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anonymous 6 January 2008

Ok, I am still a little crazy so bear with me. As most know I am a tube freak. I own a few preamps and one is an ADL 600. Anyways, I just read a review on Mix saying how forgiving and thick the Supre sounds. I also saw the specs and was quite impressed; acutally really impressed! I purchased my ADL because it had more more of a modern tube sound to it, but I cant help but to think how darn good the Supre sounds? I keep hearing how thick the midrange is on the supre and how defined the bass is when passed through it. I even read how it sounds like a Neve 1073 on the low end! Do any of you guys own a G.T. Supre or has anyone heard it in use? Should I implement it into my studio next to my ADL or is it worth to sell my ADL and get the Supre. Thanks Fellas and Ladies.

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Cucco Mon, 01/07/2008 - 05:54

Hey Jbrax...the SUPRE is a preamp, not a tube.

Besides, GT doesn't hide behind the fact that they're simply branding others' tubes. The test ones they like and use them.

Although, their 12AX7M is a rebranded Mullard (that's the "m" means).

As for the SUPRE...I have not heard it and I have not read any reviews. It looks sexy (and sometimes that's enough...)

Would I go selling the ADL600 for it? Not a chance. I have heard it and it's a fantastic device. Considering the price of the SUPRE, it might be worth buying and trying. See if you can get it from a place with a good return policy.

bent Mon, 01/07/2008 - 07:16

We've got a Vipre and I really dig it, man!
It's a bit pricey, but the build quality is top notch.
When we were kicking around the idea of upgrading our gear at RC I admit when Dan said he wanted to get one I was kinda iffy on it, but it has proven to be an excellent addition to our little studio.

moonbaby Mon, 01/07/2008 - 07:20

JBRAX!!!
Mullards are definitely still around as NOS (new old stock). And the build quality and engineering behind GT gear is better than 99% of the crap out on the market these days. Aspen Pittman is a legendary icon in the tube audio world, don't be so fast to rush to judgement here! Just ask Davedog or the others who have the ViPre or The Brick. Great products, every one.
I have repaired, modded, and blown up all sorts of tube amps over the years. GT's are, in some ways, hype, in some ways not. You are paying for them to properly test and match the tubes in a propietary way. I've always known what I'm getting from them in advance, and I've NEVER gotten a "bad" tube, period. Sovtek, JJ/Tesla, Gold Lion, Sino, Svetlana, I've had disappointments from them all. Not GT. Sometimes that's worth the extra $$, sometimes not.
Anyway, as far as the SuPre is concerned, if it's anywhere CLOSE to the performance of the ViPre, it'll rock.

Davedog Mon, 01/07/2008 - 16:06

I have experienced a ViPre. I may get over it someday.

The SuPre seems to be, on paper, a singular tonal selection of the ViPre.

Without hearing it I think it probably rocks. Really hard.

I became a believer in GT products, especially the tubes, when I was on the road a lot playing guitar. Pro-Reverb, Vox Cambridge, and a MusicMan 65. What the GT stuff did for me was provide me with peace of mind, knowing wherever in the the world I was, I could get a set of tubes that would be relatively close to match of the tubes I needed to change.

I DO know others besides JBRAX who have had not so good luck with the GT tubes, but they are few and far between.

As for TUBES in general, we seem to have a collection of tube heads here at R.O. right now. More than I think I've ever seen here. Perhaps we should institute a new forum just for you folks. The discussions on this kinda stuff would be interesting to say the least as well as through the roof on occasion.

Waddaya'll think?

bent Mon, 01/07/2008 - 18:48

OK. Groovy! (get it?)

Sorry for the hijack!

Back to the question at hand:

Do any of you guys own a G.T. Supre or has anyone heard it in use? Should I implement it into my studio next to my ADL or is it worth to sell my ADL and get the Supre.

I think you should augment what you already have and get the Supre. Based on my experiences with the Vipre (which I've now got the hankerin' to go 2 miles up the road and mess with for a bit - my wife thanks you BTW), I do not think that you'll be sorry you did.

anonymous Tue, 03/10/2009 - 18:42

New here, but thought i'd throw in my 2 cents

I own a SuPre and a Vintech X73i. They sound nothing a like in any regards. Obviously because the SuPre is tube and the X73i is a solid state 1073 clone. As compared to the X73i, the SuPre sounds distant and darker with a less compressed sound. The SuPre is ultra clean unless you really push it. It's not all that amazing really. Has some very useful features and sound good, but overall I don't find its sonic signature to sit well in the mix with many sources. It has a very large sounding low end, which I really like a lot. I'm hunting for some NOS Amperex tubes for it right now on ebay. Hopefully that makes the difference!

BobRogers Fri, 03/20/2009 - 07:09

AudioGaff wrote: If you like GT, then you better get your GT product while it lasts. Aspen Pittman has called it quits. GT was just recently bought out by Fender...

Come on! When has a small innovative company run by a smart entrepreneur ever gone down hill when taken over by a large corporation? Look what happened to Fender....Uh...never mind.

N.B. The best thing in the book Fender: The Sound Heard Round The World is the letter from the consultants that CBS hired to evaluate the company that they were thinking of buying. The consultants nailed exactly what was wrong and what was right with Fender at the time. If CBS had followed their advice rather than milking Fender for short term gain they'd have either sold it for a big profit or still own it today (rather than basically having to give it away at the end of the '70's). We can hope Fender has learned from its own history. I'm not taking any bets.

BobRogers Fri, 03/20/2009 - 10:47

Yes, and on their left-handed guitars they use the same right-handed audio taper pots as on their righty guitars but they switch the wires to reverse the way the knobs turn. This makes the pots work worse than a linear taper pot. Have to swap the wires on every Fender guitar or bass I own. Supremely dumb.

anonymous Fri, 03/20/2009 - 10:58

Fender did buy out Jackson and Jackson guitars have pretty much stayed the same, so I guess that's good? Honestly, Groove Tubes are just the better Chinese tubes: it's not like they're making tubes or anything. Maybe the selection process won't be as rigorous, but maybe Fender will able to pick out the better Chinese tubes with some competence? One more reason to buy JJ. :D

Cucco Fri, 03/20/2009 - 13:49

NCdan wrote: Fender did buy out Jackson and Jackson guitars have pretty much stayed the same, so I guess that's good? Honestly, Groove Tubes are just the better Chinese tubes: it's not like they're making tubes or anything. Maybe the selection process won't be as rigorous, but maybe Fender will able to pick out the better Chinese tubes with some competence? One more reason to buy JJ. :D

That's not entirely true. Groove Tubes actual tubes are rebadged tubes. I've got 2 Mullard 12AX7s and a GT 12AX7M. The GT is the exact same tube even with the name "Mullard" faintly visable at the base. I've got an older GT tube that is a GE.

GT does offer some lower priced tubes - as for their origins and quality, I can't speak.

Cheers-
J

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