Changing preamp valves in dark terror

[Raffman89]

Hi all. I'm new to the forum and new to valve amps after recently purchasing an Orange dark terror head and PPC112 cab! (Which I love!)

Anyway I've had a look through some of the topics about changing the preamp valves to lower the gain slightly and I'm interested in giving it a try.

What I'm wondering is, rather than buying a new 12at7 valve to try it out, can I just take the one out of the effects loop and swap it with the 12ax7 valve in V1, just to get an example of what it will sound like before taking the plunge to buy some.

I just want to make sure I can do this without buggering up the amp.

Thanks.

[Randy Bass]

You can absolutely borrow the 12AT7 from the effects loop to test in the preamp section. You probably won't want to use the higher-gain 12AX7 in the effects loop, so I'd just test it without using the loop at first. Also, you may find a 5751 to be the best-sounding lower-gain replacement for a 12AX7 based on conventional internet wisdom, but everyone's ears and every amp are different, so experimentation is the best way to find the right tone for your ears. Preamp tubes are relatively inexpensive and easy to swap out, so have some fun with it. Welcome to the Forum!

[Raffman89]

Thanks very much for the swift reply. I shall be trying that tonight.
The 5751 was what I was thinking of changing to, but just wanted a guide of how much difference it will make!

Thanks for the help!

[sizzlingbadger]

You have to have a tube in the loop or you'll get no sound at all.