High Gain 12ax7 recommend.

PolarityMan

If yoy mean the video earlier in the thread then its a pretty worthless comparison as the source audio is not identical between each tube.

I used a looper so I was testing the exact same inout signal.

ICBM

PolarityMan said:

If yoy mean the video earlier in the thread then its a pretty worthless comparison as the source audio is not identical between each tube.

No, but the difference in tone is quite dramatic.

PolarityMan

On the clean tones especially there were some differences but I'm not sure I could confidently say they are more than variation in picking strength and position relative to the bridge for example.

ICBM

PolarityMan said:

On the clean tones especially there were some differences but I'm not sure I could confidently say they are more than variation in picking strength and position relative to the bridge for example.

I think the actual tone of the JJ is noticeably muddier than the other two regardless of the playing - that's why I was able to pick it out straight away, it's just a very different sound. The other two are similar enough to each other than I would agree with you.

I would expect it to come out on a frequency analyser as well, in fact - it just has a lot less top-end.

PolarityMan

Obvs i was comparing different valves to him but a JJ was definitely one of them.

ecc83

"I think the actual tone of the JJ is noticeably muddier than the other two" Did he ever actually tell us which valve was which? If so I did not hear it in my clip.

But sorry IC, I agree with Polarity Man, the differences (and  ICOULD hear differences on the 5As cranked a bit!) could easily be due to "finger trouble". This is why I say peeps will not get valid answers unless they use a digital recording. THEN of course you say there is a synergy between valve types and playing styles..Can't effin' win can I?

The factory tester/player I alluded to earlier might pick up on some of those differences, I am sure they are more obvious to those with 20-20 lugs, but what would happen there is the amp would go back for re-work and the response re-checked. It HAS been known for a capacitor to be stuffed wrong value. We HAVE had the odd speaker that was oddly lacking in top end but I have NEVER heard of a valve being diagnosed as causing a frequency response fault. Mind you, they would all be of the same brand and likely part of a huge batch.

Dave.

Modulus_Amps

Well I can hear differences between valves and I spend ages listening to the things, I can hear them in that video too, but the funny thing about that video is the one valve I normally don't like was the sound sample I preferred.

He should have replaced the overdriving valve for the overdrive tones, as that would give you an idea as to how the harmonics differ between the valves/solid state devices.