I am in need of new tubes.

GilmourD said:
I've honestly never been a fan of Sovteks outside of the 12ax7lps. The others sound like cardboard.

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I'm talking outta my ass :embarrassed:

I know our former guitarist had some in his whatever it was amp, and it sounded good :lol:

I just like the name.
 
Peeker said:
I'm talking outta my ass :embarrassed:

I know our former guitarist had some in his whatever it was amp, and it sounded good :lol:

I just like the name.
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Ironically, Sovtek actually made some nice amps with the MiG series. Just needed a small mod so they didn't cause fires. LOL ask Krashpad.

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Peeker said:
I'm talking outta my ass :embarrassed:

I know our former guitarist had some in his whatever it was amp, and it sounded good :lol:

I just like the name.
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So, Sovtek is just a brand name, they are owned and marketed by a company called New Sensor. New Sensor sells tubes under the brands Sovtek, Electro Harmonix, Mullard, Tung Sol, Genealex/Gold Lion, and Svetlana. ALL of these tubes are made at the same factory in Russia, called Reflektor. Mnay tube deisgns are sold under more than one brand, and most share at least some design points, if not internal parts.

New Sensor built it's empire on the Sovtek 5881, which a rebranded Soviet jet servo tube, the 6Π3C. Then they put out the more robust 6Π3C-E as the 5881WXT. These were immensely successfully because almost all other power tube production at ended by the late '80's and early '90's. On this success, they sold amps, reissued Electro Harmonics effects, and preamp tubes. For years their tube offerings were the (slightly) higher gain, higher headroom, brighter 12AX7WA (they marketed this as a Fender-esque preamp tube), and the (slightly) lower gain, easier-to-clip, warmer 12AX7WB. For there, they and the tube business has exploded into a massive amount of operations.

Never heard of a Sovtek amp catching fire...though original Vox amps and Diaz amps had that reputation. Sovtek amps did have a lot of issues...ultimately some proved bullet-proof and tour-rugged and others were lemons, with the exception of a bad run of output transformers; there is little in common between all the lemons, it's just that there was too much lost in translation and too loose of quality control.
 
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Wyatt said:
So, Sovtek is just a brand name, they are owned and marketed by a company called New Sensor. New Sensor sells tubes under the brands Sovtek, Electro Harmonix, Mullard, Tung Sol, Genealex/Gold Lion, and Svetlana. ALL of these tubes are made at the same factory in Russia, called Reflektor. Mnay tube deisgns are sold under more than one brand, and most share at least some design points, if not internal parts.

New Sensor built it's empire on the Sovtek 5881, which a rebranded Soviet jet servo tube, the 6Π3C. Then they put out the more robust 6Π3C-E as the 5881WXT. These were immensely successfully because almost all other power tube production at ended by the late '80's and early '90's. On this success, they sold amps, reissued Electro Harmonics effects, and preamp tubes. For years their tube offerings were the (slightly) higher gain, higher headroom, brighter 12AX7WA (they marketed this as a Fender-esque preamp tube), and the (slightly) lower gain, easier-to-clip, warmer 12AX7WB. For there, they and the tube business has exploded into a massive amount of operations.

Never heard of a Sovtek amp catching fire...though original Vox amps and Diaz amps had that reputation. Sovtek amps did have a lot of issues...ultimately some proved bullet-proof and tour-rugged and others were lemons, with the exception of a bad run of output transformers; there is little in common between all the lemons, it's just that there was too much lost in translation and too loose of quality control.
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Yeah, some designs are shared but some are unique. I personally don't like the 12ax7 designs from Sovtek outside of the LPS. The EH tubes are much nicer to my ear. But that might just be a matter of taste. I haven't tried any of the New Sensor Svetlanas. Tried the SED Svetlanas but was not a fan, but that's a whole different company. Haven't tried any of the others from New Sensor, either.

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SO I got a couple of recommendations. From Doug's Tubes:


V1 = Sovtek 12AX7WB reverb return

V2 = Ruby 12AX7AC5 HG+ Tone Control Driver, Drive channel

V3 = Gold Lion 12AX7 standard pin Gain Stage 2 for Clean channel

V4 = Electro harmonix EF86/6267 Reverb Driver. Small Signal Pentode

V5 = phase inverter Ruby 7025SS HG

V6 = Sovtek 5AR4 rectifier

V7-V10 = JJ EL84's​

From ValveQueen:

I generally steer guys towards JJ EL84’s due to reliability. I have Tung Sol’s on order but I don’t have a shipment date as of yet. I don’t sell the Sovtek WB. There are only a few select New Sensor 12ax7’s that I carry due to issues that I have had with their preamp tubes. I personally like using JJ’s in V1. They are in general the quietest and lowest noise new production preamp tube. I sell the Ruby AC5 HG and HG+ 12ax7’s which are Chinese for the remaining positions. The HG+ is tested for lower noise/microphonics.​
 
Lots of people like JJs, don't think you can go wrong with them. My EL84 are Tung Sol Most of the pres are Mullard, except V1 is GE JAN.
 
Kerouac said:
Anyone with opinions on those picks?
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If it were me, I'd probably stick a JJ ECC83s in V1 and V2 and a JJ ECC803s in V3.

What you put in the EF86 slot probably depends on how often you'll be using the reverb. The EH seems to be the least expensive option.

I haven't used Ruby tubes in YEARS, but I remember just not being a fan of them in general... But things seem to have changed from what I hear. I've had good luck with EH and JJ in the PI slot, though, and even Sovteks. LOL

The Sovtek rectumfrier does seem to be the preferred brand of rectumfrier.

As far as EL84s, seems you can't beat the JJs these days.
 
I like Doug's selections better. The JJ ECC83s is a decent tube but it's not my first choice for V1 in any of my amps.
 
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