Grateful Dead Music Forum

So what kind of tubes are you guys using in your Fender style preamps? I have been testing some vintage tubes of unknown quality and so far, I am suprised how strong the GE 7025's have sounded in my 1964 Tremolux. I have Amperex in a Princeton and RCA's abound elsewhere. I am mainly interested in (1) your 1st preamp tube, whether that be V1 or V2 or V3 depending on the channel you use, and (2) what model tube do you have as the Phase Inverter (RCA Blackplate for me)....thats usually a 12AT7 and comes in V6 or V4, check your schematic. I havent had the pleasure of giving serious listen to Mullards and those renowned European brands, I hear wonderful things about French Mazda's in Fender amps.

Does anybody know what type of preamp tubes Garcia preffered? My guess would be the good old New Jersey made RCA 7025's that came stock in those years. Beware of counterfeit tubes, especially the European brands.

I love a good RCA in there. 12ax7 or 7025, not picky about short or long plate, gray or black. RCA's are wonderful. Healy once told me that they were into American tubes well tested for quality and low microphonics. GE, RCA, and Tung-Sol were at the top of his list as I recall. RCA's have a special top end quality to me, a clear yet smooth high treble, rich in harmonic content, NOT sharp or glassy. Very musical. But we're splitting hairs. Any of these good old USA tubes are fantastic and may be hard to tell apart.

Brad


www.sarnomusicsolutions.com

+1

I, too, like RCA's. There in my SMS, Deluxe & Maestro. I really want to try some of those European tubes as well.

I shopped them like crazy for a while. Another nice benefit is great NOS American tubes have a long life span.

RCA 7025. Becoming a big fan of using AU for reverb driver.

Thought there was a Healy quote somewhere, about GD buying huge lots of surplus Sylvania at some point.

My favorite preamp in BF circuit so far is a Westinghouse 17mm Blackplate 12AX7 that (especially at certain volumes) has an extra liquidy character in BF amps that seems to ooze sustain. It wasn't manufactured by Westinghouse (not sure any are), nor Sylvania stop sign, nor GE or RCA....and its made in NJ like most of the best USA tubes
I'm definitely not the only person who loves these though, apparently the manufacturer only made this version for a few years and many labeled as their brand are actually other manufacturers...which makes for ridiculous prices on properly identified examples of this product ($75 and up on ebay recently).
I use RCA's most of the time though, but was happy to find a bunch of good GE's in my stash I don't know where they came from.
I recently splurged on some Mazda silverplates and they definitely have great top end tone that is unique. I can hear significant differences tube to tube in testing situations, but for most real-life situations Id agree that any of the old USA tubes properly selected give a good sound. Curious about the contemporary Northwest I think its called, but they are like $50./each and I cant see myself paying that for ex-Communist block manufacter's yet anyway.

Any 5881 users here?

tigerstrat wrote:RCA 7025. Becoming a big fan of using AU for reverb driver.

Thought there was a Healy quote somewhere, about GD buying huge lots of surplus Sylvania at some point.

Wow AU even! Ive never gone that low I don't think...actually Ive tried 5695's there I think. I'm usually good with RCA 12at7's there, though Ive been using amps with no reverb a lot which has the trade-off of no springverb since haven't come across pedal that can do it right yet. Some pretty good combination (plate/spring e..g.) digitals though. I found several NOS Raytheon 1959 12AU7's in y box if you like them. Think I bought them for a tube driver or something.

I also enjoy putting a good 5751 in the phase inverter. And I try and pull the V1 of the channel not in use at most volumes.