Papers, Please
About once every two years or so, I pack up my traveling rig and head out for a few weeks of touring in Europe, mostly in Switzerland. It’s great to be able to live the…
Review – Svetlana 12AX7
For several years the original Svetlana 12AX7 tube from St. Petersburg (Winged “C”/SED) tried to develop a good 12AX7 and mostly failed. The current production Svetlana 12AX7 is a New Sensor product and is a…
Review – Gold Lion ECC83 / B759
The Gold Lion ECC83 / B759 is yet another great 12AX7 vacuum tube from Russia and another in the line of large plate dual triodes. By my count we have the Sovtek 5751, Sovtek 12AX7…
Review – Mullard 12AX7 / ECC83 Reissue Tube
The Mullard 12AX7 / ECC83 Reissue is a nice vacuum tube but in my opinion better suited to home audio than guitar amps. The tubes have well balanced triode pairs and a very even flat…
In the Studio – Interview with Geoff Michael – Part 1
Part I If you have spent any time in the studio, you know that all recording engineers are not created equal. I like to work with competent people who know how to get good tone…
Keep it Small
If you’ve ever tried to board a plane with a guitar as a carry-on then you know it can be difficult. Attempting to bring an entire band over to Europe on an independent label budget…
6 Tips For Finding The Perfect Vacuum Tube
Finding the perfect vacuum tube is easier said than done. The industry can be confusing. Below are some recommended tips to implement to make the process go smoother. 1. Markings matter Each vacuum tube is…
Filament or Heater Glow, and Red-Plating in Vacuum Tubes
Last time we talked about blue glow in vacuum tubes and what causes it. Here we’ll look at filament/heater glow as well as red plate glow in power tubes. Filament or heater glow is…
5 Answers to Common Vacuum Tube Questions
In this podcast, one of our audiophile experts answers the following questions about vacuum tubes for both tube amplifiers and guitar amps: Will any tube that fits in the socket work okay? Why are some…
The Tung-Sol KT150 Tube is Here!
New from Tung-Sol! You want more power? The Tungsol KT150 tube is quite possibly the answer. This beast is rated for 70W plate dissipation! That’s 10W more than the already impressive Tung-Sol KT120 tube. We…
