I leaved it inside amp.
I know that this amp isn't metal monster but tube distortion ability is fact that impact on sound in boost mode. Do you have some recommendation for this purpose inside ECC83 tube family? Thanks.

[guitician]

The sound of the tube?

By themselves triodes do not have a particular "Sound". It is the circuit they are used in that has it. And different parameters from tube to tube show as changes to the circuit responses. I've heard that a very strong vacuum in the tube increases life, as well as cathode metallurgy. Some special tubes tout a 10k hour heater life, and I've seen a lot of worn out tubes, but never a dead filament. Consistency and quality go hand-in-hand, and as the manufactures spend more time and money on quality, the consistency will get better.

[daz]

Some of you are mentioning the chinese as a good tube. Can anyone tell me how that latest offering differs tonally from the old square foil getter chinese from the 80's? I ask because i always go back to those, but i am running out and wondered if theres anything similar available. having tried tung sols (VERY different) JJ's, EH, and possibly a few others, nothing is the same or even close enough to satisfy me.

[JoeM]

Some of you are mentioning the chinese as a good tube. Can anyone tell me how that latest offering differs tonally from the old square foil getter chinese from the 80's? I ask because i always go back to those, but i am running out and wondered if theres anything similar available. having tried tung sols (VERY different) JJ's, EH, and possibly a few others, nothing is the same or even close enough to satisfy me.

Hi daz,

I have some of the newer Chinese 12AX7s that came with a Weber kit. Initial impressions were it sounded very similar to some 80s ones I have. I didnt do any direct swapping for comparison though. Actually, I was rather surprised they sounded this good.

[daz]

Thanks, i think i may have to try them. Speaking of being surprised by chinese tubes, i got my hands on a free set of EL34's that are not the current gen, but last gen i believe, and if i recall they were called "B" series as in "EL34B". Anyways, having sets of tung sol, EH, and winged C el34's, the chinese were smoother and fuller and IMO better in some ways than all of them ! Unfortunately they aren't made any longer and i don't know if the current chinese EL34 is as good. Also i think they were a tad less articulate then i wanted, but great tubes none the less. I always hear they are lousy so i was really surprised at how good they sounded.

[CharlieP]

I have tried many new production tubes, jj, Tung-Sol, Mullard, Sovtec, EH and unmarked Chinese tubes. I started trying some TAD 12ax7 and 7025 Highgrade and Penta 9th Gen 12ax7. I like the TAD 7025 Highgrade in V1 of my VK112 and Penta in V2 with Sovtec 12ax7 LPS for V3 best. My tastes for clean country! I have since then bought ANOS tubes, RCA, Mullards and prefer them to new.

TAD, Tung-Sol RI, Penta, Mullard RI are nice sounding new production along with the Sovtec LPS. I would use them if I couldn't get ANOS anymore. The others mentioned above, I would not bother with buying again. My opinion thru my ears only, YMMV!

[Ludus]

RTF

I tried last week RTF ECC83 in my Marshall - I think that this tube is what Marshall genuine use with its logo in their amps. It is "high gainy" and crunchy tube, like born for pre-amp section. Not cheap but thanks to Lord, I don't need a fistful of them for my amp.

[jrfrond]

I like the plain old Sovtek WAs or WBs. The EHs ain't too shabby either

Same here, and we use a lot of 'em. No complaints from the customers, and a microphonic one turns up here and there. No biggie. I have no reason to switch.

I won't touch Chinese tubes with a barge-pole!

[Tele-Cat]

I'm a big fan of the long-plate JJs. I have them in all my amps, v2 and V3 in the Super clone (5F4), v2 in the Deluxe clone (5E3) and it's the only preamp tube in my Champ clone.