Recently we’ve played around with different tube combinations and so going forward, all units shipping from July 2021 forward will be outfitted using a single 12AT7/ECC81 tube in the first position of the Hot Mod V2 Evo and a 12AX7/ECC83 in the second position. Previously we used two 12AX7/ECC83’s to maximize the available gain. Although a 12AT7/ECC81 has approximately 70% of the gain of a12AX7/ECC83 tube, we found that it works MUCH more smoothly and sounds more musically rich and natural when lowering the volume on the guitar to get more dynamic cleaned-up sounds. And when you turn the volume back up on your guitar, you still have a lot of gain boost on tap as expected. A second benefit of using a 12AT7/ECC81 is even less noise than the already low-noise design the HMV2E already has!

If you already own a Hot Mod V2, Hot Mod V2 Evo, or Lynch Mod, we definitely recommend you give a 12AT7/ECC81 tube a try in the first position of your unit. The added dynamics and capabilities are fantastic and we think you’ll agree it’s a great improvement! We load ours with JJ ECC81 tubes as we find them to be the most robust of new production tubes when used in a cathode follower position which is where the mods are used in an amp. And after you’ve tried it, if you don’t care for it or simply want the most gain absolutely possible, then just reinsert the original 12AX7/ECC83 tube you pulled out of your amp in the V2 slot and replace the 12AT7/ECC81 that is equipped with your mod. It’s a win-win either way.

Customer response so far has been tremendous and positive with this “little improvement” so we want to make sure to spread the word.

For any further questions, please reach out anytime to [email protected].

Thank you!