Jan Phillips 12ax7wa

[LivewireBlanco]

I put down the cash for one of these tubes to try out. Seems like they are the cheapest of the NOS stuff. Gonna try one in the V1 of the 2266c as soon as my new KT66s come in. Gonna give compare it with the Tungsol RI that I have in there right now.

[surfnorthwest]

You will love those WA's, one of my favorite tubes. I had a couple in my old Legacy and they were sweet, they are not high gain like a JJ but they have some great mids. I think I paid about $45 each for mine but don't have them anymore. Let us know how it goes as I just do not get much tone change with other preamp tubes from this amp like I do other amps. I keep coming back to the stock configuration which is where I think this amp is the best. I am however currently using Penta KT66s and have some Valve Arts on deck.

[LivewireBlanco]

Surf, does that Plexi you got have some NOS glass?

[surfnorthwest]

No it doesn't, right now it has what the previous owner installed which are

Ei premap tubes
Harma EL34 power tubes

I am loving the amp as it is but still getting used to playing it, with a amp like this not only must you play the guitar a bit more disiplined but you need to know how to control it. This thing just has some BALLS. My ISP Decimator took care of the runaway feedback perfect so that was the only issue I needed to get under control

Once I have a bit more time into it between all my guitars I will start to pull some preamp tubes and see what I come up with. I am going to slap a couple of Telefunkens in it and try some Valve Art EL34s.... I love Valve Art power valves.

[LivewireBlanco]

Yeah, definitely try some different preamp stuff. I have a Metro JTM45 and it's got NOS stuff in V1 and V3. I love that amp!

[LivewireBlanco]

Well I wasn't too impressed. Surf, you are right about that mids thing! It's the upper mids that are hyped on this tube and I didn't like it too much. Sounded mored sterile than my Tungsol RI tube in V1. I may use it for the tonestack some day but for now it's going back in the box!

[surfnorthwest]

Hmmm, I know that to be a great tube but not so suprized based on my experience changing preamp tubes in the VM. You know it would be easier to make comments if I knew for sure your tube was as good as my tube but as you know each tube can be different. I think if you just stick to the TungSol or the Shuguang's that those will work as good as anything else in this amp. I wouldn't get rid of it yet unless you have no use for it, try it in your metro and see what you think.

[LivewireBlanco]

I ended up playing "swap the tubes" with 3 of my amps and even tried an old U.S. tube that I thought was bad and what do you know....it worked!

Tube line up is:

V1- NOS U.S. tube (looks like a GE but most of the paint is worn off, not really NOS anymore I guess)
V2- Stock Chinese (i don't use high range)
V3- Tungsol RI
V4- NOS Jan Phillips

Sounds very articulate now and has a great break up. I can't wait until the next practice to let her rip, living in an apartment SUCKS!

[surfnorthwest]

Found three new Jan Phillips 12ax7wa NOS tubes that were being sold on eBay so I got them. Guy bought these tubes about a year ago and they were hand selected for him to place in a studio compressor, these ones should be about as good of a example of the WA you can find.

Want to try it in my V4 since I still stand my ground that other preamp tubes make little difference in this amp over the stock tubes, of course I have only been messin' with V1 and V2. I plan to leave my TungSols in V1-V3 and just replace V4 to see what comes of it. I really like what my amp is currently putting out with tone so it would have to be very noticable improvment for me to make the change.

If nothing else I will play with the WA's and also a couple of NOS Mullards and Bugle Boy tubes I bought also to try in my Plexi. Really happy with my DSL configuration right now but will try a WA in V4 also to see what happens in that amp. If I don't see a marked improvment in V4 in the VM I will offer all three Jan Phillips 12ax7wa tubes up for sale here to users if you want to try them.

[LivewireBlanco]

I may take one off your hands if you don't like them. What do you currently have in your V4 in the VM?

Your Plexi is going to love those NOS tubes! :twisted:

[surfnorthwest]

What do you currently have in your V4 in the VM

Currently have all TungSol tubes in it with Penta KT66s.... have a quad new of Valve Arts KT66s I will install later this year also.

[LivewireBlanco]

You will definitely hear a difference in that V4. Played around with a tungsol there and it didn't sound at all the same.

[surfnorthwest]

Well I got the three WA's and got some time tonight to try them. First off the tubes were all tested between 87-91...pretty darn good. The boxes seemed to be orignal and labeled 6-76.

I first tried one in V4 on the VM and instant change but not for the better IMO, what I did immediatly notice was a muddy amp in high range. Switching to low range there was a change that was pretty good, no mud but rather a bit warmer. In the end the Marshall tube went back in, to my ears the TungSOls in V1and V2 with the stock tubes simply sound the best in my amp. (Memo to self, stop farting around with tubes in this wonderful amp)

Now here is the great news. I figured since I have the time lets see what the Metro Plexi will do with these WA's. What I had in it was a JJ in V1 and a Ei in V2 and V3. Pulled the JJ in V1 and put a NOS Mullard in and a WA in V2 and V3. Shazam, it breathed some great mids into the amp, wish you guys could be here to hear this thing..amazing. It made the top end of this amp much easier to control and cleaned it up. Nice change over what was in it, the distorition is so natrual and clean.

In the end the WA's were a excellent upgrade and the perfect tube for that monster.

[LivewireBlanco]

Surf, I am really glad that you could put those NOS tubes to good use. I think that since the Metro is based on an original Marshall that would have been using tubes of this quality back then that they would naturally sound better with old tubes, whereas the VM is based on new design and tubes. On the VM I always have it on low dynamic range, so I like the way this tube sounds in V4 and never tried it on high. Keep having fun with that Metro!