Do you change the valve models or settings in the power tubes or preamp section?

danielworks

danielworks

Inspired
I haven’t found much use in experimenting with different valves or settings yet. Could you recommend some settings, and explain what can be achieved depending on the music style?
 
I change the preamp tube on Fender amps to RCA 12AX7, as that is what I found in every one I ever encountered. It makes a small, but important, difference in frequency response and feel over the default Slyvania 12AX7. Wish JAN TungSol was a choice....
 
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Deadlifts_n_Riffs said:
I had a Soldano Hot Rod 50 with 5881s and it was badass. Sold it to buy a Triple Recto (I was 19, it was the early 2000s, and the Mesa TR was king. I now know I’m a moron).
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Most likely those were Sovtek 5881s. Good tubes, but not a true 5881. They were a Russian military tube that Mike Matthews at Electro Harmonix decided was close enough to the 5881 specs. They don't sound all that great when loaded with the typical Fender output transformer load, and the wafer bases interacted poorly with the "bearclaw" tube retainers Fender used, so they got a bit of a bum rap. Used with a higher plate load and "hat" style retainers, they were great. I matched a lot of pairs and quads of them in the summer/fall of 1994 at Antique Electronics when I worked there....
 
Deadlifts_n_Riffs said:
I had a Soldano Hot Rod 50 with 5881s and it was badass. Sold it to buy a Triple Recto (I was 19, it was the early 2000s, and the Mesa TR was king. I now know I’m a moron).
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I use to come back in my mind to early 2000s sometimes, that’s why I have saved this TR bold setting on my Fractal, to remember some Papa Roach, Simple Plan etc
 
If you change power tube type, play with the bias also.
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+1

I always check the preamp/power amp tubes when I load an amp model. Most of the time changes I make come from experience with the tubes/real amps and other times I simply see which ones will work best with the tone I'm going for. Okay, it's not a night and day difference but preamp tubes definitely helps to shape the tone and gain stage. Just only replacing V1 in the real amp has a noticeable difference. After setting the power tube type I check the bias since in many hi gain models I prefer a colder bias. Okay, colder bias tends to produce more crossover distortion but I find it more desirable for a more aggressive sound, 5150's for example.

Being a 5150 man and having a Block Letter I never liked JJ's in the preamp section. Never. It makes the tone muddy and less sharp. Fractal defaults this model to JJ so this is the firts change after loading the model.haha I'm a fan of the old chinese Beijing 12AX7A or even chinese 12AX7B with which these amps were designed so...12AX7A or 12AX7B for me.

The next step would even be to allowed to replace different tubes per position in the same amplifier, but that would be asking a lot haha I'm already happy that we can at least change the type. Phase inverter position has a noticeable difference in the amp sound too. Liking some old JAN Philips 12AX7WA in my 5150 in that position.

So yes, play around with the different tube types and maybe use some headphones to notice the differences, it will help.

Joe Bfstplk said:
I change the preamp tube on Fender amps to RCA 12AX7.
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Same here, I always prefer Fender models with some old RCA tubes. :)
 
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