Guitar Amp Tube Comparison JJ Mullard valves -  

Yeah, it's nice to know that great results can be had by any of these tubes!

I'll add another point for the SG tubes- the 12ax7B tubes I used for the test have a little shield around each triode, which can shield them from external noise. I experienced it recently swapping tubes in a mic preamp and the SG tubes blocked more hum than some vintage ones I was using. Not a deal breaker in most cases, just something to consider!

@@FrankOlsonTwins Steve Fryette said he exclusively used those Shuguang 12ax7b tubes in all the preamp positions except v1. Everyone I hear is always yammering about cheap Chinese tubes. And I think if anything when amplifiers get shipped out like Vox, they use all the lesser quality tubes in a run and probably get a deal on them to get the amps shipped out for as cheap as possible. But every time I hear Shuguang tubes that were sold through a reputable dealer that gone through and sold only the good ones, they always sound great to me.

FWIW, I think the ones that came with my vox are very good. Perhaps Vox has a good deal struck with SG to get quality tubes at an affordable(wholesale?) price. That's my experience so far with several amps, hopefully that remains the case moving forward.

Good points! Vox's would have most certainly have used mullard tubes. I wish I had a few more, tbh!

Despite the YT compression, there's enough information here to make some judgements about the overall sound and performance of the tubes. YT compression is a bit more forgiving with HD videos like this. I tried to make this as scientific as(reasonably) possible by taking the performance out of the equation. So, I recorded one clip that can be played back to back to hear specific differences. Also, these were recorded direct. The only "rooms" to speak of are the cab simulator and your listening space. Since the cab sim is the same for all recordings, only your room needs to be considered. If you want to take that out of the equation, some headphones should do the trick. Regarding the results- I think they all performed very well. The JJ's were the loudest, obviously, but also carried a little more heft in the low end. The dynamics give a 3D sound to me, which I found appealing. The ShuGuang tubes performed very well. Pretty balanced overall, perhaps a little lacking in the upper mids at times, compared to the other sets. I wouldn't hesitate to play any show with these tubes, or even record with them. The Mullard tubes were very balanced to me. They compressed a bit during the heavy chording sections, especially in the low end/low mids. Sometimes, compared to the other tubes, they had a bit of cloudiness in the mids. In other sections, less so. If I had to pick a favorite I'd pick the JJ's. Mullards #2 because I like the compression and they had a slightly more less spiky tone than the ShuGuang. But really, all 3 sets are very good and play very nicely, imo. What did you think?

@@FrankOlsonTwins I am relatively new to guitar and recording but have heard the differences between real cabs and simulated ones and the difference there are far more than you get from tube changes. My nephew is all into those. He does have several nice amps and cabs and I ride him on why he doesn't just use the cabs. There really is no comparison. When I am in front of my cab, be it the 2x12 or 1x12, nothing I have heard through my phones or monitors compares. I have just recently started rolling tubes through a 21' SLO-30 and the differences are all very noticeable. I spent a small fortune on all the 50's and 60's variants. Mostly all NOS. Now the ones I like are just for me and my taste as the tones we all chase are very subjective. I wouldn't even be able to describe the subtle differences I hear, other than warmer, but still defined. No Ice picky shrill high end. Some are balanced, some have rolled off mids while others are more midrangy. All sound good. I prefer the balanced for in the room. I don't have to cut through so I never mess with that. I noticed that people that gig have developed a more mid focused taste in tone because they know it works better in a mix. Then there are the different types of preamp tubes. 12x7, 5751, 12at7, 12ay7 and 12au7. They have less gain as you go down the line mixed in with their subtle unique tonal qualities. I am very new to all of this and still have a lot to experience. The rabbit hole is deep, and I very much enjoy exploring it all.

Well, it sounds like you have a good grasp on listening, which is a big part of playing! Tube changes get more important as tubes wear out. Swapping a pair of strong power tubes for weak ones can sound like a revelation! But often, swapping between 2 sets of good tubes might not show a noticeable difference. But sometimes they do! (Take note when swapping variants in the 12A_7 family, they will usually "work" as a substitute, but sometimes sound a little "off" since the circuit requirements for each tube is generally different.) Cab sims have gotten quite good, imo, but I agree: nothing compares with playing an amp in a room. However, that's a bit of a luxury for many of us apartment dwellers. One nice thing about cab sims is that they can change your tone dramatically as you switch cabs. I approach cab sims the way I do any other tool or part of my guitar rig. Is the cab working for the tone? Does it sound convincing? How much room does it need? Really, the same questions I'd be asking when miking up a regular cab. A regular cab might get you there quicker, but sometimes maybe not.

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

Appreciate it! Good luck with the amp!

​@@FrankOlsonTwinsthanks very much! I'm afraid I can't use your link due to being in the UK it seems, is there any way you can generate another one? If it's too much hassle for what you'd receive no problem

No problem. I think UK has an entirely different Affiliate program, so it's no biggie. Hope your new tubes turn out great!

Yes, overall I've found JJ's to be pretty good tubes!

That is good for you. You can buy the cheapest tubes and never even know the difference. Your audience, if you ever have one probably wouldn't know the difference either. It's basically just a cork sniffing experiment. Where the only people who will enjoy it are those with great hearing and ear training, who can hear the subtle differences. And they tend to lean heavily on the vintage tubes. I am in the process of rolling tubes in both, a modern high gain amp and a clone of 59 Princeton and the NOS tubes completely blow the others away. But tastes in tones are subjective. There is no best. There is only, what is best for you and your taste.

@@chuckyz2 ouch

Yeah, this vid makes a good argument for buying JJs when replacing tubes! I think I was most shocked at how well the SGs held up! To be fair, I think the Mullards(the power tubes, that is) are a bit tired compared to the JJs. JJ's tend to have a noticeable mid-focus that people either love or hate. I tend to like it, but it's not always wanted by guitarists. Thanks for weighing in!

@@indominionofficial Mullard "snake oil" lol

Yep, they're all quite passable. Generally when I retube amps for clients, JJ's are a solid choice.

Muddy has not been my experience. The only mullards I've used that were dark or muddy sounding were basically dead tubes.

I seem to recall the amp tech(on rig rundown) for AC/DC saying that all of their amps are fitted with JJ tubes.

The guitar is an2018 Fender Stratocaster, using the bridge pickup. Yeah, the clean tone section was a bit more revealing than I expected, too! Overall, I felt the JJ's proved why so many pros and techs tour with JJ tubes! I wouldn't hesitate to use any of these on stage, for sure! Perhaps I'll have to do another tube roll with my Telefunken stash.... 🤟🎸