Best preamp tubes

[bluesaholic]

In Your opinion...what are the best preamp tubes in a standard 5E3 amplifier..??

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

In Your opinion...what are the best preamp tubes in a standard 5E3 amplifier..??

I really like mid 50s-early 60's Sylvania 12AY7s and a good old RCA black plate 12AX7. But any NOS 12AY7 sounds really good if not microphonic.
Also, never use anything other then a real NOS American made 5Y3GT, from either RCA, Sylvania or GE.
If money is an object you can't really go too far wrong with a generic reissue 12AY7EH and a SOVTEK made tung-sol 12AX7... Even a JJ ECC83s is very good.
If the Russian 12AY7EH seems a little hot, ... it is.
They all seem to have a little higher mu then a real 12AY7 from days gone by.
I just find it makes the volume control a little more sensitive and the amp ramps-cranks up sooner.

[tubeswell]

I too prefer 50's NOS tubes. I got some good unused GE12AT7WAs (6201) the other day (triple spacer and black plates). I put one in V1 of my Classic 30 (with the preamp supply resistors tweeked to deliver about 280V on the plates). It really sings. Gives a lovely chime which isn't too over-the-top.

I also like their JAN 5751s (although its probably a matter of personal taste)