Ask Myles or Chad - amp or live playing questions

[myles]

Mar 15, 2012 9:33:33 GMT -7 mickey said:

Very interesting, and thanks for including your settings and tube preferences. I still have the NOS 5751 which the amp came with in V2, and JJ EL84's rating 6. I'm going to stick with the Jan Phillips in V1 for a while as it does actually sound a bit sweeter, but I might look into the Telefunken, though it seems to be more difficult to source in the UK. Thanks again for your valuable insight!

I don't think I would go out and buy a Telefunken for over $100 or $150 or .... I was given the tube as a gift, plugged it in and loved it so that is where it stayed.

If you can find an Ei smooth plate that is not too microphonic you willl get the same tube at a fraction of the cost. If tone rather than the label are the point it is a nice way to go.

[mickey]

Mar 15, 2012 12:46:07 GMT -7 myles said:

.....If tone rather than the label are the point it is a nice way to go.

That's the point, and to be honest the Ghia sounds good inherently anyway. I once had a Fender '57 reissue Tweed Twin and I was forever trying different tubes to try to make it sound how I thought it should, which it never did. When I sold it I swore there would be no more of that. Might try the Ei idea, even though I understand they can be inconsistent. Take care Myles, your knowledge and your time are much appreciated

[myles]

Mickey,

You are very welcome.

The Ghia is very responsive to tube changes as the entire front end for the most part is in V1. I have a collection of different V1 tubes for my own Carmen Ghia.

[bigben55]

Hey Myles, what do you think of the following two preamp tubes, which I would be buying to put into my Z-28 2x10 combo. They would be replacing a Electro Harmonix EF86 and a Sovtek 5751.

NOS Tesla EF86
JAN NOS Phillips 5751

I know you will tell me to try several to see what my preferences are, what sounds best to me. But I just want "better" and more reliable tubes. Tubes that let the amp shine more. I would pick brighter over darker sounding almost always. What I buy will be in there for a while since I dont have unlimited tube money. If there's mo' better tubes for @ the same price points, tell me.

Thanks

[myles]

Mar 17, 2012 9:38:02 GMT -7 bigben55 said:

Hey Myles, what do you think of the following two preamp tubes, which I would be buying to put into my Z-28 2x10 combo. They would be replacing a Electro Harmonix EF86 and a Sovtek 5751.

NOS Tesla EF86
JAN NOS Phillips 5751

I know you will tell me to try several to see what my preferences are, what sounds best to me. But I just want "better" and more reliable tubes. Tubes that let the amp shine more. I would pick brighter over darker sounding almost always. What I buy will be in there for a while since I dont have unlimited tube money. If there's mo' better tubes for @ the same price points, tell me.

Thanks

If it were my amp and the tubes came from one of the folks I personally use I would bet money that I would prefer the amp with the new tubes.

I think you are on a good path and will be happy. The Tesla EF86 is a great tube and I like the tone of the tube regardless of the price.

Happy playing.

[bigben55]

You said the Sovtek 5751(thats in it now, and I'm happy with the amp's overall gain level) is actually just a out of spec, low gain 12ax7 and I should get a NOS "real" 5751. Does the JAN Phillips 5751 qualify as being such? And is the JAN GE a lot better, or about the same in terms of what it will do to my amp?

[myles]

Mar 17, 2012 11:19:45 GMT -7 bigben55 said:

You said the Sovtek 5751(thats in it now, and I'm happy with the amp's overall gain level) is actually just a out of spec, low gain 12ax7 and I should get a NOS "real" 5751. Does the JAN Phillips 5751 qualify as being such? And is the JAN GE a lot better, or about the same in terms of what it will do to my amp?

The Sovtek is not a real 5751. The JAN is a real 5751.

la-economy.blogspot.com/2010/10/vacuum-tube-series-5751-tung-sol.html

Read the description on some of the data sheets. Not the case with current 5751s. TC and plate current differ as well. Other differences.

I will say this one more time.... The Sovtek 5751 is NOT a 5751. If you have it in the amp and like it then all is fine. If you desire a real 5751 in the amp get rid of it.

[bigben55]

Would you describe the differences tonally between the NOS Tesla EF86 and the NOS Tesla EF806S "high grade?"

[myles]

Mar 17, 2012 13:01:29 GMT -7 bigben55 said:

Would you describe the differences tonally between the NOS Tesla EF86 and the NOS Tesla EF806S "high grade?"

The high grade is a more highly selected tube. Sort of the same thing as 12AX7 tubes in the past that were given a designation of 7025. A 7025 was the same tube but was a lower noise tube.

Today 7025 has no meaning as it did in the past. It is little more than a market tool with no value to other than the tube seller.

[bigben55]

I ordered a NOS Tesla EF806S and a JAN GE 5751 from Moke at KCA. Thanks for your help Myles. Next up, I will be in the market for a rectified tube. You have mentioned a solid state rectifier as a backup. Other than the Weber Copper Caps, I know nothing about s/s rectifiers. Can you school me? Why not just get another Sovtek or JJ or Shungang for a backup?

Then, I will want a matched quad of NOS 6v6's. 2 to use, 2 more to use when those go south. I know there's lots of good ones out there and its basically how much you are willing to spend, but whats, in your opinion the best bang for your NOS buck 6v6's?

[hankwilliams]

Myles,

I recently bought a KT-45 and Z Best cab and I'm looking to stock-up on tubes. The sound I am going for is big, powerful cleans (Fenderish+Hiwattish) with that Hiwatt bite the KT-45 is know for when pushed. My amp is always set just on the verge of breakup; I never use amp distortion (I have pedals for that). I have a SS rec. Here's what I'm thinking to get this sound:

Electro-Harmonix 6CA7
Sovtek 12AX7LPS
NOS EF86

The EHX 6AC7 seems to get great reviews, but I've yet to see any KT-45 owners using this tube (JJ's seem to be the popular choice).

I've read posts where you recommend the Groove Tubes SAG-AX7-MPI, but I like the Sovtek I currently have. Are you still a big user of the SAG-AX7-MPI? If so, is the GT that much better? Is there any truth that the Fender-bought GT has gone down hill? I'm assming there is some truth to this as Dr. Z no longer uses the EL34LS tubes and I don't see them get talked about much anymore. If the eL34LS tubes are made by GT, wouldn't they still be the same tubes, just different quality (hit or miss)? In regard to the 12AX7, would NOS be recommended here as well?

I'm honestly lost when it comes to the EF86. I've never played an amp with this tube and all I hear is "NOS, NOS, NOS." I'm currently looking at picking up a few of one of these 3:

GE EF86 / 6267 (Philips-Brussels)
NOS Tesla EF86
NOS Mullard EF86 Long Mesh Plate

My pedals include: Compressor, Fuzz Factory, Univibe, Big Muff, Boost/OD, Delay. Again, think big, thick, powerful clean sound and bite when driven by a volume boost from pedal or stronger pick attack. One last question (I swear!!)... About how long will an EF36 last? I'd like to grab a few of them to hopefully last me some time.

ANY response would be helpful. Thank you SO much!

-Hank

[Deleted]

Mar 18, 2012 11:10:47 GMT -7 bigben55 said:

I ordered a NOS Tesla EF806S and a JAN GE 5751 from Moke at KCA. Thanks for your help Myles. Next up, I will be in the market for a rectified tube. You have mentioned a solid state rectifier as a backup. Other than the Weber Copper Caps, I know nothing about s/s rectifiers. Can you school me? Why not just get another Sovtek or JJ or Shungang for a backup?

Then, I will want a matched quad of NOS 6v6's. 2 to use, 2 more to use when those go south. I know there's lots of good ones out there and its basically how much you are willing to spend, but whats, in your opinion the best bang for your NOS buck 6v6's?

Reliability. The s/s rectifier is pretty much guaranteed to work when you plug it in. With the other recs you mentioned, there is no such guarantee.

[bigben55]

So I got the new preamp tubes, put them in and cranked the Z28 up. Here's what I hear in terms of the differences between the old and the new. Is this what I'm supposed to hear or what one would expect to hear, difference-wise?

More "chime." The strat sounds quackier, and pick attack is much more dramatic in terms of clean vs crunch. The P90 tele sounds punchier, and cleans up better. The 335 sounds about the same as it did, maybe a little brighter.

I ask if this is what $80 worth of "better" tubes should sound like. I am HAPPY with my purchase; everything sounds somewhat better, nothing sounds worse, so I'm happy. I just want to know if its "in my head" or thats what going from a EH EF86 to a NOS Tesla EF806S high grade and a Sovtek 5751 to a JAN NOS GE 5751 is SUPPOSED to do.

[detuned]

FWIW, NOS 57451 tubes are very affordable. For the price difference, I wouldn't bother with contemporary tubes. 12AT7s too, if that's what you're looking for...

[electricflag]

"...Today 7025 has no meaning as it did in the past. It is little more than a market tool with no value to other than the tube seller..."


Myles...You confirmed my suspicions on current production"7025" as gimmick...

So, would it be better to request a low noise 12AX7 form a reputable tube vendor...and hope for the best?

-Rick

[S.F. franky]

My Z-verb got really noisy. It adds a lot of hum whenever i engage it. So I figured I'd start swapping out tube to see if one is the culprit. Then I noticed that teh Z-verb uses a 6v6. Anybody ever tried a 6K6 - a la vintage Fender Reverb - instead of the 6V6 in their Z-Verb?

Would their be any reason not to try one? Would it hurt anything?

Thanks
Frank

Thanks

[myles]

Mar 18, 2012 11:10:47 GMT -7 bigben55 said:

I ordered a NOS Tesla EF806S and a JAN GE 5751 from Moke at KCA. Thanks for your help Myles. Next up, I will be in the market for a rectified tube. You have mentioned a solid state rectifier as a backup. Other than the Weber Copper Caps, I know nothing about s/s rectifiers. Can you school me? Why not just get another Sovtek or JJ or Shungang for a backup?

Then, I will want a matched quad of NOS 6v6's. 2 to use, 2 more to use when those go south. I know there's lots of good ones out there and its basically how much you are willing to spend, but whats, in your opinion the best bang for your NOS buck 6v6's?

For some reason I was not getting post updates. Sorry.

I like a solid state backup because it gives you another option, tighter feel, in addition to a backup rectifier.

In any case steer clear of Chinese tube rectifiers. Sovtek is better in the case of 5AR4.

On the NOS 6V6s, the JAN Philips shiny black plates are not very pricy and work quite nicely.

[myles]

Mar 21, 2012 13:58:55 GMT -7 hankwilliams said:

Myles,

I recently bought a KT-45 and Z Best cab and I'm looking to stock-up on tubes. The sound I am going for is big, powerful cleans (Fenderish+Hiwattish) with that Hiwatt bite the KT-45 is know for when pushed. My amp is always set just on the verge of breakup; I never use amp distortion (I have pedals for that). I have a SS rec. Here's what I'm thinking to get this sound:

Electro-Harmonix 6CA7
Sovtek 12AX7LPS
NOS EF86

The EHX 6AC7 seems to get great reviews, but I've yet to see any KT-45 owners using this tube (JJ's seem to be the popular choice).

I've read posts where you recommend the Groove Tubes SAG-AX7-MPI, but I like the Sovtek I currently have. Are you still a big user of the SAG-AX7-MPI? If so, is the GT that much better? Is there any truth that the Fender-bought GT has gone down hill? I'm assming there is some truth to this as Dr. Z no longer uses the EL34LS tubes and I don't see them get talked about much anymore. If the eL34LS tubes are made by GT, wouldn't they still be the same tubes, just different quality (hit or miss)? In regard to the 12AX7, would NOS be recommended here as well?

I'm honestly lost when it comes to the EF86. I've never played an amp with this tube and all I hear is "NOS, NOS, NOS." I'm currently looking at picking up a few of one of these 3:

GE EF86 / 6267 (Philips-Brussels)
NOS Tesla EF86
NOS Mullard EF86 Long Mesh Plate

My pedals include: Compressor, Fuzz Factory, Univibe, Big Muff, Boost/OD, Delay. Again, think big, thick, powerful clean sound and bite when driven by a volume boost from pedal or stronger pick attack. One last question (I swear!!)... About how long will an EF36 last? I'd like to grab a few of them to hopefully last me some time.

ANY response would be helpful. Thank you SO much!

-Hank

Hank,

Sorry for the delayed reply. For some reason I was not getting email updates on posts.

KT-45 and Z Best ... pretty terrific setup.

Your choice of a solid state rectifier is a good one. A bit tighter and a touch more clean headroom.

On your other thoughts ...

Electro-Harmonix 6CA7 - Not really a great 6CA7, more of an EL34 in a big bottle. The only real 6CA7s were made in the past. Reissues are just a market ploy. You might want to consider a JJ KT-77. They are strong and clean. Use a good vendor as JJ output tubes at the moment have microphonic issues more often than they did in the past.

tubedepot.com/jj-kt77.html

The other option is to stick with a high quality EL34 and in that case a real winged C is the way to go.

Sovtek 12AX7LPS - very nice for phase inverter duties. The JJ 803S is another nice option that is not expensive.

NOS EF86 - yes. This is the heart of your amp. There are a number of great ones. Tesla, Mullard, GEC .... Personal taste is the key here.

The JJ EL34 is popular because it is a rugged tube but it is an edgy tube when pushed into distortion. It is not a sweet or vintage sounding EL34 like a Siemens, Mullard or most any of the older EL34 types. Once again, the real winged C is very much like the classic Siemens, a great tube.

There is no such thing as a GT SAG tube anymore regardless of what is stated on their website. I was SAG, it was my equipment and methods that produced these tubes and I am no longer doing this for Fender/GT. When I was at GT I hand picked the tubes that went to the Doc. That no longer happens and the good doctor has found other suppliers who work just as well.

On an individual amp I generally go the NOS route for many reasons.

A few pieces I have written on NOS, GT, Fender and that sort of thing:

la-economy.blogspot.com/2012/03/vacuum-tubes-today.html

la-economy.blogspot.com/2011/02/vacuum-tube-post-from-past.html

You mentioned:

GE EF86 / 6267 (Philips-Brussels)
NOS Tesla EF86
NOS Mullard EF86 Long Mesh Plate

All of these are very nice. Personal taste, preference, budget.

EF86 tubes can go microphonic with no warning. Always carry a spare on gigs, a known good and tested in the amp spare.

Hope this helped.

[myles]

Mar 21, 2012 16:24:42 GMT -7 @doc001 said:

Mar 18, 2012 11:10:47 GMT -7 bigben55 said:

I ordered a NOS Tesla EF806S and a JAN GE 5751 from Moke at KCA. Thanks for your help Myles. Next up, I will be in the market for a rectified tube. You have mentioned a solid state rectifier as a backup. Other than the Weber Copper Caps, I know nothing about s/s rectifiers. Can you school me? Why not just get another Sovtek or JJ or Shungang for a backup?

Then, I will want a matched quad of NOS 6v6's. 2 to use, 2 more to use when those go south. I know there's lots of good ones out there and its basically how much you are willing to spend, but whats, in your opinion the best bang for your NOS buck 6v6's?

Reliability. The s/s rectifier is pretty much guaranteed to work when you plug it in. With the other recs you mentioned, there is no such guarantee.

Exactly .... and they are pretty much bullet proof and do not produce heat.

[myles]

Mar 22, 2012 9:22:47 GMT -7 bigben55 said:

So I got the new preamp tubes, put them in and cranked the Z28 up. Here's what I hear in terms of the differences between the old and the new. Is this what I'm supposed to hear or what one would expect to hear, difference-wise?

More "chime." The strat sounds quackier, and pick attack is much more dramatic in terms of clean vs crunch. The P90 tele sounds punchier, and cleans up better. The 335 sounds about the same as it did, maybe a little brighter.

I ask if this is what $80 worth of "better" tubes should sound like. I am HAPPY with my purchase; everything sounds somewhat better, nothing sounds worse, so I'm happy. I just want to know if its "in my head" or thats what going from a EH EF86 to a NOS Tesla EF806S high grade and a Sovtek 5751 to a JAN NOS GE 5751 is SUPPOSED to do.

Better / worse is subjective.

Listen for things like string to string balance, articulation, definition.

What is not subjective is that your NOS tubes will last MUCH longer than current production tubes as a general rule.

[myles]

Mar 30, 2012 13:44:26 GMT -7 @electricflag said:

"...Today 7025 has no meaning as it did in the past. It is little more than a market tool with no value to other than the tube seller..."


Myles...You confirmed my suspicions on current production"7025" as gimmick...

So, would it be better to request a low noise 12AX7 form a reputable tube vendor...and hope for the best?

-Rick

If you use one of the tube vendors I use you don't have to hope for the best, you get tubes that do what they are supposed to do.

Here are some real ones. Mike at KCA has what he calls ANOS ... almost NOS ... that test like new and are quite cost effective.

www.kcanostubes.com/content/anos-lightly-used-sylvania-7025

www.kcanostubes.com/content/anos-sylvania-7025-long-plates

The below from the folks at tube world gives a quick insight from their point of view on some 12AX7 types in general.

www.tubeworld.com/12ax7_guide.gif

[myles]

Mar 30, 2012 16:03:26 GMT -7 S.F. franky said:

My Z-verb got really noisy. It adds a lot of hum whenever i engage it. So I figured I'd start swapping out tube to see if one is the culprit. Then I noticed that teh Z-verb uses a 6v6. Anybody ever tried a 6K6 - a la vintage Fender Reverb - instead of the 6V6 in their Z-Verb?

Would their be any reason not to try one? Would it hurt anything?

Thanks
Frank

Thanks

Different tube with a different bias point. Don't just swap it.

www.tubebooks.org/tubedata/HB-3/Receiving_Tubes_Part_2/6K6-GT.PDF

[ksks]

How about subbing a 6AQ5 (6005) for a 6V6?

Assuming there is enough room, and assuming you can find the proper adapators,

[myles]

Mar 31, 2012 11:55:46 GMT -7 ksks said:

How about subbing a 6AQ5 (6005) for a 6V6?

Assuming there is enough room, and assuming you can find the proper adapators,

If you have a pinout adapter that could be interesting. Lower wattage with 6V6 characteristics. Drive the output section into distortion a bit easier. Don't know about the low end and not sure of the plate impedance / output transformer requirements but all that data will be in the data sheet (plate impedance).

Here is a link to the datasheet set

www.tubezone.net/pdf/6aq5el90.pdf

Update ... looks as if it would be little more than an adapter for the pinout to the 7 pin small bottle. Electrical characteristics look the same. I don't think they would handle the same voltages that a good 6V6 can handle above its design spec but I may be wrong and it may handle high voltages even better. Interesting experiment.

[hankwilliams]

Mar 31, 2012 8:43:52 GMT -7 myles said:

Mar 21, 2012 13:58:55 GMT -7 hankwilliams said:

Myles,

I recently bought a KT-45 and Z Best cab and I'm looking to stock-up on tubes. The sound I am going for is big, powerful cleans (Fenderish+Hiwattish) with that Hiwatt bite the KT-45 is know for when pushed. My amp is always set just on the verge of breakup; I never use amp distortion (I have pedals for that). I have a SS rec. Here's what I'm thinking to get this sound:

Electro-Harmonix 6CA7
Sovtek 12AX7LPS
NOS EF86

The EHX 6AC7 seems to get great reviews, but I've yet to see any KT-45 owners using this tube (JJ's seem to be the popular choice).

I've read posts where you recommend the Groove Tubes SAG-AX7-MPI, but I like the Sovtek I currently have. Are you still a big user of the SAG-AX7-MPI? If so, is the GT that much better? Is there any truth that the Fender-bought GT has gone down hill? I'm assming there is some truth to this as Dr. Z no longer uses the EL34LS tubes and I don't see them get talked about much anymore. If the eL34LS tubes are made by GT, wouldn't they still be the same tubes, just different quality (hit or miss)? In regard to the 12AX7, would NOS be recommended here as well?

I'm honestly lost when it comes to the EF86. I've never played an amp with this tube and all I hear is "NOS, NOS, NOS." I'm currently looking at picking up a few of one of these 3:

GE EF86 / 6267 (Philips-Brussels)
NOS Tesla EF86
NOS Mullard EF86 Long Mesh Plate

My pedals include: Compressor, Fuzz Factory, Univibe, Big Muff, Boost/OD, Delay. Again, think big, thick, powerful clean sound and bite when driven by a volume boost from pedal or stronger pick attack. One last question (I swear!!)... About how long will an EF36 last? I'd like to grab a few of them to hopefully last me some time.

ANY response would be helpful. Thank you SO much!

-Hank

Hank,

Sorry for the delayed reply. For some reason I was not getting email updates on posts.

KT-45 and Z Best ... pretty terrific setup.

Your choice of a solid state rectifier is a good one. A bit tighter and a touch more clean headroom.

On your other thoughts ...

Electro-Harmonix 6CA7 - Not really a great 6CA7, more of an EL34 in a big bottle. The only real 6CA7s were made in the past. Reissues are just a market ploy. You might want to consider a JJ KT-77. They are strong and clean. Use a good vendor as JJ output tubes at the moment have microphonic issues more often than they did in the past.

tubedepot.com/jj-kt77.html

The other option is to stick with a high quality EL34 and in that case a real winged C is the way to go.

Sovtek 12AX7LPS - very nice for phase inverter duties. The JJ 803S is another nice option that is not expensive.

NOS EF86 - yes. This is the heart of your amp. There are a number of great ones. Tesla, Mullard, GEC .... Personal taste is the key here.

The JJ EL34 is popular because it is a rugged tube but it is an edgy tube when pushed into distortion. It is not a sweet or vintage sounding EL34 like a Siemens, Mullard or most any of the older EL34 types. Once again, the real winged C is very much like the classic Siemens, a great tube.

There is no such thing as a GT SAG tube anymore regardless of what is stated on their website. I was SAG, it was my equipment and methods that produced these tubes and I am no longer doing this for Fender/GT. When I was at GT I hand picked the tubes that went to the Doc. That no longer happens and the good doctor has found other suppliers who work just as well.

On an individual amp I generally go the NOS route for many reasons.

A few pieces I have written on NOS, GT, Fender and that sort of thing:

la-economy.blogspot.com/2012/03/vacuum-tubes-today.html

la-economy.blogspot.com/2011/02/vacuum-tube-post-from-past.html

You mentioned:

GE EF86 / 6267 (Philips-Brussels)
NOS Tesla EF86
NOS Mullard EF86 Long Mesh Plate

All of these are very nice. Personal taste, preference, budget.

EF86 tubes can go microphonic with no warning. Always carry a spare on gigs, a known good and tested in the amp spare.

Hope this helped.

Thank you very much, Myles!!!

[electricflag]

Thanks Myles for the recommended tube vendors list and suggestion. Think I'll give those Sylvania 7025's a try. By the way...I read your clip on facebook about the "47,700 hour" Sylvania tube...Very impressive life span!

Thanks again!
Rick

[myles]

Apr 2, 2012 8:13:10 GMT -7 @electricflag said:

Thanks Myles for the recommended tube vendors list and suggestion. Think I'll give those Sylvania 7025's a try. By the way...I read your clip on facebook about the "47,700 hour" Sylvania tube...Very impressive life span!

Thanks again!
Rick

You are quite welcome.

Yes ... tubes in the past were a bit different than they are today in so many ways. That 40,000+ hour lifespan is not unusual which is one reason I say that NOS tubes can be a bargain economically.

[helmi]

hello mr myles. i have a mid 60's kalamazoo model 2 amp. it takes a 6BQ5 power tube. what would you recommend as the best NEW 6bq5 out there, and also what is your favorite NOS 6bq5? thank you

[myles]

Apr 17, 2012 16:45:56 GMT -7 helmi said:

hello mr myles. i have a mid 60's kalamazoo model 2 amp. it takes a 6BQ5 power tube. what would you recommend as the best NEW 6bq5 out there, and also what is your favorite NOS 6bq5? thank you

Tubes are personal taste and preference. Personally, I would use a JJ EL84S from a reputable and trusted vendor that was tested to meet design spec, no early or late distortion funny business.

[Matt]

Hi Myles!

I’m looking for opinions on what tubes to use in order to upgrade my Maz 38 NR head’s preamp and rectifier section with NOS. I’m looking for maximum headroom, warmth, smooth top end and tight low end but I don’t want the natural clarity, definition or girth (for lack of a better word) of the Maz to be affected.

Here is what I was recommended by a reputable NOS dealer: NOS Tesla ECC83 (Not JJ), NOS JAN Philips/Sylvania 5AR4

And another recommendation from a different reputable dealer:

GZ34/5AR4- NOS Hitachi 5AR4
12AX7- NOS Ei or NOS JAN Sylvannia

I realize some of their recommendations will vary based on what's in stock.

Any thoughts on this recommendation? Agree/Disagree? Pros/Cons?

I was also fooling around with the idea of using TAD EL84/6BQ5-STR instead of the EH EL84 for the power section. For about $25 more I can get the TAD.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Pros/Cons?

Also, I’m looking for a nice NOS GE, RCA or Sylvania tube that isn’t too expensive but that has the lowest noise/mircophonics possible to put into my Steel Guitar Black Box.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

I'm a complete novice on all this so thanks in advance for any help and advice!!