JJ E83CC / 12AX7 Preamp Vacuum Tube

Decided to swap all 3 pre-amp valves because my AC30 was having major microphonics issues at higher gain settings. I've always had a soft spot for JJ power valves but was never really pleased with their pre-amp offerings (always managed to get the squealers or dark mud junkers). When I saw the framed grid valve offered, I figured why not give the JJ-E83CC a try? I'm so glad that I did!

The valves are dead quiet even at high gain settings - no hiss or hum at all. The tone is balanced and smooth; no stray harmonics or artifacts. The mids are clear and defined. The highs aren't ice-picky and the bass is tight. If you're a fan of the old Tesla E83CC, this is the valve for you. It's a tad darker but we're talking millimetres as opposed to inches (ok, I'm using metric and SAE - sue me). Give them a try in your combo; you won't be disappointed.

So I want to be clear here...this tube is NOT an ECC83. All other brands as far as I know that are not NOS tubes don’t make an E83CC. The JJ-E83CC is a different tube but still a 12ax7. The internal construction is different from an ECC83.

Nevertheless this is a really complex and articulate tube. Nice midrange and better clarity than many other tubes I’ve used. If you’re a fan of the JJ ECC83s then give this tube a try. It’s similar but different in its presentation. JJ is the only one making a current production E83CC.

So excited, I own two JCM2000 TSL100 heads, and one DSL20HR. I have received the brand new JJ-E83CC frame grid valves to try in V1 of all my heads, so excited to try these too, as I have seen great reviews and the EQ curve of the valves have a mid boost... HOLY HELL!!! Not are the only super quiet, BUT, the boosted mids is soooo DETAILED, RICH and un-fizzy, and NOT harsh!!! Perfect for a Marshall TSL100 and Marshall DSL20HR for Thrash Metal. NO BOOST PEDAL REQUIRED ANYMORE!

The JJ-E83CC tube sounds very good and it’s extremely quiet. Spiral filament winding does seem to have an effect. The noise floor is better than the standard ECC83S. Frequency response is excellent. In the lower register of guitar it produces a nice thump. Great for palm muting, drop tunings and percussive rhythm. Mids are upfront but not honkey and there’s no issue with highs. When I slammed the front end of my amp with a boost pedal the overdrive was quite musical and focused. I didn’t get heavy mush.

I also ran a pair of these tubes in my phono stage with good results. I’d have no problem recommending for use in studio rack gear or other audio applications.

I got a pair of these JJ-E83CC yesterday to find out what they could do in guitar amps, and I was impressed.
A Blackface Fender Showman and a mid 70's Traynor YBA-1 were the amps used to try them out. For comparison, I used a selection of 12AX7 types ranging from Shuguang 12AX7B to Telefunken ECC83.
Measuring the voltages and gain in the Traynor ( V1 socket ), both the JJ E83CC's biased perfectly ( about 2/3 of B+ ) and well matched, both tube to tube and section to section. The gain was just as well matched.
JJ ECC83's showed a bit more internal tube noise, the Telefunken a bit less.
The real good surprise came from checking the mechanical noise / microphonics. With either amp gain set to full, the JJ E83CC's were the quietest of the tubes I tried.
If you're looking for a 12AX7 type tube that has good gain, great matching between sections and from tube to tube, along with low noise / microphonics, the JJ E83CC could be the one for you.