Metropoulos Forum

Well, it's been roughly a decade since my Bray Mod 1 Marshall's preamp tubes have been replaced (seeing as I've never touched them and the mod apparently was done between 2001-2006), so it's time for a good ol' fashioned overhaul! Since I've gotten it in 2012, it's seemed to have a lot less gain recently (in fact it had lost a little within almost a year of me having it, but I muscled through by picking harder lol), so it became clear what I need to do. So I ask you guys, and anyone specifically who owns a Bray Mod 1/Mod1 plus or 4550, what freakin tubes does Dave use in his amps for these circuits, or what do you recommend (if you don't own one), and in what order/succession should I put these suckers in? I've got a jj12ax7 ecc83 in v1 and two Electro Harmoix 12ax7 in v2 and v3, but I was considering squeezing some more gain out of it by pushing a hotter mullard 12ax7 in the v1 position if what I have already seems to be the proper preamp tube combo for Bray's amps (just to have a swappable option for fun). Comment and reply away! I'm ancy to get my Bray back in action!

JJ ECC83s and Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 EH for Preamp Tubes and Electro-Harmonix EL34 for Power Tubes are in my Bray 100 Deluxe

white noise wrote:JJ ECC83s and Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 EH for Preamp Tubes and Electro-Harmonix EL34 for Power Tubes are in my Bray 100 Deluxe

Thanks dude! One more question: the power tubes that are in yours: are they a hard, medium, or soft biased set of Electro Harmonix el34's? I gotta figure out which ones Bray usually uses for when I replace those

Get some NOS and forget about JJ's and Eh's

A good mullard in v1 enhances any amp. I use to use Mullard in V1 and V2 and Sylvania in V3. In the power amp, now I'm trying the new EL34 II from JJ and is nice, but if you can get some Winged C Svets at a good price...

Love these Sovtek 12ax7LP
Put the check mark in all 4 boxes
http://www.dougstubes.com/sovtek-12ax7-lps.html

Love these too
Ruby BSTR El34 which are basicly Shuguangs
http://www.dougstubes.com/ruby-el34-bstr.html

I have these tubes in a 12000 series that I built with old iron (67 Dagnall ot /69 Dagnall Laydown PT)
and it sounds like ITO.

Mu on those Sovteks was really up there.
Nicely matched. I checked them at Victor Mason's on his Amplitrex. Serious gain, quality tubes, at a good price.
Just bought another set

My advice. Get your hands on as many different pre tubes you can and start swapping.

Sovetk LPS don't seem to like the cathode follower in a Marshall...

YMMV. I'm not having those issues at all. Victor was sceptical too after we measured them because of the high gain factor (MU). That was until we played them. I have some great ones here from Chris M err e n who sold them to me, and I already had the BSTR on his recommendation from years ago. Great bang for the buck. $140 tubes the whole amp .

Now of you really want the best for this style amp,. Prepare to spend that much on just the pres. NOS Sylvannia 12ax7wa is what Ed used. Old Amperex Bugle Boys in V2 are fantastic, and NOS Valvo too which are German made Ecc83.

Enjoy