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A few weeks ago, I made a video comparing some EL34 and KT77s from JJ...and as we found, there was barely any difference between them...and certainly nothing that couldn't be compensated for with a tiny adjustment of the amp's controls.
When shopping for those tubes, there was also another question I wanted to answer. JJ's are typically reliable, good sounding, affordable tubes....most amp techs will fit them as standard. But what about the so-called "premium tubes" that cost twice as much? I'm not going to go into NOS tubes today as I think that's a very different conversation. But when buying tubes, is it worth the money to go to the higher priced 'glossy presentation' ones? Is what they say true; or just marketing cobblers trying to get you to part with more money?
So today, I'm going to compare the 'standard' JJ KT77 tubes with some Genalex Gold Lion reissues. They claim these tubes are 'artful' and use premium gold-plated components. But does that actually affect....anything?
What do you think? A tiny difference? Or literally not worth bothering with? Comment below!
Guitars are a Gibson SG Standard w/ OX4 Low-Wind A4 PAFs; a Gibson Les Paul Studio w/ Bare Knuckle Nantucket HSP90s; and a Gibson Les Paul Custom w/ OX4 Hot Duane PAFs. All recorded through a Hughes & Kettner Puretone (Fane Ascension F70 speaker; Aston Spirit Condenser, Shure SM57 & sE R1 ribbon mics) with a Schoeps CMC6 room mic.
0:00 Intro
3:34 Clean
5:48 Low Gain
7:36 Higher Gain
9:23 Outro
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