ES Pro Audio will have a pair at Musik Messe this week. Are you attending?

Here is a cool article with summaries.
I have an old EQP1A for vox and Mercury EQP2 for bus duties. I think next year I'll grab the new Pulse stuff, heard nothing but great things about them!

@ Steve J ackson I'm very interested in your Pulse Pultecs, but as someone suggested here before, it's difficult to justify purchasing your recreations while the originals are only about a thousand more, each.

Yes, you provide a warranty and a few modern features, but, again, the choice would be much easier if your Pulse (tube) EQs were around $2k.

I'm sure I'm not the only one.

You are too funny!!
But why $2k?
try to ask for $1k...

Steve's Pultecs are originals, they are official Pultecs, not re-creations. The only difference is that they aren't 4-6 decades old. He has the transformers custom wound (completely reverse engineering the original impossible to get Triads), he spent a lot of time and effort getting them right, he did not use the typical Lundahl or Edcor transformers in their place like many of the other "re-creations". By the way, the original name of the company was Pulse Techniques, which was later shortened to "Pultec".

Okay, I read the entire post. I get it.

What's so difficult to understand about my perspective?

If an original Ford Model T goes for $100,000 in 2016, and I want a Model T, I'm not going to pay $85,000 for "an original re-creation" from a company who bought the naming rights. I won't care how alike they are and about the warranty, etc. I'll buy an original Model T.

The $2k suggestion wasn't a literal suggestion; it was just to make a point. Also, I'm not "asking" for anything. The market will declare what it's willing to spend with its dollars. I don't have much faith in the pro audio market's sanity, so, I'll leave it at that. This is the same market that trashed Moogs for DX7s and Neves for SSLs.

Because he'd be broke or he'd be making cheap knockoffs like Warm Audio that sound nothing like these.
I sold my original eqp1a3's after getting Steves units and made a profit.
They're the real deal.

Exactly!!!!! You wouldn't get a model T period under that reasoning unless you were a collector trying to make an investment and for pure functionality because cars are better now.

His pultecs are as good if not better, cost less, are new and supported by the company. When I ordered mine had to wait because they were back ordered at the time, don't think they are having a problem selling them.

If they cost the same as, or even more than, the originals they would still be the better deal. In fact, the cost of the originals is going down slightly because they are not as desirable as the new ones.

I'm a vintage ***** through and through.. Bought used and sold all the ones we gag for over for close to 20 years now. I've never heard something nail THAT sound so unequivocalably. So yeah the game is off with vintage pultecs as this is THE one that to my ears gives me that **** eating grin every time I patch it in yet not have that devil over my shoulder prodding be with does this really sound as good as another original, or worse still when will it break and need service? These are built like an M1A2 battle tank with the weight to match.

Vintage 1176's in my mind are a different story, yet id happily pay the premium in the knowledge these are new and will give me years of love and enjoyment and sonic awesomeness and in terms of a pricing and 'one upmanship' equation compared to a vintage unit, I'd buy another pulse all day long over an unknown.

Still lusting after MEQ5

Wiggy

I get your perspective, it's a free country, it's your right to buy all of the vintage Pultecs you can afford. I just thought it was a bit dismissive, and things are not always as they seem. Try a good listen to the new ones, and definitely have a chat with Steve, as I did at AES, and hear the facts behind the modern day Pultec. By the way, the rights to the name were not bought, there's a very positive and interesting backstory.............

Just went to a garage sale and OMG right there, an original EQP-1A. Stellar condition and fully working w the Peerless. Paid......$150!!...... I walked away crying. Also found a pair of Rev B 1176 blues for ....50$ each!! I'm good with that.
Also some u67's, c37a's..ok.ok I'll stop

Have any Pultec aficionados tried the Pro Replicas EQP1A?

I really want an original pultec for free or a 5 year loan, I promise I'll return it.
Any one has one that they don't need please drop me a Pm.
Thanks in advance.
Much oblige.

I really wish you had posted this a month ago. We had a dozen Pultecs that we shipped out on our 5-year free loaner program, but you just missed out on them.

I hope to get a pair eventually. I have a lot of faith in them a a company - their 1176 goes down really well.

These original Pultec price jokes would be funny if they were much more expensive than the "new" ones.

I'm also very interested in trying anything by Pro Replicas, especially at their relatively very low prices and with their stellar reputation.

Any thoughts on high end pultec clones (ie aml) vs hendyamps ma? Is terrible pultec cleaner and more focused?

For anyone perusing this thread....

Retro Instruments 2A3

We are doing a new Pultec on commission.

It differs from the standard build to include transformer or solid state I/O per channel, separate in put and output switches too.

What makes this possible is a second amplifier right after the Input TX/Balanced line receiver.

This makes the Pultec design easier to drive with modern gear.
The filter has a 75R impedance under some conditions and the extra input amp eliminates that particular nit

It is the solid state type, for fuller bass and smoother top end.
That is why the original company evolved the EQP from tubes to discrete transistor amplifiers.

This will be dual mono/stereo

Anyway, interesting design goals on this one.

Roger

How much will that go for?

$3500 for the potentiometer version.
Elma switched version will be more, obviously.

It is 2X EQP1a in a single rack case (2u or 3u don't know yet)

Features FCS discrete op amps and FCS transformers.
It can also be fitted with vintage transformers.

Hi Steve,

Wondering if you (and the board) recommends NOS tubes in the Pulse EQP-1A. Just purchased one. Considering installing NOS tubes in the EQP-1A in addition to my Neumann U67 Reissue.

I put NOS RCA tubes in my LA2A reissue and it sounds phenomenal. Going to put a Telefunken EF806s in the U67, RCA NOS in the LA2A...what brand would best compliment the signal chain in the Pultec?

Or do you recommend modern tubes over NOS?

Why would you think tubes need to be changed? Have multiple units never needed any change? Have had multiples of the U67 reissue with out need to change tubes either? I’m sure if you contacted Pulse Techniques they could tell their reasoning for what they installed. I don’t think you can make the Pulse Technique’s unit marginally better, maybe different? Do you have the knowledge that Dr Jackson has? In other posts you didn’t even know how to use a Pultec?

You are more than welcome to swap out the tubes. However, we have lots of very satisfied customers using what we ship them with, which is current production Tung-Sol tubes, screened for balanced triodes and low noise/microphonics. When I was working with Gene (the original designer of the Pultec) to bring them back into production, I asked him once what tubes he recommended when he was manufacturing Pultecs. He said he liked RCA, GE and Amperex, but typically installed RCAs. When I asked him what he liked about the RCAs, his response was "I could buy them right down the street." :-)

There are many who can testify to the advantage of changing tubes in the U67 reissue. Why berate him for asking what is actually an obvious question to ask. The value of testing the tubes is not to be undervalued either, as Steve just alluded to, but there are reputable sources for that as well. Most manufacturers are compelled by practicality to use current production tubes but that doesn't mean it is pointless to experiment, especially with experienced guidance on your side.

It’s one thing when you experiment with sub standard gear. However when your at the level of the Pulse Technique’s units there isn’t a need, they have taken the time to work that out. Believe me I have substituted tubes. It was a waste of time. As far as the reissue U67 goes, I made my comments in other threads. I have had 5 of them, and tested, removed jumpers, changed tubes, changed heads and in more places in the world then was necessary. I kept the originals after everything. My point is learn how to use the gear. Compare it to original units, test it against units that have been made to model the originals. Once you know how to use the unit to it’s fullest then maybe experiment if you feel you need to. What is in the units I have and that is 4 Pulse Technique’s units nothing needs to be changed.

Good to know you've done the homework to come to your conclusions. I do know there are others who have also done their homework that have come to the opposite conclusion so each to his own.