Tip o' the week - Internet Nonsense #3
"XYZ Brand tubes will radically improve the tone of your amp!"
Different tubes of the same type CAN sound different, but expecting dramatic, life-changing "improvement" by using a certain brand of tube will prove disappointing. One exception that applies to harp amps is substituting a lower-gain preamp tube for the stock tube. This really can make an amp easier to play by reducing the gain, especially in a high-gain circuit like the tweed Bassman.
Skip Simmons
Hi Bob- Well, I'm not a harp player myself, but it seems like most players like a lower-gain tube (12AY7, 12AU7) for V1 and V3. I'm sure that Dave B. could suggest some other recommended swaps. Remember, it's not different BRANDS we are experimenting with, it's actually different types of interchangeable tubes.
Skip Simmons
Skip, so what would the preamp tube of choice be for the Bassman ? I know it comes down to your own ear, but what have you found to be your personal choice?