I found the mullard 12ax7's to sound dull also. I tried them in my 2203, 1987x and DSL50, dull and little weak.
Man it seems like all of mine have a nice rich complex sound/character. Maybe it was the amp or a bad tube
I tried it in a DSL50, 2204, Fender Bandmaster, Orange Thunderverb, Vox AC15, dull.... Is possible we both bought bad tubes that sound dull, I'd have to try another to see, but I don't know if that will ever happen any time soon. I'm glad they work for you bud, we all hear differently, whats dull to me may be rich and complex to you, also lots of other factors in the chain so also hard to say.
I believe you guys, maybe i got one from a bad batch and I just gotta try them again, this goes back almost 10 years ago so I kind of wrote them off and got rid of the tube in an amp I sold. Same goes with Tungsol, i bought 3 about the same time and one by one they burned out and I wrote them off too, but everybody loves those tubes and swears by them.
Some tubes are 60 yo by now. If they were heavily used those 6 decades then I have my doubts it'll sound good. I recover a lot if original tubes from their original equipment that I predict werent used the last 5 decades, and not intensively the first 10 years. I have a lot of Philips short plates that measure like new. Occasionally a bad one. A lot of fun
Are we maybe confusing CP New Sensor Mullards and old stock Mullards? I tend to agree with @pedecamp regarding the CP Mullards and Tung Sols. They sound hazy and veiled to me. The Sovtek LPS is a better tube, IMO, though maybe more prone to microphonics. But none of them touch a real Mullard, especially the earlier longplate ones.
CP mullard and telefunken. I don't understand it. You buy a famous brand name and place them on a different product that has no connection with the original. And for that you ask a premium price
I have put current production mullards in all preamp slots on one of my Origins, with Ruby power tubes, the second Origin got a cp mullard in V1, both of my Dsl40c’s got 12AT7’s in V2, and 5751’s in V4, with Ruby EL34’s, I am satisfied with how they sound and until one goes south. I am sticking with this line up.. Cheers
I think the CP Mullards sound great to my ears. They have a more richer complex midrange than others I have tried. I also don't just have one set but many sets of them. To me, they make my Marshalls sound more like a Marshall.
Ive been swapping vacuum tubes for 50+ years. Haven't heard the "rolling" thing before the last few years on guitar forums. Go figure.
The mids are good with those tubes. They aren’t bad, the highs just sound a bit compressed and smeared to me. I wouldn’t necessarily swap them out of an amp that came with them...
Yes, I agree, and it all depends on the tone you are after! I would not say Mullards are aggressive IMO!
10 years ago yes maybe try a new set?! I think they are rich in harmonic content but not as compressed or bright sounding as others based on my experience!
JJ tubes are really good , better spend your money on different speakers which will make bigger impact on the final tone rather then some old tubes that seen better times , i never understood the whole hype around vintage tubes , any way that my opinion.
