need tube advice from tube preamp owners.

Bigjoe, The type and brand of tubes does make a large difference in the sound of a pre amp (or any other tube devise) - no doubt. If I may suggest, most specific recommendations you will get when you ask on this forum will be for NOS tubes, and not without some good reason, however NOS tubes can be a minefield loaded with hype and expense. Depending on the tube involved and the requirements of your component new production tubes can be as good and always much cheaper. If you want to get an easy lesson in how tubes sound start with new production tubes, many of which are modelled after old production and the sound difference isn't huge if even extant.

I'm not familar with the tube requirements of your amp, but if it requires a 12AX7a you could try JJ/Teslas (modelled after Mullards) for a warmer tone, EH's for a brighter tone, and EI's (my favorites) for a neutral tone and clarity. If it requires 6DJ8's you can try JJ/Tesla's for a warm tone, 6h23EB's for a very quiet and neutral to cool tone (not really a new production tube but fairly cheap for NOS),Sovtek LPS (or EH)for a cool tone if you need a very quiet tube, EI's for a neutral tone and clarity. There are others out there as well, I just mention these as a starting point which will give you an idea about how you might wish to voice your pre-amp. Once you have that pinned down if you have the dough and desire you can more selectively research the NOS market.

Inexpensive tubes: try some JAN's (joint army navy)
Mid price:Electroharmonix, JJ/Tesla.
Expensive: Don't know, I don't buy them.

thanks newbee & everybody else too,lotsa good starting points,its getting a little easier for me to understand the more i read but my learning curve ends with hands on or in this case ears on experience.

i will eventully update this thread & let you guys know what tubes i ran & which ones i settled in with.

mike.

Nice to hear the improvements but if one has a person that one trusts then one might just go ahead and have any upgrades done immediately. I am taking delivery on a Audible Illusion Modulus 3A soon and am having the stock Russian tubes (that is what is in it) replaced with NOS Siemens we sourced from Germany for 382 US landed (set of 4). I don't like to screw around with the gear so I just let a pro I know make a recommendation; if it sounds reasonable then I follow the advice. My advice comes from an engineer that manufactures single ended tube amplifiers that are very, very good.