Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
November 23, 2024, 09:21:22 AM
Home Help Search Login Register
News: Ceriatone Forums are up and running!!!
 
Guests please register
Note: If you want to help you can donate to keep the forums alive.



Do you want to advertise on this forum ? Send me a private message.



Amplified Parts
+  Ceriatone Forum
|-+  Ceriatone
| |-+  Overtone
| | |-+  What are the best tubes for the Overtone and How does it affect the tone?
« previous next »
Pages: [1] Go Down Print
Author Topic: What are the best tubes for the Overtone and How does it affect the tone?  (Read 8668 times)
Dumbleseeker
Jr. Member
**
Offline Offline

Posts: 59



View Profile
« on: May 08, 2008, 02:42:55 AM »

Anybody changes the stock tubes?
Logged
mcinku
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 1084



View Profile WWW
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2008, 10:48:42 AM »

I tried the EI NOS tubes. The clean ch sounds much better with Ei tubes but I like the OD ch more with Tung-Sol tubes. Ei tubes are much clearer (more hi end and better bass definition), I could say more HiFi sounding but you lose that smoth tone which you get with Tung-Sol tubes.
I also tried Ei in V1 and Tung-Sol in V2 and I still prefer OD tone with Tung-Sol in both positions.

 Wink
Logged

mcinku
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 1084



View Profile WWW
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2008, 07:29:09 PM »

Well I have an interesting story... just today I had an opportunity to try a lot of tubes. Unfortunately I didn't have my OTS with me, so we used plexi superlead amp.

The guy was changing V1 tubes and I was playing... I think we went through 8,9 different tubes... Philips, Simens, Ei, JJ, Tung-Sol, RCA, Mullard, Sovtek maybe some more.
I don't know how but I picked the most expensive NOS tube as the best one. It was the RCA.
... but just for the record, I'm not spending more that 100€ on a tube and I don't care how good does it sound. I did buy a Ei tube, 'cause it sounds so clean... and I thought, I better get one before prices on those go to high too.

 Wink
Logged

fullerplast
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 15


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2008, 09:48:20 PM »

Fortunately I have a very large supply of NOS and ANOS tubes, so I did not order my amp with tubes. Proper tube selection can make a big difference in the tone and response of most amps. V1 is going to be the most important in the Overtone as it affects both clean and OD tones. Spend time going through various tubes, checking for tone and microphonics. It's probably the most important tube in the amp. Bugle Boys, RCA's, Mullard, and Telefunkens work well here, but long plates may be somewhat microphonic unless you sort them. I've found EI's to sound a bit jangly, and like them better in AC30's than D-type amps.

V2 will be your OD tube, so also go through the same process there, focusing on the range of OD drive and microphonics at volume. Make sure you have your trimmer set properly as that makes a huge difference in the character of the OD. Too high will be harsh. You may want to re-select tubes here if you make a big change in the trimmer.

After that, I often will like a GE 5751 for the phase inverter, but try different tubes because in that position relative balance between halves can make a difference. They don't have to be matched, but they will sound different if they are mismatched from one side to the other.

For the power tubes, RCA 6L6's sound really good in the Overtone, but may not be worth it if you only play lower volume. I've had good results with Tungsol 5881's also. Good NOS tubes will generally sound better and last much longer than new production tubes.
Logged
bluesfendermanblues
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 452



View Profile
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2010, 10:45:49 AM »

Nuff said

I still prefer JJ ECC83S in all three positions, tried EH ECC83, but the draw less current and consequently sounds brighter and thinner. I found this to be a general rule with the tubes I have i my old drawer, counting (OLD! not NOS) Mullards, Brimer, Siemens and GE7025.

Dumble seeker, when you try out different preamp tubes, try to measure the plate voltages (pin 1 to ground / pin6 to ground) and see if find the same connection betweeen brighter tubes, showing higher plate voltages. Could be interesting with a little field study.  Wink

Logged

Respect for the big guy's work....we're at this part of the forum because of HAD's amps.
Emiel
Guest
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2010, 10:58:24 AM »

What about different power tubes? I heard somewhere Carlton uses Sovtek 5881 tubes in his Dumbles for more dirt and crunch?
Logged
erwin_ve
Guest
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2010, 01:17:21 PM »

+1

I agree, plate voltages change with pre-amp tube, JJ's generally draw more current,  making it darker. Every other tube I tried draw less current ending up with a higher plate voltage and is therefore brighter.
Nuff said

I still prefer JJ ECC83S in all three positions, tried EH ECC83, but the draw less current and consequently sounds brighter and thinner. I found this to be a general rule with the tubes I have i my old drawer, counting (OLD! not NOS) Mullards, Brimer, Siemens and GE7025.

Dumble seeker, when you try out different preamp tubes, try to measure the plate voltages (pin 1 to ground / pin6 to ground) and see if find the same connection betweeen brighter tubes, showing higher plate voltages. Could be interesting with a little field study.  Wink


Logged
Pages: [1] Go Up Print 
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.12 | SMF © 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!

CeriaTone Forum is not afiliated with Ceriatone Amplifications. The CeriaTone and name, logo and related trademarks and service marks, owned by CeriaTone. , are registered and/or used in the U.S. and many foreign countries. All other trademarks, service marks, and trade names referenced in this site are the property of their respective owners.