I had bought a few (NOS): RFT12AX7 and some EiCV492 (these were commonly used as Mullard counterfeit tubes, they are good tubes though). The added cost due to limited resources, is it worth the risk? It can be hit or miss when it comes to NOS as they are not tubes you find at every resource like you would get with current production. But for me and my experiences, I’ve been through dozens of NOS/VOS tubes in multiple amps over the past few decades, and of all the amps I currently own and play, only one has an NOS tube still in it, my TC-100. If someone is happy with using NOS tubes in their gear that is really all that matters. This is quite a difference from a full bandwidth, ultra low distortion audio amplifier that is designed to be played in isolation, which will reveal these intricate changes in sound, especially with a great set of headphones. Guitar amps (and their speaker cabinets) are far from high-fidelity audio systems, they are a narrow bandwidth system with a lot of clipping stages, they work in a specific frequency range designed to compliment the guitar’s frequency range and blend with other instruments and their frequency ranges. IMO the benefit of NOS tubes in cathode follower use is their ability to handle the higher voltages used in that position yet remain their composure. Most times it is a very negligible difference that gets lost in the mix of a live band. I’ve been down the NOS rabbit hole many times, and any ‘benifit’ from NOS tubes really depends on the amp’s circuit. Still not a bad choice but I much prefer less drone so what I have in the Roadster right now has satisfied me to enjoy playing through the amp. The Tung Sol 12AX7 in V1 was changing what I liked about the amp too much. It does affect the tone somewhat so perhaps it is the 5751 I have in V1 is what is working for me. I have not experienced any issues to date with the JAN/GE 12AX7 in the cathode follower positions. The stock complement of preamp tubes was just too muddy when running the Modern voice on CH4. I personally found the chines tubes in V3 to be on the bright side. The Mullard in V2 and JAN 5751 in V1 keeps the response tight but not like you would get with the Multi-Watt Dual Rec. I did try the RFT in V1 and or V2 and felt that was too much for me. JAN/GE 5751 in V1, Mullard reissue 12AX7 in V2 and phase inverter. Also have been running this amp more since the changes. Still have the JAN/GE 12ax7 tubes in V3 and V5.
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