12ax7 Comparison

[dreamdistortion]

I've accumulated a modest stash of preamp tubes (mostly NOS or ANOS) over the past couple years, and yesterday I finally got around to comparing a few of them in V1 of my Retro 50. I figure I'll roll a few at a time and post my results over the next couple of weeks.

Guitars used were:
-1984 MIJ Fender Telecaster with a Seymour Duncan Hot for Tele in the neck and Klein Fat Man in the bridge.
-Partsmaster with Lollar Jazzmaster pickups.

Round 1

Raytheon Long Black Plate 12ax7 - This tube has huge, smooth, shiny black plates, and a round getter. Ebay score that tests NOS and is miraculously free of microphonics. Overall bright, with a slightly scooped midrange, extended highs, and defined lows. Really accentuated the Fendery sound of my Jazzmaster. Sounded great clean, but I wasn't crazy about it when pushed into overdrive. Gritty distortion texture and airy-ness, which is not a quality what I look for in an Orange. I'll keep it around for recording cleans.

Mullard Short Plate 12ax7 - Blackburn I63 code. This tube is the perfect match for the Retro 50. Really accentuated its strength, which is the classic lower-midrange Orange growl. Cleans sound a little congested, but I don't usually set this amp clean. Crank the mids and bass and this tube gives up fat, thumping low end and roaring mids that stay tight and compressed. Highs are super rounded and smooth, which I like. Unfortunately, this tube is going microphonic, and with too much gain it rings like a bell in the high mids. Need to stock up on these.

RFT ecc83 - A close second to the Mullard. Has the forward mids and darker character I'm looking for, but the distortion is not as tight and smooth as the Mullard. The characteristic wooliness people talk about is there, which brings out the Orange "fog." Nice Mullard backup.

To be continued ...