Groove Tube GT-12AX7 Mullards

SB Monster · Post by **SB Monster** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:42 am

And two good smacks in the mouth.

Paul

shakti · Post by **shakti** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:19 pm

Well, I certainly understand the tongue-in-cheek comment...I guess it applies to me more than anyone, but here's why:

This past year I've lived far, far away from my amps more than 80% of the time. I hardly ever get a chance to play, but I do have plenty of time to surf the net, find some more good tubes to buy, dreaming about which amp to build next and so forth...

It hurts, I tells ya! But thinking about my amps relieves the pain a little bit...

Mmmmm...

'71 50W Bass (1986)
'72 SL (68-69 specs)
'70 BW full stack (bottom w/30s, slant w/25s)
Homemade BW 2x12 w/JBL D120Fs
Metroamp JTM45 (ahem...yet to be built...)
'66 Super Reverb
Mojotone 1x15 cab w/JBL D130F
'76 Boogie Mk I w/Altec 417C

...and very soon almost certainly a '64 or '65 JMI Vox AC-30! Yummy!

There, I just had to vent my frustration!

How are you liking those BBs and the Mullard, Dan?

Billy Batz · Post by **Billy Batz** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:26 pm

Check the other topic. A pretty fucking lot actuaklly.

shakti · Post by **shakti** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 4:35 pm

Yeah, don't know how I missed it...

I agree 100% with your notions. I think the reason people don't hear the difference is that they just don't really give it the time. They stick them in expecting sheer magic and a complete transformation into an amp that plays itself. Not so, but it's there the more you play it. The more you put in, the more you get out. And going back to the current stuff, you suddenly hear what's missing.

It's very much like all the cork-sniffing activities in this world...fine wine is the same thing (to an even larger extent though). Have a good tasting session with some particularly fine wine, I mean really taking your time and trying to get the most out if it, and then try a glass of what you previously thought passable or even good. Yuck.

Similarly in the hi-fi world. I'm no audiophile by any means (Lord knows I already have enough expensive hobbies!) but a few years back I bought a DVD player with SACD capabilities. Nothing major fancy, but a nice lower mid-level player. Tossed in my first SACD disc (Mysterious Traveler by Weather Report), and immediately heard "something"...something about the fatter, smoother bass and the much more realistic analogue synths. But nothing that I would have said "wow" about unless I really, really sat down and concentrated...and if you have to do that, the shcok effect tends to get watered down... But as I gave it time, did some very extensive comparisons between the SACD and standard redbook CD layer of some hybrid discs, I began to hear some consistent differences. And if you ever get a chance to do this, try this trick: Listen to the SACD/DSD layer for a while, give it at least 30 minutes of intensive listening/concentrating. Really try to get into the music and the soundstage. Then find a nice passage of music (like the opening of a track). Then switch over to the redbook layer. The first time I really did this, well then I was well and truly shocked. The music completely collapsed!! Try it the other way, and it doesn't happen.

It's so much easier to hear what the difference is once you get used to the good stuff. Then you really hear what's missing by going back to the cheapo version. That's why I warned you, Dan! This is only the beginning! I've been going tube crazy lately. It's a good thing they generally last a long time. I've got a nice stash of some 50 or so good preamp tubes of the Mullard/RCA/GE/Amperex/Tesla variety. That should go a long way, I don't want to hoard them either. There's enough to go around if you treat them nicely.

Billy Batz · Post by **Billy Batz** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 4:53 pm

Its pretty much what I expected. Its not changing the world but you wont ever feel good about the cheap stuff again.