Some tube porn!

[dogears]

Here is what I settled on as the best sounding tubes in my Ojai. They are what was loaded in for the the clip I had recently posted.

www.scottlernermusic.com/2010/ojcen320x.mp3

V1 clean channel - Mullard, tested at 97/96 MU, TC at 1680. MAxi specs are 92 nominal on MU and 1600 on TC.

[img:712:1402]http://www.scottlernermusic.com/2010/OjaiMullardV1.jpg[/img]

V2 OD channel - rare Siemens, tested at about 99/100 on MU and 1820 or so on TC.

[img:720:1390]http://www.scottlernermusic.com/2010/OjaiSiemensV2.jpg[/img]

Phase inverter - perfectly matched and balanced Telefunken smooth plate (PI trimmer adjusted in amp to best bloom) Tube tested at about 94 on MU and 1830 on TC.

[img:727:1519]http://www.scottlernermusic.com/2010/Oj ... nkenPI.jpg[/img]

[BobW]

Thanks Scott, what dynamic tube tester (model #) are you using to obtain the values?

[dogears]

http://maximatcher.com/maxipreamp.html


[img767]http://maximatcher.com/images/maxipreamp_lrg.jpg[/img]

[vibratoking]

How do you like the tester? Have you, or anyone, used the power tube version. Trying to decide if these are worth the $ for me.

[dogears]

I have both. They knocked off a bunch of $ since I bought both at once.

Love it, although it would be nice if the Maxi Matcher measured at 450V and was regulated. Wall voltage fluctuations really effect the results.

How do you like the tester? Have you, or anyone, used the power tube version. Trying to decide if these are worth the $ for me.

[talbany]

Scott

I've tried running all kinds of Funkins in my PI and other spots and never found the right one or one's.. Finally gave up trying.. They always give me a kind of un-focused low end..The only amp I've had decent luck with them in was the 70's.. You've obviously had better..Did you find you had to roll a few in there to get the right one?..

Tony

[dogears]

Nope. They usually sound great in my PIs. Never liked them in the preamp. But a nice stromg and somewhat balanced Tele sounds amazing in all my PIs.

Are you adjusting the PI trimmers? Are your Teles tested?

Scott

I've tried running all kinds of Funkins in my PI and other spots and never found the right one or one's.. Finally gave up trying.. They always give me a kind of un-focused low end..The only amp I've had decent luck with them in was the 70's.. You've obviously had better..Did you find you had to roll a few in there to get the right one?..

Tony

[talbany]

Yeah adjusted the trimmers.. About a year ago I ran into a good stash of Tele re-branded Pro cons smooth plate NOS about a dozen still in the box..I went through an anal period of trying them in quite a few different amps wanting them to work..None sounded bad just remember the low end being a little splashy..Wondering if you found this to be the case as well and just found the right one..
None of these were tested so maybe need to get out the tester as they very well could all be weak like most Tele's I've run across


Tony

[David Root]

I have Amperex 7025s in V1 & V2 in my #124, and a long plate GE in the PI. Will be comparing the GE with a perfectly balanced long smooth plate TF (see pic below) in the PI.

In my 50W 70s OD, which is very similar to Tony's, I currently have a 17mm smooth plate Telefunken in V1, Amperex 7025 in V2, '80s Mullard 8162 12AT7 in the PI and another '80s Mullard 12 AT7 in the loop buffer.

I just got a Mazda silver plate 12AX7 which I am going to try in V1 of my '70s 50w, and I have two 12AT7s on order to tube roll in this amp, a Mazda grayplate and an Amperex Bugle Boy.

Also have a Siemens 12AX7, relabeled for Telefunken, not as old I think as Scott's, probably mid to late '60s, but I will have to try that out too.

In the pic, L to R, long plate GE, long smooth plate Telefunken, '63, Mazda silver plates, Mazda box, Siemens marked TF, two Amperex 7025s, both '70.

[selloutrr]

I really like my maximatcher for power tube matching but I've found I need to run it with a constant voltage transformer to get accurate readings.

Does the output level have enough to push headphones? or do you need an amp? I like the dual outs one for a scope and one for the audio.
I'm guessing it's one of the top three preamp testers under a $1000.
I'm not entirely sure why they needed to make it a 4 socket tester, since preamps are matched by internal sections and not like power tubes.

[David Root]

I agree, I have had my power tube Maximatcher for 5 or 6 years. Scott is right too, 450V would be nice, as would be regulated PS, but that would increase the price considerably I think.

Mypreamp tester is the Vacuum Tube Valley. It works fine and I've had it for longer than the Maximatcher without trouble but it would be nice to have actual rather than relative gain numbers. It has a regulated 12V supply. I guess the plate voltage is done thru a multiplier of some kind.

[LPSGME]

I have Amperex 7025s in V1 & V2 in my #124, and a long plate GE in the PI. Will be comparing the GE with a perfectly balanced long smooth plate TF (see pic below) in the PI.

I'm using a long black plate GE in the PI too (V1/GE and V2/JJ). I have a lot of old GE's. But the several I've tried keeps making the voltage higher on the larger 110K PI resistor.

Isn't that supposed to be the other way around??????

The amp doesn't sound bad. In fact it sounds as good as I've ever had it.; and best with the PI differential around 9V rather than the common 6V.

About the only deviation I have from the 101 non HRM is that I have a Carbon Comp 27K resistor before the 100K drive pot and prefer keeping my V2 plates switched (I have a toggle) from 220k/150K to 180k/150k.

[odourboy]

Since we're flashing around some testers, check out this vintage baby of mine! I've always loved lots of do-dads (ever since I was a kid)

[David Root]

Whoa! Analog City! I have seen those before but not in as nice shape.

LPSGME, all my GE longplates are grayplates, not black. That must be pretty old.

I have heard that about the GEs, that they often show higher voltage on the non-inverted side but other brands can do that too. I don't think it affects the tone though.

[LPSGME]

Whoa! Analog City! I have seen those before but not in as nice shape.

LPSGME, all my GE longplates are grayplates, not black. That must be pretty old.

I have heard that about the GEs, that they often show higher voltage on the non-inverted side but other brands can do that too. I don't think it affects the tone though.

Thanks for that info. As you said, it doesn't seem to affect the tone at all, at least not negatively.

I had some shorter gray plates in there too when I started tweaking that, at the time, I thought sounded better (tighter); and perhaps do.

Although that's not to say that I found any reliable consistency (other than a general tone texture) between tubes of even the same brand/model/era.