I get paid (some may say "overpaid") to mix live concerts so I know what music sounds like, until I ruin it with my mixes…anyway, regardless of the opinions of any anti tube crusader, tube are more fun. They just are. By the way, being anti tube can't be easy these days…most great amp designers of SS things (which, of course, often sound fabulous) mention their "tube like" sound which must make anti tubers cringe. I just worked with a serious tube abuser guitar player at a show…this guy runs his Princeton Reverb on 10 and gigs often so tubes die regularly, as well they should in service to the Mojo.
If NOS pre or power tubes became unavailable altogether, what new tubes would you buy?
Hey tuberollers,
I'm curious to see what happens if there's a gun to your head, or more practically all NOS tubes disappear (dread). What would you do with your line/pre stage and/or power stage?
I have tried 5 different NOS 12AU7s and only 1 new 12AU7 in my preamp section (Cifte, RCA black plates (late 50s), Sylvanias, Baldwin organ tubes, Amperex 70s orange globes, and new Chinese stock Primaluna tubes). In my power section, I have not tried any NOS tubes and 3 types of tubes (stock Chinese Primaluna EL34s, reissue Mullard EL34s, and reissue Gold Lion KT88s).
Side note: I haven't ventured into NOS power tubes because of the cost and availability/scarcity. I need 8 of them!
Without having tried anything else, I would be lost on new or reissue 12AU7s. On the power tube side, I'd be just fine with either the reissue Mullard EL34s or the Gold Lion KT88s.
I'm curious to see what happens if there's a gun to your head, or more practically all NOS tubes disappear (dread). What would you do with your line/pre stage and/or power stage?
I have tried 5 different NOS 12AU7s and only 1 new 12AU7 in my preamp section (Cifte, RCA black plates (late 50s), Sylvanias, Baldwin organ tubes, Amperex 70s orange globes, and new Chinese stock Primaluna tubes). In my power section, I have not tried any NOS tubes and 3 types of tubes (stock Chinese Primaluna EL34s, reissue Mullard EL34s, and reissue Gold Lion KT88s).
Side note: I haven't ventured into NOS power tubes because of the cost and availability/scarcity. I need 8 of them!
Without having tried anything else, I would be lost on new or reissue 12AU7s. On the power tube side, I'd be just fine with either the reissue Mullard EL34s or the Gold Lion KT88s.