Owned a Trumpet a few years ago; very nice amp. It’s really hard to beat Telefunken 12ax7. I mean you can, but the Teles are far more plentiful and not too expensive. I believe you can also use 12at7 (or 12ay7) in the 12au7 slots (in fact mine didn't ship with 12au7). Not really a fan of any 12au7, though I haven’t tried Teles there. I’ve always wanted to like Mullards, but in the end I just have to move on to something else. Amperex are good but I prefer Teles. I sometimes like the 5751 sub for phase splitters in amps, but have found it best to stick with the 12ax7 in phono stages.
I totally agree with avoiding Sylvania small-signal gray plates of any kind! Yuck! The earlier black plates can be good, though.
I totally agree with avoiding Sylvania small-signal gray plates of any kind! Yuck! The earlier black plates can be good, though.