Speaking of tubes....

[JayDA]

Where are you guys buying them?

I've used www.thetubestore.com and www.tubedepot.com but I was just curious if there was anywhere else I should check out.

I don't really do that much preamp tube swapping in modules, but lately I've started to experiment. What are some good brands/models of preamp tubes to experiment with? I know everyone has their favorites, and of course the mod you're putting them in makes a difference. But just in general...what should I grab and try?

 

[LunatiBSW]

Both great places, ill order tubes off amazon when I get a free GC but selection is crappy.
I splurge a bit and put NOS JAN 5751 in the pi of both my mts Amps, it did wonders. Preamps I mainly use jj or ruby, gold pins and standard. They give me the gain I seek without hassle and have been consistent and reliable.

I know there's guys here who use lots of rare, expensive nos tubes in the mods, but for me, the 2 above fit the bill perfectly

 

[rblyn]

Yeah depends on the mod- JJ's seem to have the most gain but can be dark- ARS or Ruby's work well with most of mine. I also have some gold pin Tung Sol, Gold Pin EH, NOS EI's and a couple of 12AX7M's (very nice Marshall tube) that I like too. I switch a lot 8) Been leaving a JJ long plate gold pin in the PI spot lately...

 

[kc2eeb]

http://www.dougstubes.com

 

[eyeball987]

Another great choice based in Columbus, Ohio. Not to mention, she has a wicked amp collection and can rock on the guitar.

http://www.valvequeen.com/

 

[Oregon]

Omg - I freakin love that name... Valve queen!

 

[joey_truelove]

I've come to use these three almost exclusively:
www.cryoset.com CA, USA
www.watfordvalves.com England
www.tubeampdoctor.com Germany

Mainly the first two, but then I have a big thing for cryos, which to my ears sound 'better' or at least purer and more dynamic.

 

[drewiv]

http://www.dougstubes.com

^ I generally use Doug. He's knowledgeable and asks your purpose. He carries the brands I prefer as well. Ruby HG+ is my go to preamp tube.

 

[Torpus]

When I had my Clean and SL+ modules modded by Voodoo Amps they came back wtih ARS tubes in them. I like these tubes and can get replacements from ARS here:

http://www.arselectronics.com/

It appears they sell about a million other tubes as well..

 

[eyeball987]

When I had my Clean and SL+ modules modded by Voodoo Amps they came back wtih ARS tubes in them. I like these tubes and can get replacements from ARS here:

http://www.arselectronics.com/

It appears they sell about a million other tubes as well..

I wonder if these are tested like the ones you get from Doug / ValveQueen / etc...?

I had a module come back from Trace with the ARS pre's as well. Sound good to me. I think that they are the run of the mill Chinese tubes. I don't really care though. They sound good and are cheap!