17 Guitar Preamp TUBES Comparison - Mullard, JJ, TAD, Philips, EHX, TUNG-SOL,

Mullard ECC83, 12AX7
Mullard ECC82, 12AU7
Mullard ECC81, 12AT7
Philips ECC83
TUNG-SOL ECC83
Audio Classic ECC83
TAD ECC83
Mesa Branded ECC83
Marshall Branded ECC83
Raytheon ECC83
Ultron ECC83
Ruby Tubes ECC83
Electro Harmonix ECC83
Raytheon ECC83
JJ ECC83
Etc
None of the tubes are completely new. Played in an Orange Micro Terror through a 1971 Marshall 1960A Cab with a Gibson SG CS. Close mic MD421U5, Room mic: C414BXLII

[@tjdowning4263]

How long until Johan wins the Nobel Prize in Tone?

[@ashthegreat1]

+1

[@californiasurfpunkmetal6207]

Like yesterday...

[@LosFicosMusic]

He's The Man of Tube Tunes!

[@carlosgoyeneche6315]

Agree

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

He has already won it on thecParallel planet Earth.

[@7REDDRACO7]

quick thumbs this up to keep it at top of page. RIFFs as thrashings as possibles: all RIFF 2 Mullard - 3:16 Philips - 3:22 Marshall - 3:28 Tung-Sol - 3:34 Audio Classic - 3:41 Ultron - 3:47 JJ ecc83 (2/2)- 3:54 Mullard ecc81 (1/2) - 4:00 Mullard ecc81 (2/2) - 4:07 Ruby - 4:14 Mullard ecc82 (1/2) - 4:20 Electro Harmonix - 4:26 TAD - 4:33 JJ ecc83 (1/2) - 4:40 MESA - 4:46 you should mod this clip to include the Svetlana ecc83 12AX7 or 12AX7A would love to see that with these.

[@leftyfusion88]

Something tells me Johan spent a lot of his childhood getting in trouble when Mom or Dad came home and saw he'd taken everything they owned apart (lamps, TV's, radio, vacuum cleaner, etc) to see how much better he could make it. Great comparison!! Thank you!!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hahahahahaha! ;-)

[@sneifert1968]

I heard as a kid he once made a vacuum cleaner sound like a plexi ;)

[@roncarter2188]

Hey I blew a few fuses trying to kill bugs. I was great at taking things apart, it was another story putting things back together.

[@HF1600ie]

@@roncarter2188 lol

[@giloro85]

@@sneifert1968 it was agreed that the Hoover sounded best so he spent his time modding the oreck to sound like a plexi

[@overtone85]

Riff 2 Mullard - 3:16 Philips - 3:22 Marshall - 3:28 Tung-Sol - 3:34 Audio Classic - 3:41 Ultron - 3:47 JJ ecc83 (2/2)- 3:54 Mullard ecc81 (1/2) - 4:00 Mullard ecc81 (2/2) - 4:07 Ruby - 4:14 Mullard ecc82 (1/2) - 4:20 Electro Harmonix - 4:26 TAD - 4:33 JJ ecc83 (1/2) - 4:40 MESA - 4:46

[@7REDDRACO7]

everyone thumbs up this to keep it at the top of page!

[@TheXxPSYCHO]

If only all content creators were as thoughtful as you

[@alfredosierra2612]

@@TheXxPSYCHO love your username, is a nice name for a band

[@OFR]

Where's the Raytheon example in Riff 2???

[@masterrodriges]

Tung sol and mullard best of the best!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Serg!

[@tonysplace8009]

I agree plus the Philips as well!

[@SonicSoundofDoom]

I agree!!! So happy I found this video!! I was about to buy some jj’s but he’s changed my mind. Buying some Tung-Sol’s

[@relevantinformation6655]

Love Tungsol pre tested for balanced triode 👍

[@royrush5374]

I just witnessed a labor of love like I have never seen before. Tung Sol seemed consistently better for my old ears. The Mullards were a close second.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Roy ;-)

[@FrannKavila]

Thank you for taking the time doing all this. This helped me decide about the V1 tube on my amp. Tung Sol all the way up!

[@supernoobsmith5718]

I can't believe how far you go to compare things. It's a huge work and it's much appreciated.

[@chadvitale1567]

I'm soo glad you put out this video. You're always such a even toned gentleman and super knowledgable about amps. You're the man Johan.

[@zachmatchem]

Between this video and your Tubescreamer/Analogman Mod comparison video, you have helped me substantially. Thanks for making these videos!

[@RobCabreraCh]

Wow, I kind of imagined that the difference was going to be much smaller, but most of these have a unique vibe to them. Really cool video Johan! I always learn something from you!

[@chrisf6216]

3:21 that Philips! Admit it, Johan, you were on your way out of the gate man! That sound and an SG in hand... perhaps a frosty beverage was the only missing piece lol This is another incredible video - I've watched it already a dozen times. Thank you so much for your time, talent, and sharing this with the world. Cheers!

[@tommyfoley]

Wow, what a lot of work. Thanks for sharing!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Tommy!

[@amritjanardhanan]

Mullard, Tung-Sol, then Phillips. That’s what I liked. Thank you johan for taking the time to do this!

[@biffmalibu5384]

2021, I watch you a lot [Ontario]... Gibson Grabber/Ripper a fav, thanks for your hard work on this... you saved me a ton of time..

[@brianlangsford7521]

Thank you for the magnificent demonstration .....you show the entire sonic possibilities of the most important part of the tube amp.....blown away

[@clivedavies3]

I've always favered mullards as being the best all rounders and listening to your demonstration they held up to my expectations keep up the good work

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Clive!

[@cgavin1]

Put a NOS British Mullard ECC81 in the PI in a Fender amp and be amazed. $20 a pop..

[@dcs2402]

The amount of time you put into these videos so us mere mortals can learn cool stuff is an absolute credit to you mate. Much appreciated, thanks heaps, rock on 🤘.

[@nickm.9474]

Amazing demo!!! You have that amp sounding so good. I had one and basically chucked it. Haha. Crazy how much those tubes changed the sound.

[@MrChadDrye]

That Philips was special. Mullard was good too.

[@GibsonLesPaul2273]

I agree, Phillips ECC83 then the Mullard ECC83. I tried the Marshall ECC83 and the JJ ECC83 on my valvestate and the Marshall is very noticeably more bassy while the JJ is more trebley and a bit louder, me and my bro prefer the Marshall, in this video the extra bass isnt so obvious. The ? ECC83 sounds good too.

[@3rdtonefromthesun]

Loads of gain and lively, had a gnarly spirit about it! Both Mullards were great too.

[@TS-so2xi]

Thanks Johan. You are my go-to KZbin gear comparison channel

[@californiasurfpunkmetal6207]

Johan thank you for all of these excellent videos! You are answering questions that are all but impossible for the rest of us. I owe you a beer...

[@andrewanderson3746]

I love these kinds of comparisons, thanks Johan!

[@505shango]

Oh my this is the best comparison I have heard I could actually tell a difference .. thanks !

[@PS3271]

Killer comparison. thanks for the work. great stuff. The Phillips ECC83 and that firts mullard sounded fantastic.

[@jeffcomeau4680]

Thanks Johan.... great comparisons. Very helpful. I have some stock Marshall branded tubes in my Marshall Origin 50 watt head. I’m thinking of swapping them out after hearing this video. Keep up the great work..

[@scampthelazycat9891]

stunned to find out the Ruby ecc83 really shone for me and the tad , EH and Mesa tubes sounded dire, thanks for this Johan

[@Kostaaa8]

I watched 20 more videos comparing tubes. Almost concluded that the difference is microscopic/zero but here..... on this amp - it's HUGE! Thanks for making this video!

[@ac81017]

I love the way how each tube has a different flavour. Excellent demo as usual :-)

[@slpsteve2618]

Man, that’s a lot of work Johan! Thanks for the video. These are extremely nuanced wouldn’t you say. I have a rather large stash of NOS tubes myself and have had great results with their longevity. As far as new production tubes I like JJ in the Power section and Electro Harmonics in the Preamp section. Just my 2c’s... Thanks again my friend

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks my friend!

[@tommyconancoates7097]

I always hear good things about EHX tubes, specifically Dr. Z mentions them in one of his videos.

[@Damaraja]

Thanks, Johan. Another great and helpful demo vid. Much appreciated 🤘✌️🤙

[@realgoodmind]

Great video. I have been wanting to see a tube comparison for a long time. Cheers Johan. Will be checking out other vids I must have missed them

[@soundboy57]

I found out a long time ago, nothing compares to an NOS Mullard, in any Marshall I have put them in, from a 1964 JTM to a modern DSL. Great vid, as usual. Love that little amp!

[@TheAxe4Ever]

Easy call! For me and my style of music the top three are the Mullard ecc83, the Philips ecc83 and the Raytheon ecc83 in that order. Thanks for this awesome comparison video. By far the best preamp tube comparison video on KZbin!

[@jameslevittgold]

Johan Thank you for another great video, The Raytheon EEC83 Tube impressed me , I will research this tube try to locate some in the US, The Philips Preamp tube sounded great too. Thanks again.

[@guitar_hiro]

Damn that Raytheon on the last riff! I think the Ruby, Marshall, and Philips sounded the best. Great video and playing as always, cheers!

[@benkebeautyify]

Best comparison i have seen, really helpfull. Thanks

[@bgmnzz]

1st 2 riffs gave me so many song writing ideas. Thanks! And now I want a Micro Terror.

[@sessiontelemetric5618]

Ruby! Crazy. Sounds great in this amp. Thanks Johan!

[@TheGman858]

That mullard 12ax7 is a beast! Very lively compared to the others in my opinion all though the Phillips didn't sound bad either to my ears

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Greg

[@soundboy57]

@@JohanSegeborn The Mullards have that solid, biting, focused midrange. It really stands out here.

[@krzysztofwaleska]

Philips is similar in every way to Mullard. They are both very well made and robust.

[@aquilarossa5191]

Phillips Miniwatt are Mullard mostly. Phillips bought them out and just rebranded the Mullard production.

[@TheGman858]

@@aquilarossa5191 I remember reading something about that online if I remember correctly alot of tube manufacturers did that in one form or the other I've also read brimar were also rebranded mullards or should I say made in the mullard factory I have a miniwatt meshplate ef86 in my ac15 that i swore sounded just like the mullard meshplate ef86 now I know why Cheers

[@kurtg8861]

Great video, Thanks for taking the time to do this!! I have to say through my computer speakers that Phillips was impressive!! I was surprised how weak sounding the Marshall tube sounded IMO.

[@Lu_Woods]

A great way to start the day.Thanks Johan...I didn't realize how nasal the JJ's are relative to most the others.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Lu!

[@rsaragosa]

Wow Johan though you made that video look seamless I know that is a lot of work to do that type of video. Thanks so much for your time and work that you put into this it was enlightening to say the least. The differences were subtle sometimes and maybe a lot different depending on which tubes you were listening to. The Mullards and Phillips sounded more musical to me then the rest. The Mesa sounded very subdued not what I expected from Mesa. The TAD always seem to be hyped in publications but they also didn't sound like I expected, mellow with not enough clarity. Thanks again Johan for your work you are a stud.

[@cypan1]

Good Video John ....not Many People are aware ..about specific tubes and how they Differentiate from each other ....keep them coming John thx

[@shadowz8926]

I think you'll also be able to find variations within the same brand of tubes from different batches. As usual, great video. This will be a good resource for those searching for good replacement/spare tubes as they get harder to find over time.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Simon, glad to hear that!

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Well 4 years later and still loads of valves to be had but the priced are stoopid now...oh and I recomend Brand new valves anf not those 100 year old NOS relics, really...they are dirty and rusty and csn cause your amp to implode and they smell awful too.

[@Dikkedimi]

thanks for taking the time to make this extensive video :)

[@Guitar5986]

Used to spend so much time buying and trying preamp tubes. I have a large collection now. For Plexi's my favorite V1 tubes were usually the old Mullard ECC83 I61. A bit less gain than the I63 but a nice thick midrange. For old Blackface Fenders (Twin Reverb specifically) I preferred the RCA Blackplate 7025 (V2 for Reverb Channel Driver). And finally in my little '58 Gibson GA5 I favor an Amperex Bugle Boy ECC83. The Mullard CV4024 (12AT7) military tubes are excellent in the phase inverter position on Marshall's and Fenders. Tungsram 12AX7 tubes are also great. Old smooth plate Telefunkens and 60's Tesla tubes are really stellar in mic preamps. Older circuits tend to utilize the older tubes more. I find that a lot of newer amp circuits don't necessarily need vintage tubes.

[@BoernTilStede]

God dammit man. Every time i search for anything about guitar amp u always pop up and you never disapoint me. NEVER. LOVE YOUR VIDS DUDE. rigtig god kanal

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks man, I’m so glad to hear that!

[@sammyrothrock6981]

Thanks for the long cool 😎 review

[@ER-yq1lc]

That little box actually did a good job of showing the differences. I like using 12at7 in the PI of my 100 watt amp, I use all Mullards in the preamp. I used to use a telefunken in V1 that made every guitar sound like it had brand new strings until a sound man spiked the stage voltage turning on the mains during sound check and popped it. If you ever come to California, you're welcome to roll through my 12ax7's that you didn't try in your test; GE, RCA, Sylvania, Tungsram, Flat L, Motorola, Amperex Bugle Boy, Matsushita, Mesa-Sovtek, Triad, CRC, Hammond labeled Mullard, and a couple of the rare ones you tested from the ? factory, those always sound the best! 12ax7, 12AY7, and 12AT7 can all be used interchangeably in most preamp spots to customize the amplification at each stage. They have different voltage amplification factors measured in mU, 12AX7=100mu, 12AT7=60mu, 12AY7=45mu, 12AU7=19mu. Mu only relates to signal voltage, the trade off is current. The lower the mu the more current the tube pushes, that's why I like 12AT7 in the phase inverter if at all, and 12AY7 in V1 of an amp that's too gainy. Some of the old fender tweeds used 12AY7 in V1 to tame them a bit. Each tube stage compounds the amplification of the stage before it, so the earlier in the signal chain it is placed the greater the effect.

[@resistorstudios]

That Philips. Wow

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Derek!

[@TheGreenkostas]

Amen ..... that philips so rich.....

[@Batsinthebelltower]

yea the phillips rocked man

[@Arcturian1111]

Yeah. Phillips was nice too. Also Mullard and Raytheon.

[@felipealvesdepaula9044]

I found some to buy here in Brazil, Phillips ECC83 miniwatt, from the 60's... can I go for it? the price is great. www.regence.com.br/valvula-12ax7-philips-miniwatt-51524123xJM

[@megas2807]

Again great video, great format, great tone! I really like to hear the amps without pedals... pedal videos are also ok, but the quest for tone starts with speakers in my opinion !

[@RonTimmonsM1]

This is a great video. Very informative. I learned I dont like JJ tubes at all... and Raytheon was my fav with Mullard coming in 2nd... Philips 3rd... and I didn't like the Mesa Tubes as much as I thought I would. All of my Mesa amps have Mesa Tubes... I'm switching!

[@ariithka]

Mesa sounded like a rebadged JJ. TAD sounded similar too.

[@craigshewchuk9018]

I use this video maybe 3 times now that i have gotten tubes, its good comparison video and what i want changes every time for the sound I am trying to get, but have a few favorites, this goes through almost every tube still available, its like the ultimate video lmao

[@shawn-roy]

This demo is a dream, thanks dude!

[@colinmcdonald7591]

So when it comes to preamp tubes, the biggest variation you hear is the amount of gain coming from the tube. This in turn effects the tone of the amplifier due to how the tube is driving the rest of the components in the signal chain. Everyone understands how the tone of your guitar and amp change when you roll the volume knob on the guitar down right? It's a similar effect with preamp tubes. Lower gain will make the amp sound a little different than higher gain. The frequencies aren't necesarily different, that is, the tube itself is no different in it's fundamentals and harmonics and the rest compared to others, but all those factors are altered with less or more gain. Less gain sounds thinner with less signal punching out the upper harmonics. More gain means there will be richer upper harmonics and it'll sound fuller and thicker and maybe more dynamic. Companies like Mesa and Marshall have such extreme gain stages that they typically have lower gain ECC83's/12ax7s to maintain dynamic control in the multiple gain stages of say a rectifier or TSL100 etc. Fenders will have higher gain 12ax7s in V1 because the preamp gain is so much lower and you need that punch. You can really hear this if you roll ECC81, ECC82 and ECC83 tubes through V1 of a black face fender amp. Personally I put an ECC82 into V2 of my two channel fenders to lower the gain a bit and create more dynamic control over the signal. More gain is not always better in a preamp circuit depending on the amplifier. If you stick the highest gain ecc83/12ax7 into V2 or V3 of a dual rec, it can become an uncontrolable mess at half way on the channel gain control. Whereas on a plexy for instance, you may want the highest gain ecc83 in v1 because the amplifier doesn't have much additional gain in the preamp circuit so you want to drive the power amp section as hard as you can to achieve saturation. In this example, you can really hear the gain differences from tube to tube, but less so the tonal differences until the lower output tubes are demonstrated.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Colin, yeah the difference in gain is indeed the most prominent one

[@Dethsoul]

Nerd

[@georgekrabs6948]

Well said too many people believe magical fairy stories and have no idea about the physics of vacuum tubes

[@Zkillzen]

Dude plz....its gonna take a while to digest all that info...and i was about to order some new tubes!!

[@alecboyyes]

I think plate length makes a difference, although it might be psychoacoustics at work. Longer plates seem to have a fuller frequency response while shorter plates seem to give a darker, mid-humped sound.

[@Arcturian1111]

Nice Job. I love the Raytheon

[@voa.aquino]

Thank you!! It's very useful!! Here in Brazil we don't have money to buy differents tubes to test. So the video will help us to make the best choice.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks man, glad the video is put to good use!

[@DTM-Books]

I found myself really loving the Tung-Sol tubes in this shootout. That’s very surprising, because I’ve never really enjoyed this brand for phonon stages. Maybe it’s my ears that have changed. Thanks for sharing!

[@thomkopal1740]

A little help on identifying what these tubes really are... The "Raytheon" is a Japanese Toshiba. It is not the US-made Raytheon The "?" or unknown tube is a Tungsram The "Ultron" is a RFT The "Ruby" is Chinese. So is the "TAD" The "Mullard" ECC82 #2 is really an Ei, from Yugoslavia There are four JJs: two are labeled as such, one is "Marshall"-labeled, and the other is "Mesa" The Philips is a long-plate (17mm), which are generally more articulate and are highly desired and expensive (if they don't suffer from microphony) I wonder how this changes everyone's perspective?

[@cidicorp]

Thanks for informing me, didn’t realize „Mesa“ tubes were overpriced JJ‘s. I got duped into buying some!

[@OFR]

I liked the Raytheon a lot, just there is no demo of it on Riff 2?

[@revprs]

I like long plate tubes in V1 of my amps. Mullard being my favorite in old Marshall amps. Although RFT is hard to beat in high gain amps.

[@cgavin1]

@@revprs Long plates also do well in PI. Where everyone says they make no difference to the tone..but they completely do.

[@revprs]

@@cgavin1 i totally agree. I like to use the LPS and save the old ones for the pre amp. Unless it makes a dramatic difference. Usually the LPS handles it well enough.

[@roncarter2188]

Nice demo! I was lucky a couple years ago and bought a box of tubes that had about 70 tubes in it for 25 bucks and got about 8 Telefunken black diamond 12ax7's and a couple Siemens brand 12ax7s as well, nice sounding tubes.

[@niktusacid]

Wow! great comparisson, thank you so much!

[@davidwoods80]

If everyone at Volvo were as cool as Johan, nobody would lust after Porsches any more.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hahaha! Cheers David ;-)

[@hrstrat57]

Extremely well done here. Huge tube roller myself and I am blessed to own many nos preamp tubes including a holy grail “bugleboy” Few completely understand how important what sits in V1 is to the guitar sound chain. This video makes it crystal clear! I’ve never seen those ECC82 btw, need to add a couple of those to my arsenal 🎸 As always great demonstration “riffage” 🥂 cheers

[@JohanSegeborn]

Glad to hear it, Cheers!

[@aronhallam6449]

I was surprised how little difference between the 82 and 83, they only have 20% of the power don't they ?btw has anyone tried the Harma branded valves ?I have a couple that are my favourites for clean tones

[@ineedadrinktoo]

I heard otherwise. This test showed me how unimportant tube choice is.

[@oyster7746]

I just bought a pair of those Philips 12ax7's, thanks Johan!

[@NORMIES_GET_OUT]

I've switched to Tung Sols in my HRD. They're really good clean and they dirty up nicer than the stock tubes, but you can still get loads of headroom if you run them slightly hot.

[@kladenf03v]

It would have been the icing on the cake if the tubes had been measured in a valve tester. Great test Johan Mullard and Phillips ecc83 sounds best to my ears. Use Phillips ecc83 in v1 for all my amps.

[@justinbradfield6499]

Thanks Johan !!!!! Man those Mullard's sounded awesome !!!!!!

[@MrJLobster]

Thank You Johan to prove that I´m not deaf after 35 Rocking Years ! Stunning! I have or had them all... I see my own experience with the different Brands reflected in your Test with a complete different Setup. I expected the JJ to be the worst and very one dimentional, TAD not much better. The old Ruby China nearly on par with the mullard -very rich and 3 dimentional. Tungsol and Audio C if i didn´t now it better sounded both like a rebranded JJ. Missed the old Tesla Jugoslavia witch was an other Trademark tube for later marshalls. Thank You Johan again!

[@shorerocks]

Johan, you are completely crazy. I love it!

[@stiffrichard2816]

I am a Marshall user and I just went through this process trying to optimize a Peavey Delta Blues 1x15" (same circuit as the Classic 30 but with tremolo). The distortion channel's clipping sounded like total crap, but now it actually sounds pretty close to a good Marshall. After hours of swapping tubes, here's what I learned. No two 12AX7's sound exactly the same regardless of the brand, model or specs. Such is the way it is. Now, assuming that your pickup is balanced under the strings correctly so that you can hear each string evenly and you're getting the magnetic response you want, aside from things like the gain, tonal character or if there's microphonic leakage in each tube you try, the most important thing to listen for in any tube is that it makes your high notes sound smooth and fat with good sustain. Even you're strictly a rhythm player, I would recommend this. There is no measurement to predict this, they just either do or they don't. The way a tube sounds in V1 is usually the best representation of how the tube really sounds and performs, so I start assessing them there. It really helps to number all your tubes and make some notes on them with a Sharpie. If you don't... I wish you luck. After weeding out what you didn't like in V1, take those and start trying them in the phase inverter. The PI will radically change the way the amp sounds, not so much from the audio characteristics of the tube, but how it changes the voltage operation and drives the power section. It's the most radical change you can make in the amp. Once you hit upon something you like, then you can go back and swap out different tubes in the preamp and "tweak". Now remember, whatever you try, as long as your high notes are nice and flutey, not thin and ice-picky, the rest is a matter of taste or what suits your needs. Old-school amps are easy, just one tube in the pre, but in multi-gain-stage amps like my Delta Blues, I found that you should start with a lower gain in V1 as to not oversaturate V2 and make that harsh, blurry clipping that many complain about. All the tubes I tried were standard JJ's and there was one that was extra "midrangey", that went to V2, and a super-hot, nasty, ballsy one (not good for V1/V2) went into the PI and really helped to drive the power section and warm things up. Other amps might respond differently and require an opposite approach with a super-hot V1... whatever works. I don't recommend substituting 12AU7's or 12AT7's in place of a 12AX7, it can work sometimes in certain amps but can also damage other amps. If you really need less gain in one spot for some reason, try a 5751, but they are inconsistent and not always a guitar friendly in tone or response. Happy tweaking!!!

[@romaniguitar]

The Ultron has a nice well-rounded overdrive tone, I'd go with that one!

[@five18studios82]

First off, thanks for taking the time to do this test. I’m sure it was time consuming. That being said, I hope everyone can agree that this is NOT a fair shootout. A players technique will NEVER be exactly the same from moment to moment. The only way to truly hear the difference is to Re-Amp a track so it’s the SAME performance every time. The differences you are hearing are no doubt, at least to some extent, the changes in attack strength and other variations that we all want on LIVE recordings. This is why sample libraries never get all the way there. It’s the same samples over and over. Even in round robin or random. The tiny nuances in attack strength, pick angle, and other variables are what make a live player sound more organic. Testing tube sound by simply playing is the same as testing the same tubes. play for 5 minutes with the same setup, chop it up, and tell me it sounds EXACTLY the same on every take. It won’t. Kudos to you for taking the time to do this video, but it’s not a fair test IMHO.

[@SilverParatrooper]

I really likesd the Mesa Branded Tubes, the Tung-Sol and the Mullard 12AT7( I actually have one of these in my 67 Fender Bandmaster and it sounds great)

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks, I liked the 12AT7 a lot too

[@rumglas]

You make them all sound awesome

[@byronlaird5116]

Nice test. I did the same kind of thing a while back when I got a Bugera T5 mini head (aka: the Toaster). Tried 4 EL84's & 7 12AX7's, in every possible combination & each pairing had notable differences. I even took Notes to keep track. Winning combo was a pair of JJ's, with a 'Hot' 12AX7. Pushed the little 5 watt, mid-gain amp into full blown Overdrive. Thru my EVM 12L loaded 1-12 Theile cab it sounds really Mean & LOUD !! Like "there's no way that amp is only 5 watts because it's almost drowning out the drumkit" LOUD, no kidding. The moral of the story is: Tube selection can make Big differences, and those modern mini tube amps are great tools for experimentation.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Byron! Yeah that’s great way to get a feel for the sound chain too. Cheers

[@SlinkyT82]

Fantastic video! Thanks for this.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Erik!

[@shovington67]

Tung-Sol and the Philips had a higher level of distortion, and the Marshall and Mesa Boogie branded tubes seemed more subdued. As far as overall sonics, they were all very different . I'd like to see a spectrum analyser read out in a corner of the video for comparison. Great video as always.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks, great idea

[@VladicD]

@@JohanSegeborn I think that Marshall and Mesa tubes looks very similar to Sovtek. It's the same tube I think.

[@kaarefestvog6540]

Those Philips = Sylvania long gray plates are hot tubes usually scoring gm way above anything you can find new but can get microphonic.

[@shovington67]

@@kaarefestvog6540 I sure like the way they sound !

[@kaarefestvog6540]

Now I'm looking at it again and I can't tell if it is a Philips Miniwatt = Mullard or an 80s Philips = Sylvania.

[@mrr3000gt]

Best test of the Orange Micro Terror with rolling various tubes thru amp!

[@OssianOtt]

I liked the marshall branded and the JJ tube the best. Tack för testet :)

[@presentelaw]

Solid video as usual!!! I was hoping to hear some Telefunkens just for comparison sake.

[@aalperuzun]

Thank you so much for this video.

[@gustavojazz4514]

Great work, thx my Friend !!!

[@rendyandrian7149]

May I give you suggestion ? For this kind of test, I think you can use a looper pedal. With that pedal, you'll eliminate any variation in fretting and picking hand.

[@adam614ce]

YES loop it with a test signal

[@willywillywillywillywilly]

As long as today’s loop pedals both put out an equivalent signal and record at a very high sample rate.

[@lrexoticgaming5636]

or re amp it

[@FullTekAuto]

Mullard ecc83 Phillips ecc83 EH ecc83 Audio classic Mullard ecc82 - has good articulation. I could hear the chugging bass notes and the treble high end from the chords very clearly without muddiness or noise. Mullard ecc81 same as above but with even less gain and noise. I'm studying to design my own amplifier. I've autistically studied this video and these are my thoughts. Thank you Johan, I cannot stress how invaluable this is to our community. Please make more. I would love to see a video on all the different preamp and Poweramp tubes, different speaker types. Next I'm studying the best tubes for clean tone and the solid state alternatives. Thanks

[@mrjenybean]

Fantastic video man

[@ianmcelroy5772]

You're nuts.... I love it!! Thanks for this.

[@vidmangamer1]

Of course! Sounds like plexi! Tung-sol and Mullard ecc83 for me...imho...

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Vidman! It’s almost impossible to not sound plexi through that cab though ;-)

[@shovelrocker7102]

I'm pretty sure that both of my Marshall's have those JJ tubes after last check that i had made in them. And i feel the sound went as "thin" (or whatever you want to call it) as you showed right there. Have to get my hands on fee of those tung-sol tubes. If nothing else, just for fun and to test things out. Thank you for this excellent video!

[@shoey6123]

Electro-Harmonix simply for the fourth demo. Love that sound

[@richardmartin3722]

What an awesome video!

[@patros6092]

I liked the Philips! Cheers from Stockholm

[@Martin_Hornauer]

Das es endlich mal ein aussagekräftiger Test. TOP!!

[@paulkielt9301]

The Mulard ECC81 is a great sounding tube. Especially as the first preamp tube or as a phase inverter as well!

[@matthewhackett3429]

Interesting take. What amps do you use .. what’s your favorite combo of tubes

[@charlesshaw9090]

Very interesting Johan! Definitely not just a gain thing. If it was, the ECC82 would have sounded the weakest, but it was great. Most of them were perfectly useable valves apart from the JJ, TAD, and MESA which were awful and sounded like rejects! Thanks

[@RocketinExile]

Awesome demo

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Yul!

[@YeeThirty]

Awesome video!

[@danielrunnheim1889]

Johan, I didn't even know what was in half my amps until today. Spun all of them around and checked if I had any on the list!

[@Schlumbucketreturns]

I really like the Valvo ECC83 and ECC81 tubes from the late '50s. They will make almost any amp sound better. When comparing preamp tubes I like to play some sharp lead riffs around the 12th fret to get an idea of how the tube compresses the higher frequencies. The signature of the Valvo tubes is warm midrange with a very smooth and musical compression of these high frequencies. Leads have great clarity and sustain with very little harshness. RCA preamp tubes also sound great with a smooth and musical compression, but with a more open "Fendery" sound.

[@mrnomad55]

best tube comparison hands down.

[@VladicD]

Damn, that new production Tung-Sol is very impressive!