racko7566
New Member
Happy B-Day Marty, remember, your not old, your N.O.S. 
Preamp Tubes? - Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How?
- Thread starter joshuaaewallen
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.
MartyStrat54
Well-Known Member
I grew up watching Justin Wilson's cooking show on public TV. I would probably be laughed out of Louisiana for my Jambalaya. I use nice, clean Chinese crawfish tails from Walmart, and I dose it liberally with Yucatan Sunshine habanero sauce. We've got some real cajuns around here, too. Memphis is just up the river from the Big Easy. A lot of people displaced by Katrina moved up here.
I've never used a Mullard XF2, but I do have a pair of the GTEL34M's. They were my favorites until I got the RFTs. They aren't a bad sounding EL34.
Adwex
New Member
Happy Birthday Marty!
I still have some of this left after a recent visit to the craft beer section, think I'll crack one open in your honor.
I still have some of this left after a recent visit to the craft beer section, think I'll crack one open in your honor.
Listen to Neil Young's "Fuckin' Up". It's my theme song.
Procter2812
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2009
- Messages
- 1,068
- Reaction score
- 9
Happy birthday Marty!... have a good un!!!
MartyStrat54
Well-Known Member
Happy Birthday Marty!
I still have some of this left after a recent visit to the craft beer section, think I'll crack one open in your honor.
Thanks ADWEX. I love craft beer. In fact, about five or six years ago, I completely stopped drinking Bud, Coors and Miller. I just felt like they didn't cut it. In Phoenix, my favorite micro brewery/bar had one called "Three peat Wheat." A triple brewed wheat pilsner. That went down like mountain water. In KC, I go to a brew house bar that has one called "Moonbeam." It's a honey wheat lager that is mighty good.
It's good to know that you are a man of sophisticated tastes.
What is this thing all about:
Soldano Tube Amp Hot Mod HotMOD for Marshall Amps - eBay (item 170391667714 end time Oct-10-09 03:06:50 PDT)
Soldano Tube Amp Hot Mod HotMOD for Marshall Amps - eBay (item 170391667714 end time Oct-10-09 03:06:50 PDT)
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
MartyStrat54
Well-Known Member
It is a great idea, but it didn't fly. This is actually a 12AX7 type tube with three gain stages instead of two. It was meant to be used in V2 of most amps. It will give you additional gain. The problem is that these are all used units being sold, as Soldano realized that it wasn't going to be the next big thing. The main roadblock is that what happens if you tune your amp's sound around this? Two years later it goes out. That's assuming a new one. On a used one there is no way to test that tube on a tester as it has three stages.
The best thing to do is use a hot banana in V2 and a tube distortion pedal. That is like adding two more gain stages in front of V1.
It would be risky to buy one of these. You might think it is working and one of the stages could be out, but how would you know?
Here is some brief info about it. For more info you can Google or Dogpile.
Soldano Hot Mod Tube
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
MartyStrat54
Well-Known Member
Hey Joe...got any belches left?
I'm getting ready to go out. Nothing like having your birthday fall on a Friday or Saturday night. Makes for a good partay.
Yeah, those Soldano tubes were "hot" for about a year, but the gimmick wore off and people who bought them realized they weren't the answer to their tone. As I said, it is better to use conventional tubes and add more gain with an OD or distortion pedal. My Silver Dragon provides a huge amount of gain. Almost like having a V2-V1-V2 setup. We all know what happens when you hit V1 hard with a gain device.
The other side of the Soldano tube was that some were noisy. Unlike a 12AX7, you had no control over the added gain stage. It was on all of the time. You would be better off using a 12BZ7. (But they have a tendency to ring, ring, ring.) With the gain stage being on all of the time, your clean channel sounded like shit. It was a great idea if we all played balls to the wall all of the time.
I'm getting ready to go out. Nothing like having your birthday fall on a Friday or Saturday night. Makes for a good partay.
Yeah, those Soldano tubes were "hot" for about a year, but the gimmick wore off and people who bought them realized they weren't the answer to their tone. As I said, it is better to use conventional tubes and add more gain with an OD or distortion pedal. My Silver Dragon provides a huge amount of gain. Almost like having a V2-V1-V2 setup. We all know what happens when you hit V1 hard with a gain device.
The other side of the Soldano tube was that some were noisy. Unlike a 12AX7, you had no control over the added gain stage. It was on all of the time. You would be better off using a 12BZ7. (But they have a tendency to ring, ring, ring.) With the gain stage being on all of the time, your clean channel sounded like shit. It was a great idea if we all played balls to the wall all of the time.
Hey Joe...got any belches left?
I'm getting ready to go out. Nothing like having your birthday fall on a Friday or Saturday night. Makes for a good partay.
Yeah, those Soldano tubes were "hot" for about a year, but the gimmick wore off and people who bought them realized they weren't the answer to their tone. As I said, it is better to use conventional tubes and add more gain with an OD or distortion pedal. My Silver Dragon provides a huge amount of gain. Almost like having a V2-V1-V2 setup. We all know what happens when you hit V1 hard with a gain device.
The other side of the Soldano tube was that some were noisy. Unlike a 12AX7, you had no control over the added gain stage. It was on all of the time. You would be better off using a 12BZ7. (But they have a tendency to ring, ring, ring.) With the gain stage being on all of the time, your clean channel sounded like shit. It was a great idea if we all played balls to the wall all of the time.
BELCH!
Knew there was one more in there...
Got me some pedals just for those special moments too. Pretty cool idea though. Nice try I guess.
Having the B-day on the weekend is killer. Tear it up man.
LosAngelesAceFace
New Member
- Joined
- May 6, 2008
- Messages
- 15
- Reaction score
- 0
I have a DSL401, I like the same basic sound you like. I've tried many tubes, and I could say the best for our situation would be the Tung-Sol. It get's very close to the Marshall sound, has more natural higher gain than a JJ, and since it has such short plates, it's perfect of a Marshall combo. I like the sound of the new Mullards better, but due to their long plates, it creates alot of micophonics in a combo, so i had to pull it out. The Tung-Sol just came the closest to that sound. I love using the clean channel more now since I've placed the tube in the V1 position. Now it has this great vintage roar.
Last edited:
The Tung-Sol reissues are my favorite current production 12AX7 tubes. In this thread, you're going to get a lot of NOS recommendations, too. When Marty gets back to Earth, he'll probably have a whole line-up for you to try. A Raytheon black plate would be a good place to start. I've picked up several nice old tubes lately. I'm using a 1966 Mullard ECC83 in V1 and a Raytheon BP in V2 in my DSL50 and it does vintage roar and then some. You really owe it to yourself to give some old tubes a try if you're interested in improving your tone.
My Telefunken should have come in the mail today... it didn't. I was hoping to get it this weekend when I could air it out good.
My Telefunken should have come in the mail today... it didn't. I was hoping to get it this weekend when I could air it out good.
The other side of the Soldano tube was that some were noisy. Unlike a 12AX7, you had no control over the added gain stage. It was on all of the time. You would be better off using a 12BZ7. (But they have a tendency to ring, ring, ring.) With the gain stage being on all of the time, your clean channel sounded like shit. It was a great idea if we all played balls to the wall all of the time.
I have two RCA 12BZ7s that are quiet. I love what they do to the Ultra Gain channel, but like you said, you sacrifice some of the clean. You can get a 12BZ7 from Tube Depot for $8.95 - a helluva lot cheaper experiment than that Soldano gadget. They really have that hot-rodded JCM800 tone with the gain dimed, but they don't clean up well. If anyone wants one of my RCAs shoot me a PM.
MartyStrat54
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the thread. If you are happy using current production (CP) tubes, I say go for it. As Ratt said, I will agree that the Tung-Sol is my favorite CP tube. The only problem is that "some" of the Tung-Sol's have been failing in V3. If you got one in there and it is working, great. Just keep in mind that it may fail due to the high voltages on the tube in that particular circuit. You can use a Mullard RI in there as it is not a gain stage and therefore less likely to hear any microphonics. "Or" you could get a NOS tube and stick it in V3 and not have to worry about it. You can pick up a single tube pretty cheap. However, if it was me, I would get two NOS tubes and put one in V1 and the other in V3. I would leave the Tung-Sol in V2. If you like that, then you could step up to a high gain NOS tube in V2. Here again, it could be a Sylvania tube. These are great tubes, they sound better than CP and they are affordable.
MartyStrat54
Well-Known Member
Chug a lug, chug a lug...don't you know. Burns your belly nice and slow...chug a lug, chug a lug.
Still a little spacey and it is almost 6 PM. Boy it feels like a little man with a hammer is working the area from the back of my neck to between my ears. Beer and whiskey chasers. I hear a cowboy song coming on.
Still a little spacey and it is almost 6 PM. Boy it feels like a little man with a hammer is working the area from the back of my neck to between my ears. Beer and whiskey chasers. I hear a cowboy song coming on.
ken361
Well-Known Member
checkout the RFT nos, there pretty smooth!
MartyStrat54
Well-Known Member
I think most of us here on the thread have at least one RFT. And yes, they are a nice V1.
Similar threads
