Musicians Roadhouse

I need to re-tube my Super 100JH and will most likey go with the Gold Lion KT66, but I'm open to other suggestions. I want to keep my amp stock along with the bear trap retainers.
I play a lot of blues and classic rock style stuff.

For the 12ax7's I am debating between the Tung Sol or the Gold Lion.
Regardless of price, please recommend preamp tubes - especially if you have experience with these two - or other suggestions.
I will probably go thru the Tube Store or Depot because I've had good luck with warranty. I did well for my Champ getting old stock from ebay but will probably not go that route for this amp.

Also, I hear people say to put a certain tube V1 and then a different brand in V2, and V3.
I've always used the same tubes in all 3 positions.

Thanks for your time.

-- Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:17 pm --

I am hearing that I should use Mullared RI 12ax7 tubes instead....

jboyjams wrote:I need to re-tube my Super 100JH and will most likey go with the Gold Lion KT66, but I'm open to other suggestions. I want to keep my amp stock along with the bear trap retainers.
I play a lot of blues and classic rock style stuff.

For the 12ax7's I am debating between the Tung Sol or the Gold Lion.
Regardless of price, please recommend preamp tubes - especially if you have experience with these two - or other suggestions.
I will probably go thru the Tube Store or Depot because I've had good luck with warranty. I did well for my Champ getting old stock from ebay but will probably not go that route for this amp.

Also, I hear people say to put a certain tube V1 and then a different brand in V2, and V3.
I've always used the same tubes in all 3 positions.

Thanks for your time.

-- Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:17 pm --

I am hearing that I should use Mullared RI 12ax7 tubes instead....

Hey JBoy!

I have the Genalex gold Lions KT-66's in my 6100 and I love em! I have had just about every kind of tube in that thing you can imagine, and the Gold Lions are the best to my ears for CP KT-66's


As for 12AX7's / ECC83s, I am not a big fan of the CP Mullards. NOS Mullards are everything they are cracked p to be, but the CP Mullards are a very linear and a bit flat to my ears, nothing like the originals. CP Tung Sol are a nice sounding tube. Great body and detail, but I have had a pretty high failure rate with them. Having the warranty helps, but who wants to deal with yanking tubes? Also worth a note, CP Mullards, Tung Sol, EH and several others are all products of the New Sensor Corp (AKA - Sovetech). Personally for my money, I stick with JJ ECC33's. They are warm and sweet, I have a great success rate in my installs (I have only had a couple fail) and they are affordable.

Best of luck!

Thanks Mann. I did go with the Gold Lion KT66 and they seem fine. It seems to me that the 12ax7 are making the most difference in this amp to my surprise.
I ended up trying 3 Mullard and I also bought 1 Tung-Sol to try in V1.
I agree with your descriptions - the Mullard are flat eq with a little more power, but the Tung-Sol just has sweet tone.
So in my newly tubed Super 100jh, I have 2 Mullard and 1 Tung-Sol in V1.
Then I put the left over Mullard in V1 of my other Super 100jh, and this has much more life than the stock 12ax7.

Just yesterday I ordered more of the Tung-Sol to put in V1 of my other amps. I hope they last and aren't like the 6v6 Tung-Sol which are incredible sounding but die very easily in my Champ (NOS from ebay TS and others are lasting fine in the Champ). I will have a 90 day warranty from the Tube Depot for these - same as my prior purchase from the Tube Store with a 90 day warranty.

I have JJ in my 4502 combo, 1987x and 2204 - I will be comparing these by sawpping in and out a Tung-Sol in V1.

The absolute best tube set to completely re-tube your Marshall Super JH is below:

Maker: Watford Tubes England

Preamp tubes: Harma ECC83/7025 DRIVE TESTED "DR270" (Get the 270 rated version) These Don't need to be cryogenic tubes like the output tubes

Power amp / Output Tubes: KT66/HARMA-RETRO Cryogenic Treated

I had tried all the best tube types discussed here and there, vintage and modern, and i tried them side by side aswell, and these are by far, by a long way, which is hard to say these days, the best by a mile. This preamp and output tube "combination" is simply amazing. It is simply right! Remember, its the combination, not one or the other, even though they are amazing on their own, its the fact they are in the same amp at the same time, that's where the true perfection comes from. You will not be disappointed.

A Huge hint here: If you have the Super100JH, the reason you are in this particular forum ofcourse, then up-grade the filter caps with original ARS caps, they are cheap and easy to purchase from original maker in USA. The reason is, the new version of the exact same caps are higher rated and a stronger cap, sound wise, it will be absolutely identical, but you will have a stronger filter section by far in the amp. The filter caps take a lot of bass response beating over the years and the strength of this area in the amp actually does make a long lasting difference. Link to the ARS caps here:

http://www.arselectronics.com/ARSWEB/CapPage2.html

Also, amazing difference. Do an original Mustard cap job while you can still get NOS mustard caps off ebay. The tone is transformed. The original Marshall hum, very slight, but indicative of differences in tone is back. The caps that this head came out with are one of the very highest quality, fantastic, but their dead quiet nature also effects the tone of the amp, as its all in the circuit, the hum, and its their for a reason. This has nothing to do with the transformer hum, completely separate thing. The Mustard caps bring out some subtle yet radical tonal differences, and its that much closer to what you would call the hole grail tone in this amp. Combined with the above tubes, and you "will" agree that something very astounding just happens to the amp. :-)

No need to change other caps and resisters etc.

P.S. Run your system through a Furman Power Conditioner! JUST DO IT! They are not expensive, but power line noise and tube longevity is substantial. DO IT!

Enjoy!

:-)

I buy a lot of stuff from The Tube Store also. For preamp tubes I am very impressed with their Preferred 7025 tubes, I have them in all my amps now. Check them out and read what they have to say about them. I love them for the rich sound and low noise.

http://thetubestore.com/preferred7025.html

surfnorthwest wrote:I buy a lot of stuff from The Tube Store also. For preamp tubes I am very impressed with their Preferred 7025 tubes, I have them in all my amps now. Check them out and read what they have to say about them. I love them for the rich sound and low noise.

http://thetubestore.com/preferred7025.html

I wondered about those - I'll have to try one in V1 - thanks!