I love and appreciate tube based audio gear and own sixteen pieces of tube gear between my two reference systems. All the rest are dynaco telefunken 12ax7 and 1 mullard 6x4. Current production 12bh7a from electroharmonix is a direct replacement for any 12bh7 and 12bh7a tubes. What tubes would you suggest for upgrading the ones on this unit. The 5814a is a militaryindustrial grade 12au7 with low noise and highreliability spec. I was away to stick in an order for some new 12ax7s to replace the crappy ones that are in my amp right now, would it be worthwhile to replace the 12au7 s aswell, or do they not affect the sound as much. I have picked 5 really decent alternatives here one of which the tc electronic tube pilot is actually powered by a 12ax7 type tube too.
But, in the tube substitute lists, i checked, the 12bh7 is listed as a sub for the 12au7. I replaced the original 12ax7 tube with a jj electronics 12au7. This is a pedal that has been around for over thirty years and has become a longstanding favorite amongst some of the most elite players in the business for its smooth distortion and boost capabilities. Please advise if i should get some 12au7 tubes or if the 5814 is the preferred substitute for. Keep in mind that if you do decide to replace the 12ax7 tube you should give the pedal some time to break in. Years ago i built a ggg tube driver useless, now after years being unused i found. Pre amp tube substitute anybody else use a 12au7 ecc82 in v1 or v2. They were only used as overdrives, blended with one of his three compressors. Tuesday im getting my amos flying v so its going to be a fun week at daves house. Today, were going to swap the stock 12ax7 in the b. Obviously a lot more can be said about the effect each tube type has on tone but the best thing to do is have a listen for yourself and make your own determination on what type you prefer in your amp. For a year plus ive been very happy with a matched pair of cbshytron 5814a tubes. It can be a little harsh and raspy and i assume that is because i still have a 12ax7 in it. But ive accidentally had a 6be6 in place of a 6ba6 same as the 12s with different filament voltage and the be did not work at all.
Does anyone know of a good substitute for this tube, or a good source of nos ones. Pre amp tube substitute anybody else use a 12au7 ecc82 in. As well, this tube s low gain make it a great choice for tube preamps in hifi stereo systems. In general, i prefer the sound and performance of new old stock tubes. One of the most commonly found driver tubes found in pushpull tube audio power amplifiers is the 12au7 tube. For more gain, you can substitute with a 12at7, or a 5751. I think its designed for ax7 but mine is getting a lot of gain quickly. David did not use them to boostblend with his big muffs on this tour. I got a bk butler tube driver several weeks ago and either it just doesnt work with my equipment or ive got a bum one, i was wondering if you guys could help me decide. Hello, just joined the forum as i spending more time in music these days.
Unfollow 12au7 tube to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. If you do decide to replace the 12ax7 tube you should give the pedal. My favorite tubes and their substitutes by robert h. With the diy70 board can it the driver board support this tube without changes. The heater current draw of the 12bh7 is twice that of the 12au7 i wouldnt without knowing more about the circuit. It already sounds good but im wondering if it could be even better with a tube swap. What is the difference between the 12ax7, 12at7, and 12au7.
Mullard 12au7 ecc82 current production russian reissue. The bk butler 911 tube driver has been one of those items for me. Heart of the tube driver is a real handselected 12ax7 tube by bk butler himself. Bk butler tube driver page 1 joes guitars, amps and gear. Warped mind, i remember you posting about your tubes for the. Ive read several threads on this, and nobody seems to ever really come to a conclusion. I replaced the stock 12ax7 in my bk butler tube driver with this jj 12au7 and it gave the tube driver a. Compared against a russian electroharmonix tube, the jj valve has a slight v characteristic thats warm without as much midforward response. To add gain, you can substitute a 12at7 tube, which will give more distortion and beefs up the mid range frequencies. Bk butler tube driver page 1 joes guitars, amps and. It is unmarked, other than bk written on it with a sharpie. This time he used an original 1980s bk butlerchandler branded tube driver and two more recent b. You might prefer a 12au7 valve in your pedal rather than the 12ax7 if that lower. Its commonly used as the phase inverter in some hifi amps, ampeg and fender amps.
Our leveling amplifier is one of best guitar effects pedals of the. This tube tested extremely low in noise and microphonics across the board, so. The td may not sound so great on its on but when playing with other instruments it sets in the mix well. Substitutes are given as a guide only please refer to original manufacturers data sheets to ensure that a substitute is safe and appropriate for your application. You will have 812 with a 12au7, and circa 20 for a 12at7.
I got a tube drive for christmas, and in 20 years of playing guitar ive never. So, what tube do you guys think would be best for me. The tube driver will very quickly replace the overdrive pedal currently. This is an excellent upgrade for hybrid headphone amps requiring a 12au7 preamp tube. These are all pin compatable with one another, the only differences being the gain factor of each tube. During its long life the tube driver has appeared in many forms. Ive done the swap of 12at7 in place of 12au7 and with the tube gear i had the difference was pronounced. Ultra rare 1985 bk butler tube driver patent pending 1 of 1st 50. Tube driver pedals, real tube overdrive, tube works, etc. My idea is to put it in the v2 for a little less gain and a little warmer sound in hdr, 5751 vs 12ay7 vs 12au7. Home wall ac power adapter replacement for roland tr8 rhythm. Regarding telefunken, there are ecc802s and ecc82 tubes, the ecc802s is a very expensive lownoise, longlife tube, and quite different from a ecc82. Oct 02, 2002 ecc82 is the exact european equivalent of a 12au7. Jan 10, 2018 ive heard au7 is pretty popular and that bk butler would give clients a yugo au7 from his secret stash.
I managed to get two nos ones a while ago, but im concerned about long term support. It definitely doesnt sound like a stock tube driver at least in terms of the amount of. At some point butler started using a toroid transformer that runs from 120240vac which works with either mains power. This time he used an original 1980s bk butler chandler branded tube driver and two more recent b. The 12au7 is also used quite often in the phase inverter position of the amplifier because of the high fidelity and great headroom that it provides. These tubes are quiet, they sound great, and are dependable. Each one is hand made and checked out carefully by bk himself. The 5963 has a max plate voltage of 250v while 12au7 has a max of 330v. The amperex 12au7 is a nos 12au7 that is made in usa. I just put a 12au7 in place of the 12ax7 in my 66 fender proreverb. The only other problem i have had is getting it to cut through in a band situation. My bk butler tube driver mine is tan not grey has a tube socket and you can substitute a 12at7 or a 12au7 tube for the supplied 12ax7. This tube tested extremely low in noise and microphonics across the board, so we do not have any driver grade. But ok, this is more or less in accordance with the voltage gain that a tube can give in a circuit.
Very nice pairs of rare amperex label tubes that will work wherever a 12au7 tube is called for. It comes stock with a 12ay7 for the preamp tube and 12au7 for the output driver tube. In fact, i have them in the preamp tube and 12au7 drivers. The 12au7 is used in many hi fidelity audio systems and recording equipment. I definitely need to try a 12at7 or a 12au7 in mine. The stock tube that ships with the 911 tube driver made since 2006 is a golden dragon 12ax7 a low noise, hifi preamp tube. Td750 is first generation of butler tube drivers and according to bk butler himself was designed with bypass circuit to keep amp operational whenif tubes burned down, in later designs that feature was eliminated and newer amps will not produce sound it tubes burned down, so if you have butler with dead channels high probability is that tubes. Tube 12ah7 or rohre 12ah7 id15123, double triode, octal int. Butler audio inc is not responsible for customs charges, delays due to general delivery andor customs clearance issues. Tube driver with bias control original design by bk butler. Compared against a chinese shuguang tube, the sound quality is comparable as both tubes have a similar audio response. I noticed theres 3 different jj 12au7 tube options on. This is used much less as a preamp tube because of the low gain, and more as a driver for the tube driven spring reverb.
The distortion on my first td was a bit too rough at low drive settings for my taste, so i swapped out several different 12au7 tubes. Maybe im confusing which model you have, but the svpbsp preamp that ive seen had a single tube in it. I actually got it used on evilbay should have just bought a new one direct from bk. Im happy using sovtek 5881s as outputs they work really well in my setup, and am looking forward to the svetlana 6l6, but probably need to pick up a few spares of the 12bh7. May 02, 2019 bk butler has been very responsive to emails. Tube driver original by bk butler with bias control. Ive heard au7 is pretty popular and that bk butler would give clients a yugo au7 from his secret stash.
If your pre has a 12au7 in it, someone probably wanted less gain and substituted it in place of the 12ax7. Right now i have a mullard 12at7 in mine and it sounds cool. Butler has been making since 2005 could be ordered with either voltage, so be sure you are buying a tube driver with the correct voltage for your country. I tried 12ax7s in this pedal including the coveted ei prewar yugo 12ax7 as well as 12at7s, but i prefer 12au7 s for their. Designed by bk butler, the pedal has seen many labels and owners over the years. Buffalo fx has boldly tackled the tube driver the overdrive that has defined the tone of david gilmour and eric johnson for the past decades. For the last few days ive rolled in matched pairs of. The baja tube driver is basically a replica reverse engineered bk butler. Hey bjorn, i just purchased the bk butler tube driver and would like to purchase a jj 12au7 based on your recommendation. I just checked my mac c20 tubes with my new heathkit tube tester. Hi im wanting to try some 12au7s out in my bk butler tube driver new version w bias mod.
The 5963 has a slightly lower plate voltage rating compared to regular 12au7. The 12be6 is a converter tube but in looking at the pin connection diagrams for it compared to the 12ba6, it looks as if it could work in place of the 12ba6 andor 12au6 under the right conditions and circuit connections. I was away to stick in an order for some new 12ax7s to replace the crappy ones that are in my amp right now, would it be worthwhile to replace the 12au7s aswell, or do they not affect the sound as much. For a guitar amp though, id recommend not going any lower than the 12at7. Is it safe to use a 12at7 as a substitute for 12au7. Any questions about tube driver, real tube, tube works, dean markley amps, etc. This 12au7 is a favorite amongst our customers and sold in greenyellow amperex boxes. It definitely doesnt sound like a stock tube driver at least in terms of the amount of gain based on sound samples im hearing. Micropower subminiature tube guitar amps with reverb and vibrato vacuum tube. As well, this tubes low gain make it a great choice for tube preamps in hifi stereo systems. Im thinking about replacing the pcb and build this one but im afraid with. This tube has a specially designed cathode which can withstand long periods of time in cutoff without. It can also replace the preamp section of my guitar amp, which is a peavey. I realized i am running ge 5814a in the 2 x 12au7 sockets.
Some audiophiles say this tube sounds better than any 12au7 they have ever heard. Tube rolling 12au75814 family tubes talkin tubes the. Pre amp tube substitute anybody else use a 12au7 ecc82 in v1. Bk butler tube driver page 1 joes guitars, amps and gear joe bonamassa forum the official forum for all things joe bonamassa, guitars and blues music. A mellow and awesome substitute for the phase inverter tube in guitar amps that have a pi tube. This model was designed to use a 12ax7, not a 12au7. Im looking to turn it into the best low gain pedal possible something with nice soft od tones and a lot of detail and warmth. Im not really sure what the tube is doing but i know from putting a 12au7 in mine that the gain didnt really change much at all. I rolled a number of tubes from the 12au7 family in this unit. Jul 06, 2003 i just checked my mac c20 tubes with my new heathkit tube tester.
Each was set for a slightly different tone and level of drive. This tube makes a decent substitute for the 12au7 as the characteristics are almost the same. Bk butler tube driver 12au7 tube rolling discussion in effects, pedals, strings. May 07, 2016 my cary cd player 303300 uses two 12au7 tubes. The tube driver doesnt really use the tubes for gain. Please advise if i should get some 12au7 tubes or if the 5814 is the preferred substitute for this amp.
I have some siemens e82cc which are military grade, but i haven. I am on again off again with my bk butler tube driver wbias mod. You might or might not want to know that the tube driver uses an op amp solid state integrated circuit to create its distortion sound, and. In the 1st stage or 2nd stage of a bf or sf fender tube amp, the voltage gain gvoutvin of a single triode of a 12ax7 is 3545.
Gilmour used a colorsound for a long time before the tube driver. Heres your chance to own this legendary holy grail of overdrive pedals. Apr 27, 2006 hello, just joined the forum as i spending more time in music these days. Bk butler tube driver 12au7 tube rolling the gear page. Reviews i read said that the td would sound better smoother less harsh with a 12au7 or 12at7 tube. Tube substitution 12au6 for 12ba6, any issues good bad ugly. Doesnt really matter if i loose some volume since i never play.