Tube amp guru, help me

[floid]

In the research that I did, many seemed to think the EH 7591 was better than the JJ, neither was better than the older versions, but the lapse in manufacturing and the resulting scarcity/high prices made NOS a gamble.

I believe the 7591 was designed to be a juiced up 6L6, and pushed the limits of what was doable within the form factor. Coupled with the tendency of guitar-amp manufacturers to push design limits, and the new-production versions being not really the same thing.

Btw, I'm far from a guru. But I did fall down this rabbit hole a few years ago, ha. It might be a good idea to ask the manufacturer if they recommend one type in particular, etc.

[Nick Sevilla]

most modern production tubes are garbage. especially the stuff EHX pumps out. They own a ton of the brands, i never buy their stuff, EHX, Sovtek, Tung-Sol, Genalex, Mullard, and Svetlana. AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE.

If you must have new production, go JJ/Tesla, i've found they have way better quality control. ...

Yes, those are all made by Electroharmonix. We should tell Mike to step up the QC or something. LOL. They used to be rock solid. Got some amps that got years of use out of those brands.

https://www.ehx.com/tubes/

JJ tubes are a different company than TESLA, although they use the same machinery. Different people. Good stuff.

[markjazzbassist]

most modern production tubes are garbage. especially the stuff EHX pumps out. They own a ton of the brands, i never buy their stuff, EHX, Sovtek, Tung-Sol, Genalex, Mullard, and Svetlana. AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE.

If you must have new production, go JJ/Tesla, i've found they have way better quality control. ...

Yes, those are all made by Electroharmonix. We should tell Mike to step up the QC or something. LOL. They used to be rock solid. Got some amps that got years of use out of those brands.

https://www.ehx.com/tubes/

JJ tubes are a different company than TESLA, although they use the same machinery. Different people. Good stuff.

if you've ever owned modern production EHX pedals or products you will realize it's just par for the course. they are made very cheaply everything is chinese they just assemble it in NY so they can slap that MADE IN NYC bs logo they put on there. they are now disposable, if something breaks they are just thrown away and re-purchased. i think that's how mike likes it.

[losthighway]

So the Dr. Z repair department politely threw me some shade for using EH tubes and said I need to go for the Tung Sols as it is the tube of choice that they used in their design. Fair enough, I suppose.

It's a $70 dollar question, and the third pair of tubes, but I'll give it a go. I feel like this is Russian Roulette, the vacuum tube version.

[Recycled_Brains]

So the Dr. Z repair department politely threw me some shade for using EH tubes and said I need to go for the Tung Sols as it is the tube of choice that they used in their design. Fair enough, I suppose.

It's a $70 dollar question, and the third pair of tubes, but I'll give it a go. I feel like this is Russian Roulette, the vacuum tube version.

The Tung Sols probably come from the same 2 factories in Russia as the EHX, so you're probably not actually being facetious. Where do you buy your tubes? I have gotten mine through Tube Depot for like 15 years now and have always had good luck when I pay the little extra for them to check for low noise/microphonics. Adds about $6/tube, but from my experience, you're paying for peace of mind.

Oliver from TAB Funkenwerk used to advocate for using Chinese made 12AX7s over Russian if you're using current production. They're a lot less expensive and he was a genius.

[floid]

Haha well as usual it would appear I'm exactly and completely wrong. Apologies.

[markjazzbassist]

So the Dr. Z repair department politely threw me some shade for using EH tubes and said I need to go for the Tung Sols as it is the tube of choice that they used in their design. Fair enough, I suppose.

It's a $70 dollar question, and the third pair of tubes, but I'll give it a go. I feel like this is Russian Roulette, the vacuum tube version.

The Tung Sols probably come from the same 2 factories in Russia as the EHX, so you're probably not actually being facetious. Where do you buy your tubes? I have gotten mine through Tube Depot for like 15 years now and have always had good luck when I pay the little extra for them to check for low noise/microphonics. Adds about $6/tube, but from my experience, you're paying for peace of mind.

Oliver from TAB Funkenwerk used to advocate for using Chinese made 12AX7s over Russian if you're using current production. They're a lot less expensive and he was a genius.

+1 on the Tube Depot recommendation and services. when i would buy new production tubes (JJ) i would also pay extra for their low noise/microphonics and matching for power tubes. well worth the extra charges, basically you get the best of the best of tubes they have which should ensure you longer use and less issues.

To the OP, per my earlier comment i'm not at all surprised by Dr.Z's comment on the EHX tubes

[losthighway]

To the OP, per my earlier comment i'm not at all surprised by Dr.Z's comment on the EHX tubes

I just realized my email response was from Dr. Z himself. I think starstruck would be overstating it, but some smaller version of that for our nerdy corner of the world came over me.

[markjazzbassist]

To the OP, per my earlier comment i'm not at all surprised by Dr.Z's comment on the EHX tubes

I just realized my email response was from Dr. Z himself. I think starstruck would be overstating it, but some smaller version of that for our nerdy corner of the world came over me.

they are local to me (made in a cleveland suburb called maple heights) and my best friend and one of the artists i toured with has played them for 20+ years. they are super nice amps, enjoy yours hope you are able to get it working consistently!

[Nick Sevilla]

if you've ever owned modern production EHX pedals or products you will realize it's just par for the course. they are made very cheaply everything is chinese they just assemble it in NY so they can slap that MADE IN NYC bs logo they put on there. they are now disposable, if something breaks they are just thrown away and re-purchased. i think that's how mike likes it.

I think he is just old. He did fight using chips in the pedals for years. Until the sales dipped enough for him to change his mind.

I have all generations of his stuff, the oldest being some AC powered beast of some sort. Since I baby my pedals they do ok, no road abuse for them.

[vvv]

I own a few pedals, including new EHX.

I've never had a problem with any, and find their stuff as good as or better than boutique. The re-issue Muffs, the Ocean 11, delays - all are usable, often better than anything else. The Pitch Fork, the Holy Grail and the Pog - chef's kiss. That nano-Russian Muff is a particular fave.

And the old stuff, the AC stuff and Muffs and Electric Mistress - some are quite valuable.

[vernier]

Haven't had a tube go bad ..ever, that I know of.

[biasvoltage]

....they also void the warranty if anyone else has been inside it.

Whoa, that is illegal on a Federal level. The Mangusson Moss act of 1975.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson% ... rranty_Act

[losthighway]

Those new pair of recommended Tung Sols are sitting in there and again it's sounding beautiful. Recorded some stuff. We'll see if they go microphonic in another few hours of use like the last pair.

But good lord, I made the mistake of checking the price on JJs, WAY cheaper!