[JonnyBoy]

does anyone know what tubes exactly Jerry used in his twins, did he run it like the stock chart says, or sub other varieties like 12AT7 or 5751's in for a 12ax7's? Or is this still an unknown like what kind of opamps he had in his distortion pedal?

[Imagined Days]

I have heard tell of him using Sylvania 12ax7's. But who knows! Really, it doesn't seem to matter to me. tubes are very inconsistent. No matter what brand, new or old stock, ya' just gotta' plug 'em in and listen. You might find a cheap sovteck that sounds great, and an expensive RCA that sounds awful. It's a crap shoot!

[strumminsix]

Somewhere I read about the boys ordering boxes of tubes and then letting their ears do the rest...

So while they may have used "brand x" they didn't use just any tube by "brand x"...

[JonnyBoy]

Yes, I have found inconsistencies with using the same brands. I thought maybe Jerry tried to tame tube OD with using a 12AT7 instead of a 12AX7. I have a few tubes here I have swapped in and out, I tried the 12AT7 in the 1st slot and it sounds OK, a little thinner. I haven't tried to overdrive it though. I thought maybe he tried to do something like this to get higher clean volume.

[jackevorkian]

Yes, I have found inconsistencies with using the same brands. I thought maybe Jerry tried to tame tube OD with using a 12AT7 instead of a 12AX7. I have a few tubes here I have swapped in and out, I tried the 12AT7 in the 1st slot and it sounds OK, a little thinner. I haven't tried to overdrive it though. I thought maybe he tried to do something like this to get higher clean volume.

A 5751 works well in the V1/V2 spot to tame OD. Although, you really can't beat a NOS RCA for V1/V2 and a CV4024 for the PI.

[tigerstrat]

I've been using several late 60's/early 70's-ish RCA & GE 7025's salvaged from shop re-tubes for several years now. No real idea of the number of hours previously on them but I have put easily over a hundred on them. They still blow away any brand-news I have tried from GT, JJ, EH, Ruby etc. Did try a 5751 in 1st Gain stage for a time, but it's just too clean, I like to push the preamp at a lower volume.

[Grateful.Ed]

Yes, I have found inconsistencies with using the same brands. I thought maybe Jerry tried to tame tube OD with using a 12AT7 instead of a 12AX7. I have a few tubes here I have swapped in and out, I tried the 12AT7 in the 1st slot and it sounds OK, a little thinner. I haven't tried to overdrive it though. I thought maybe he tried to do something like this to get higher clean volume.

A 5751 works well in the V1/V2 spot to tame OD. Although, you really can't beat a NOS RCA for V1/V2 and a CV4024 for the PI.

Did this with a DRRI and got lots more clean head room and nice breakup when it's dimed. and it's LOUD.

[JonnyBoy]

At first i was thinking I could control my distortion with pedals, and keep my amp loud and clear by throwing in the 5751's. BUT, I do like the sweet overdrive of the twin with a LPB1 pushing the tubes, its very 1969 Dark Star/ born crosseyed, authentic tube overdrive. It goes well with our blues originals and jams. I don't think I want to loose that overdrive. Pedals don't replicate that as well. Some now a days come close. I like the sparkle drive.

I was thinking maybe Jerry did use a 5751 in his gain stage since he had to stay clean at such high gain. And for me, using the tube like that didn't take away from playing some Jerry tones, but you are sacrificing awesome overdrive. It would be interesting to see if Jerry did run his pre this way.

[SarnoMusicSolutions]

Healy once told me they (he) had a serious liking for original US Tung-Sol preamp tubes. I also recall getting the impression that the tubes were the standard types, ie. V1=12AX7, etc. But you can probably be sure that they tried anything and everything at some point.


Brad

[mijknahs]

I was thinking maybe Jerry did use a 5751 in his gain stage since he had to stay clean at such high gain. And for me, using the tube like that didn't take away from playing some Jerry tones, but you are sacrificing awesome overdrive. It would be interesting to see if Jerry did run his pre this way.

I have a 5751 in the normal channel (connected to reverb) and a 12AX7 in the "vibrato" channel of my vintage Fender Twin. I don't find them to be that different. I can get them both to distort when running the power tubes and playing loud with a humbucker.

Jerry was running the Twin into a McIntosh power amp and he could play as clean as he wanted to. Also backing off the volume is a good way to control the gain and Jerry was always adjusting the volume on his guitar.