Gold Pin Tubes?

XXL

XXL

calm seas dont make skilled sailors
Jun 14, 2007
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#1
I am shopping pre amp 12AX7/ECC83 tubes.

My goal is try a "recipe" I read about online, I'm planning on putting these in my Mesa Boogie Buster:
V1- JJ ECC883
V2- Tung Sol 12AX7
V3- Genalix Gold Lion ECC83

As I am shopping around I see gold pin versions of these tubes for double the price or nearly double.
I searched on TB and did not find any information on what the gold pin tubes actually do that warrants the price increase?
Is it a marketing ploy or is there actual measurable difference in standard and gold pin tubes?
 
#3
I don't know if there is any benefit, but gold doesn't corrode or deteriorate. Whether or not this makes a difference with electronics I don't know, but it would stand to reason that any connections properly plated would retain full contact for longer than the expected component life.... But if the sockets aren't plated as well why bother? I think I read once that gold is a very efficient conductor, but IIRC that was in ad copy, so I have always thought "snake oil" about it.
 
#6
XXL said:
I am shopping pre amp 12AX7/ECC83 tubes.

My goal is try a "recipe" I read about online, I'm planning on putting these in my Mesa Boogie Buster:
V1- JJ ECC883
V2- Tung Sol 12AX7
V3- Genalix Gold Lion ECC83

As I am shopping around I see gold pin versions of these tubes for double the price or nearly double.
I searched on TB and did not find any information on what the gold pin tubes actually do that warrants the price increase?
Is it a marketing ploy or is there actual measurable difference in standard and gold pin tubes?
Click to expand...

For the first tube, did you mean to type "ECC883", "ECC83", or "ECC803"? I've heard of the latter two, but not the first -- but I am far from being a tube expert and there's plenty I haven't heard of.

I can't speak to gold-pin variants in general, but the gold-pin version of the short-plate JJ 12AX7 (ECC83S) is a very different tube than the regular version. In the amps and preamps in which I've tried it, I found the gold-pin version to have more extended and crisper highs and lows, and smoother (and, to my ear, slightly scooped) mids. The regular version is a little "rougher" sounding and more present and detailed in the mids. You might like one or the other better, depending on what you're going for. Sometimes I like the gold-pin version in V2 of my Walkabout, for instance, but I find it to be too much (too scooped, too smooth) in V1. A lot will depend on the amp/circuit you're using it in, of course. In the case of this particular tube, I'm pretty sure that there are other differences aside from the gold-plated pins.

The "regular" long-plate (ECC803s) version of the tube is pretty different than the short plate version, but I've not tried the gold-pin version of that tube -- or of any tube aside from the short-plate JJ.

EDIT: Perhaps these will help? Preamp Tube Descriptions
 
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#7
XXL said:
I am shopping pre amp 12AX7/ECC83 tubes.

My goal is try a "recipe" I read about online, I'm planning on putting these in my Mesa Boogie Buster:
V1- JJ ECC883
V2- Tung Sol 12AX7
V3- Genalix Gold Lion ECC83

As I am shopping around I see gold pin versions of these tubes for double the price or nearly double.
I searched on TB and did not find any information on what the gold pin tubes actually do that warrants the price increase?
Is it a marketing ploy or is there actual measurable difference in standard and gold pin tubes?
Click to expand...

I tried these 3 models in both my Ashdown ABM and my MarkBass TA503. The "sweetest" of these three is the Gold Lion.
On the other hand, the "gold pin" version of the Tung Sol (gold pacakaging as opposed to the blue one) is even seter than any of these you mentionned.

So yeah, in case of the Tung Sol, there is a definite difference! (Can't say anything about the others, though)
 
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#8
Thank for the replies. I guess its a gamble, maybe the more expensive gold pin tube is better than the standard and maybe it isn't.
Though it does seem to be, that if it is the same exact tube build and just the pins are gold it does not mean it will sound any better than the standard. It just means that pins will not corrode.
 
#9
MarkA said:
For the first tube, did you mean to type "ECC883", "ECC83", or "ECC803"? I've heard of the latter two, but not the first -- but I am far from being a tube expert and there's plenty I haven't heard of.

I can't speak to gold-pin variants in general, but the gold-pin version of the short-plate JJ 12AX7 (ECC83S) is a very different tube than the regular version. In the amps and preamps in which I've tried it, I found the gold-pin version to have more extended and crisper highs and lows, and smoother (and, to my ear, slightly scooped) mids. The regular version is a little "rougher" sounding and more present and detailed in the mids. You might like one or the other better, depending on what you're going for. Sometimes I like the gold-pin version in V2 of my Walkabout, for instance, but I find it to be too much (too scooped, too smooth) in V1. A lot will depend on the amp/circuit you're using it in, of course. In the case of this particular tube, I'm pretty sure that there are other differences aside from the gold-plated pins.

The "regular" long-plate (ECC803s) version of the tube is pretty different than the short plate version, but I've not tried the gold-pin version of that tube -- or of any tube aside from the short-plate JJ.

EDIT: Perhaps these will help? Preamp Tube Descriptions
Click to expand...

Oops, that is indeed a typo. I meant ECC83.

Thanks for the link.
 
#10
In your case, it may be beneficial to read up on conductors of electricity. My take on this:
Corrosion has the potential to occur under a plated surface if it's been rubbed or scratched off.
I think it's trivial to "hear" a difference in the plating of tube pins.
I suppose how often you re-tube a head will play a factor because of cost. There is anti-corrosive dielectric grease that can be applied very sparingly and help reduce corrosion if it's an issue.
 
#13
Some people like bling and will pay for it. No question that gold on gold contacts corrode less and is common in the electronics industry. Although gold plated tube sockets are available, most amps don't have them.

I think that you would be better investing in a bottle of DeoxIT® Liquid, needle dispenser, Caig. Deoxit can be used to clean and protect both tube pins and socket contacts. Use Deoxit D5 for cleaning pots.
 
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#14
cfsporn said:
The one reason why I'd be more inclined to go for gold pin tubes is that there is a greater chance that the ones picked for gold plating have been pre-screened by the manufacturer for highest quality.
Click to expand...

I think that you are absolutely right. Gold plated pins on new production tubes is probably a gimmick 65% of the time (totally made up percentage), but you would assume that, in some cases, they would apply that to the better tubes. Same would go for the producers making 25 different tube brands. Some of the brands are sold at a premium for no reason at all, some are sold at a premium because they might be part of slightly better batches.
 
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#16
cfsporn said:
The one reason why I'd be more inclined to go for gold pin tubes is that there is a greater chance that the ones picked for gold plating have been pre-screened by the manufacturer for highest quality.
Click to expand...
The cynic would opine that the gold is being applied to the lowest-performing tubes in an effort to make them marketable ...
A micron of gold flash might be cheaper than scrapping a tube ...

I have absolutely no idea which vision is more 'true' ...
 
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#18
ArtechnikA said:
The cynic would opine that the gold is being applied to the lowest-performing tubes in an effort to make them marketable ...
A micron of gold flash might be cheaper than scrapping a tube ...

I have absolutely no idea which vision is more 'true' ...
Click to expand...

Thats exactly what I was thinking.

As to which is more true, it is why I posted this question.
 
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