Does changing preamp tubes make a difference?

Different brands of the same kind of tube might each sound a little different, but you can achieve more dramatic results by auditioning the several different types of tubes that are compatible in the same preamp-tube sockets and circuit positions. Maybe you’ll discover a tweak to fine-tune your sound.

Are preamp tubes important?

They take the signal from your guitar’s pickups and pre-amplify it (hence their name!) to be sent to the power amp section. Really overdriving a preamp tube and hitting it hard creates richer harmonics, distortion, and sustain. Backing off the gain can give you a shimmery clean sound.

Do tube preamps sound better?

As a tube creates distortion it produces harmonics which are known as ‘even harmonics’. Essentially these are tones which are the same note but are produced higher in octaves. This is why typically a tube amplifier is said to sound better, because the harmonics it produces are much more pleasing to the user’s ear.

Can I use 12AX7 instead of 12AU7?

Technically, yes, you can physically interchange a 12AX7 tube for a 12AU7 tube in your amp without risk of major damage to your amp.

When should I replace my preamp tubes?

You are not likely to have to replace them unless one or more tubes fail. Preamp tubes can have a life span of at least two to three years and usually much longer. If it’s been a few years or you regularly change your power tubes and feel like the amp has become lifeless, it may be time to freshen up your preamp tubes.

Does preamp improve sound?

Conclusion. The sound contribution of preamps is not so much in its frequency response but in the texture it imparts on the sound. However, a preamp shapes the sound to a much lesser degree than one would think. Usually, its sound character only becomes obvious at high gain settings or when you drive it into distortion …

Are preamps worth it?

Bottom line: An external preamp is a great second step to improve your sound quality or to obtain more sound variety, but don’t make the second step before you’ve made the first. You can make great recordings with just your audio interface’s internal preamps and one or two high quality condenser mics.

Does a preamp affect sound quality?

Why are tube amplifiers better?

We use tubes simply because they make the music we create sound better: smoother, warmer and cleaner. Ditto for guitar amplifiers used in creating music. The ways that tubes distort when pushed to the edge are much more musical than the artificial sounds that come from transistor amplifiers when overdriven.

Can I swap 12AX7 for 12AT7?

You can interchange a 12AX7 with 12AT7, 12AU7, 12AY7 or 5751 as they are all the same pin structure, however they will each give you a different result in your amp. Each of these tubes has a different gain factor, which means some will give higher gain and others lower gain.

How can you tell the difference between 12AX7 and 12AU7?

The biggest difference between these power tubes is the amount of gain they will provide. The 12AX7 has a gain factor of 100, while the 12AT7 has 60. The 12AU7 has the smallest, at just 20. The lower gain of the 12AT7 and 12AU7 also allows them to have a higher headroom, which can provide a warmer and cleaner sound.

Do preamp tubes wear out?

Yes, some tubes fail much earlier than that, but many indeed last that long. Preamp tubes are more compact and don’t have to work as hard, so they tend to last even longer, or seemingly forever if you’ve been waiting for them to go bad so you don’t need any excuses to try a new set.

What is the difference between power amp tubes and preamp tubes?

While they don’t shape your tone as directly as preamp tubes, different matched sets of power amp tubes can further shape the sound of your amp and provide different levels of touch responsiveness to your playing. Power amp tubes in most guitar amplifiers today are typically not of the triode type of tube like the preamp tubes.

Do preamps really make a difference?

Preamps do make a difference and different types of preamp will shape your sound in different ways. Personally I love tube preamps, they not only enrich and warm your sound but put life back into your overall tone additionally. Solid-state preamps are fine as well but you may need to further sweeten-up that tone with additional FX pedals.

What are the benefits of a tiny tube preamp?

Tubes also have a life of their own and sound better the longer they warm up. This is why a concert can have a different sound by the end of a set. Most musicians will even power-up their preamps an hour or two before a show starts to keep a richer sound.

What is the difference between pentode preamp and triode tubes?

The pentode preamp style tube more emulates a solid state device’s performance, but the triode’s unique tone character has prevailed as the most common type used in a guitar amplifier’s preamp section. Power amp tubes are much larger than preamp tubes.