mullard vs re-issue groove tube mullards

[rockytop blues]

Who here has compared the old 12ax7 Mullards to the re-issue mullards from groove tube ? What do you think.

How about the reissue EL34s ?

Jesse

 

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by rockytop blues
Who here has compared the old 12ax7 Mullards to the re-issue mullards from groove tube ? What do you think.

How about the reissue EL34s ?

Jesse

The originals have higher gain and better tone. For 1/5th the price, the reissues aren't bad.

 

[Scott Peterson]

Originally posted by Blue Strat
The originals have higher gain and better tone. For 1/5th the price, the reissues aren't bad.

Agreed 100%.

 

[908SSP]

Originally posted by Scott Peterson
Agreed 100%.

Ha..............I agree too

 

[GDS Racing]

Of the three GT 12AX7Ms I've tried, one was very noisy, so I guess that is about the same as my track record for real Mullards. I don't care to use them unless I have to.

IMHO, the EI Gold Pin Elite 12AX7 is a better sounding tube in the same vein. It is smooth, refined and reliable. In the 30 or 40 I've used, I've had one that was microphonic.

 

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by GDS Racing
Of the three GT 12AX7Ms I've tried, one was very noisy, so I guess that is about the same as my track record for real Mullards. I don't care to use them unless I have to.

IMHO, the EI Gold Pin Elite 12AX7 is a better sounding tube in the same vein. It is smooth, refined and reliable. In the 30 or 40 I've used, I've had one that was microphonic.

Of the last 100 EIs I ordered I had 30 microphonic which is why I don't carry them anymore. On the best day there are customer service issues, no sense in tempting fate.

 

[riffmeister]

I've tried the GT Mullard copies.......I just did not like them at all......something "missing" in their frequency response, esp compared to the real deal.

Ei is probably my all-time favorite 12AX7, even when compared to NOS types.

But with tubes, it is a "taste" thing, and so what's good for me may not be good for you. You gotta experiment for a while to find what you like......

 

[Seńor Verde]

I like the Ei Gold Pins in my Fender type amps and regular Ei Elites in my Dr. Z's. There is more difference than just the gold plated pins.

I have had just as many bad new tubes from other brands as the Ei's.

I bought a few GT Mullards and they sound pretty dull. About 1/3 of them were micro, noisy or had noticeably low gain. Good job screening GT.

 

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by DoobieK

I have had just as many bad new tubes from other brands as the Ei's.

That's likely because your dealer has been rejecting the bad ones or got very lucky.

 

[Seńor Verde]

I buy from a variety of sellers, including some very well known and respected on-line suppliers. I haven't kept close track, but have received bad tubes from all of them at one time or another. It is frustrating, but I guess I cannot complain. I could go solid state.

 

[DannyDay]

Originally posted by DoobieK
but I guess I cannot complain. I could go solid state.

Yeah, someone mentioned on another thread something about "clipping diodes". Yum!!! NOT!

DD.

 

[avenerjimmie]

i haven't used an original mullard, but i didn't like the new ones much. they were alright, but i liked an eh tube i tried better, and it was half the price.

 

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by avenerjimmie
i haven't used an original mullard, but i didn't like the new ones much. they were alright, but i liked an eh tube i tried better, and it was half the price.

The EHs are one of the brightest, GT-Ms one of the darkest.

Different amps, ears, personal taste....

 

[tonemandan]

I tried them. Don't believe the hype. They do not sound like old Mullards to my ear. I think there are better choices out there for the money.

Dan

 

[TheAmpNerd]

Hey Mike,

Those 12AX7 Brimar tubes, do they have like 3/4 plates on them? Were they made by Mullard or did they have
their own MFG Space?

I don't know that much about them. That got me thinking
though, have seen some older Mazdas made in UK, wondering who made what?

Will all Mullards have that glass etching on them?
That B<code> etc on them?

Thanks

 

[shallbe]

Originally posted by tonemandan
I tried them. Don't believe the hype. They do not sound like old Mullards to my ear. I think there are better choices out there for the money.

Dan

Ditto.

 

[JackC]

I tried a new 12ax7-M in my Bivalve this weekend and it was an interesting tube. VERY, very low gain. I think my old real Mullard 12at7 is actually gainier. An EI elite gold has tons more gain.

But - 12ax7-M sounded really good as a driver, in combination with the EI, so I'm not bummed.

Anyway - I know that these aren't supposed to be really high gain tubes, but are they supposed to have dramatically less gain than other current production tubes?

 

[908SSP]

If you mean by gain a fizzy crackly sizziling top then yes they have less of that. If you mean compression sustain and harmonics then no they have no less of that.

 

[JackC]

Originally posted by 908SSP
If you mean by gain a fizzy crackly sizziling top then yes they have less of that. If you mean compression sustain and harmonics then no they have no less of that.

I mean output and drive. Other current production 12ax7s drive the Bivalve into significantly more distortion. It's just got a lot less gain. It is a lot less "hot" than other tubes. It's not a question of the nature of the gain, but the amount of it.

 

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by JackC
I mean output and drive. Other current production 12ax7s drive the Bivalve into significantly more distortion. It's just got a lot less gain. It is a lot less "hot" than other tubes. It's not a question of the nature of the gain, but the amount of it.

Right, contrary to modern guitarist jargin, GAIN DOES NOT EQUAL DISTORTION. Gain is :

Amount of output signal/amount of input signal

The more gain a tube or circuit has, the more output signal you get for a fixed input signal.

Feeding more signal to the next stage in an amp CAN overdrive the next stage (if the amp was designed to do so) but GAIN DOES NOT (in and of itself) EQUAL DISTORTION.