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Re: 12AX7 shootout; Mullard or Tele?

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8/25/2000 7:04 PM

Re: 12AX7 shootout; Mullard or Tele?

I checked there first, and the site says they are sold out.
BTW, can anyone identify this tube I have? I have a few of them and they were all in SF Fenders I have had. the plate structures are similar to RCA'a but slightly shorter. they are labeled 7025 and the number is in an elongated stopsign shape. they also have a small "usa" on top of the 7025. does this sound familiar to anyone? could they be RCA 7025's?

8/26/2000 3:24 AM
Bruce	As far as I know the hex box has always been RCA! Bruce

8/25/2000 7:02 AM

Howdy,

Unless the Telefunkens were removed from Jimi Hendrix´s Asshole, no Telefunken, Mullard or otherwise 12AX7 is worth paying $90.00 US. I may be spoiled but here in Berlin these tubes are all over the place for under 10DM or $5US.

Use whatever sounds good. I have a shoebox full of useless Telefunkens. I also have a shoebox full of great ones. Same for Chinese, Russian etc....

Anyone ever heard of a brand name "Hoges"?

Pierre

8/25/2000 4:28 PM

Pierre, You can send me some of those Mullards 12AX7's for $5 I will buy all you can get. How much can you get GZ-34'S for AY ? I just got outbid yesterday on 4 Bogens by Mullard at $50. I think it may have been Tophat and a few others on here who bid me out at $70 for them. I like the Mullards they are less grainy than most of the new tubes. But I don't think they are worth the price. Never heard of the Hoges.,
K

8/25/2000 8:40 PM

Depends on the amp.

Let me start off by saying that I have never personally tried the Mullards or Teles, BUT have spent MANY hours with GE, Philips, EI, Tesla, all Sovtek varieties and all Sino varieties and some of the worst-sounding tubes of that bunch were the NOS GE and Philips! Too damn bright and thin! In the Tone-Master, a combination of EI and Sovtek WXT (in the PI) were the best. In the Shiva, NOTHING came close to the Chinese. Talked to Reinhold Bogner about that and he said the answer was simple - he voiced the amp for Chinese 12AX7s (because he thought they'd be around forever). In the Guytron, a combination of Sovtek LP, Chinese and EI sounded best to me. The GE and Philips were OK in the Bogner, but absolutely horrible-sounding in the Tone-Master and Guytron. The only tube that didn't sound too good to me in any situation I tried was the Sovtek 12AX7WA. However, I know that Mark Bartel of Tone-King digs 'em in his amps.

So, I assume the same principles apply with the Mullards and Telefunkens. It all depends on what the designer voiced the amp with. Unfortunately, that leaves us sometimes guessing (depending on the amp model and age of design) and often caught up in this seemingly unending search for the "perfect" tube complement! Or, is that half the fun? :>)

Dave

8/26/2000 3:40 AM
Peter S	Dave, It's half the fun.......the other half is tuning the amp to the tubes! Peter S

8/26/2000 4:56 PM

Re: 12AX7 shootout; Mullard or Tele?

Ricky;

Everyone has good posts here and when it comes to an opinion there's no right or wrong

I LOVE Mullard EL34's and can't get enough of them however the Mullard 12AX7's really don't do all that much for me to be perfectly honest with you. Now Telefunken 12AX7's on the other hand...well, let's just say I've already traded my entire family for a handfull of those babies ;-)

;-)

Telefunkens are in my opinion the best sounding 12AX of all time. I like RCA's a lot because they have always been very consistant and don't cost as much as Teles do.

That's just my opinion of course so use your ears and let them tell you what you like!!

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