Valve Shootout: 6L6 vs EL34
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- Опубликовано: 27 мар 2013
- 6L6 and EL34, both popular power valves for guitar amps, but what is the sonic difference between the two?
Here I take a Bugera 333 loaded with 6L6s and swap them over for some Tung-Sol EL34s.
The Infinum circuit within the amp accomidates for the different style of valve.
Unfortunately I couldn't turn the amp to the volume I'd have liked to really bring out the valve tone, but hopefully this still gives a good representation of how they sound.
With more run in time the EL34s will probably sound better still.
The sound samples were recorded using CSG custom CS1 guitar with Bareknuckle Pickups, through the Crunch and Clean channels of a Bugera 333 infinium
(with MXR smartgate and Carboncopy in the effects loop),
driving a Celestion Hot 100 speaker, picked up by a Sure SM57.
For all your valves check out www.watfordvalves.com. Quality assured with more diagnostic testing than just about any other valve distributer.
Join the discussion at: csguitars 
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This guy speaks with a EL 34 accent !
Pear-fektly Sco'-ish
Lol he’s Scottish. He’s got an El 84 accent its slightly different.
I'm with you on that Zonnekat. Found this dude a year ago when I was buying a used Bugera 333. But I stop by every now and again because he is hilarious and just has a way that is interesting.
@@charlesbaranyi5006 There is definitely a difference. No question.
Does that mean he's pre biased? : )
6L6 1:33
EL34 7:08
Physister i
The 6L6's definitely win for me!
Good vid. Informative. I play the Bugera 333xl with EL34's but always wondered about the 6L6's. You gave me my answer.
Nice test !
6L6 is a beam power tetrode (so less odd harmonics and less distortion)
EL34 is a real pentode (so odd harmonics and distortion)
6CA7 is a beam power tetrode version of the EL34 (I never heard one !)
for playing heavy metal like you do, EL34 is probably better sounding
for playing blues jazz like I do, 6L6 (and 6V6) is what I like (lot of even harmonics and little distortion)
Cleaning valves bottle is a good idea : when the valve goes hot (about 250° celsius) your fingerprint will cook and crack the glass
I feel that was a little uncalled for. LWB was providing what I considered to be some interesting information. He'll be getting some really good sound quality from that thing.
I've had a look at your recent comment history, it seems to be all like this.
Being horrible just for the hell of it. Disappointing Garry, disappointing.
I've not had a troll on my comments for a while. Have they built a new bridge close by for you to live under perhaps?
The 6L6's provide a flatter frequency response than the EL34's, that's why the slight bump in EL34 bass response can be appreciated. The 6V6's exhibit even more linearity than the 6L6's, but in the end, it is a matter of personal preference. Good job! This an important comparison to make. Sam (USA)
Hey that is a great comparison between two great types of tubes. You really illustrated the sonic differences well. Almost everything I've built so far has been around the 6V6/6L6/7591 family; I agree with you on the "tighter" feel to them. I'm thinking I need to give the EL34s a try.
Gotta be the EL34s for me. I recently switched the stock 6L6s out of my Bugera 6262 Infinium for Sovtek EL34s (which I managed to get for £20), and the difference in tone is incredibly apparent. I was only expecting a minimal difference, but the EL34s seem to have a much smoother high end and a slightly tighter bass response. Great vid mate. :-)
The pickups in the guitar I'm using here are by Bareknuckle: a Painkiller in the bridge, and a Sinner (with zinc/steel baseplate) in the neck.
Excellent man , I love everything you teach us colon , love you man
Great video , its always fun watching your videos :)
i was just wondering what the difference was between these valves. thanks for making this 11 years ago. 🤘
Wow, what a difference! The EL34's have much more gain, a heavier type sound. If you can live with the extra hiss when you're not playing or playing clean is the trade off. Great test thanks for that.
I'm just blown away by your agility with the pots in the guitar, wow! I preferred the el34s as they were slightly more top-endy, imo.
Haha, I do those silly mouth twitches when I play too.
The new Laney IronHeart series has 6L6 with the ability to switch to EL34.
Tony Iommi uses 6L6, he's British, he invented metal so both valves have their heritage in British metal
Great video Colin. Very useful to hear the comparisons.
ONe Question: In your opinion, is there a perceivable difference in sound between different brands of the same type of tubes (for example a set of EL34's made by JJ, vs set of EL34's made by Mullard)?
6L6's all the way baby!!!! Good demo, thank you... Will try the 34's for myself as well... I feel my 6L6's are very ice picky high... I definitely get as much bass and punchiness as I would ever need... but sometimes those highs really stab me in the ears.
I noticed I like the cleans from the 6L6's better but the distorted tones from EL34's. Not a bad demo at all!!
Your vids are great and very helpful...thanks so much.
I Liked the EL34's better.
Question: Why can't I get that squeal notes? Is that a "pinch harmonic" ?
I know the concept of getting a pinch harmonic and am practicing BUT...are those "squeal" notes a function of high gain pickups, the amp, the pedal, the guitar, string type.... or just technique...how can i get more of those?
Running through a 2011 Bugera v22 (3 x 12AX7 pre and 2 EL84 output tubes - have never been changed, should I do that?)
1960's Tiesco guitar with low powered cheapo pickups.
One thing that might make a difference is the quality of the original tubes in the amp. Evidently one had already failed, the other 3 could be on their last legs. The replacements of Tung Sol El34b is a fairly high quality tube. Perhaps a better comparison would be of a new set of quality 6L6s against the EL34s? Also you could probably put a pair of each in and get a mix of both worlds.
Nice one mate! Always really useful..
I'm looking for a used Bugera Infinium, this video sealed the deal for me. I'm usually a Fender guy.
I think the point of using the infinium was so he could switch and let it do the work of compensating and biasing. INFINIUM Tube Life Multiplier Technology
revolutionary INFINIUM Tube Life Multiplier technology is like having your very own technician inside your amp constantly monitoring and tweaking tube performance for the ultimate in tonal integrity and reliability. This revolutionary circuit not only optimizes the performance of each output tube, it dynamically balances the drive between them to more evenly distribute the load. With INFINIUM, your tubes last up to 20 times longer, saving you substantial money over the lifespan of your amplifier. INFINIUM also compensates for the effects of aging, automatically adjusting current levels to keep your tubes sounding as good as the day they were installed.
Is it an ad?
Aw man, love the JMD shirt! still my favourite amp I have!
Hi there the 12bh7 power tube from my blackstar ht 5 can be change to el 34s?advice pls,,thanks
Man I just picked up a crate tv6210 it has 6l6's the reverb feeds back and im changin the pt to el34. My question is what specific groovetube preamp tubes would be good for the hard rock metal?
a good topic for the video. when I was buying my first valve amp several years ago,I was stuck in analysis paralysis but was pretty certain I wanted an el34 base. I finally decided to go to long and mcquades and play several, one after the other and buy the one I liked best. I ended up with a yorkville ycv40wr (6l6 base) and have never looked back. this was after comparing against fenders, orange, Marshalls and mesa s. a few years ago, I did pick up a blackstar ht5r for practice as the ycv40 was a little overwhelming for the size of our practice space. my advice, pick your amp with your ears not it's specs. btw while there is a volume range that most amps sound good in, I don't buy into the idea that it has to dimed.
can one create a chunkier drive with a boost/buffer in the FX loop?
Would tossing in a gate or two (say in front) and somewhere in the fx loop change the hiss of the EL34s? Other part of me also thinks, just clean that up in a DAW with a gate or eq/master settings somewhere. ?
Collin, have you tried both sets of tubes in a live band setting? If so could you give your thoughts as to any difference you noticed in how your amp cuts through the mix? Thanks!
So what is an EL84 tube? My JCM 2000 Marshall dsl 100 MLB amp head uses EL34's and EL84's;and can ya explain what they are and which is the better of the two? Thanks.
i liked the the EL34's so i bought the jj's,they sound great to me,imo.
About to do some SERIOUS reamping for a solo album, using a Mesa/Boogie Mark V, & going to be testing ALL of the options (pentode vs. diode vs. tube, 6L6 vs El34, 90/45/10 watt settings, etc.) & I wanted to brush up on the tube differences. I thought "I wonder if my new favorite channel has a video on this"...sure enough, you do! New subscriber, & love the content + personality. Great for the adept professionals & novices alike. Keep it goin' strong, my friend \m/
This is the exact video I was looking for. Have the amp and wondered about swapping. I'm thinking of doing two JJ EL34L's and two 6L6's yet to be decided.
I found a Mitchell PRO 100 AMP in my attic today. Looks like a two speaker out AMP with two guitar inputs (or one guitar one microphone)? Been there since the mid to late 1990's when I tried to learn the guitar (another boring story). It is missing one 6L6 Tube, but the other three Tubes look to be in perfect condition to me. Does this old amp or these tubes have any value to them? Tubes say "6L6 GC USA" on the side of them if that means anything. And the AMP says its manufactured in California. I loved the sound of your AMP by the way. Nice video, thanks...
Amp tech/builder since '86 here. The differences between 6L6s and EL34s are going to be hard to hear at levels below power amp clipping because of the negative feedback used in most amps with those two tube types. Usually, you can match most of the difference with your tone controls.
For this reason, I recommend 6L6s because they are quite a bit more reliable and long lasting for modern master volume amps. Of course, my old Marshalls only get EL34s!
Good video, thanks for posting.
how did you get your on/off and stand by leds red :D mine are blue
I have a 333XL with EL34s I want to switch them to 6L6s so it’s awesome you have almost the same amp for me to hear the differences.
I dont know much about tubes, but is it possible to have 2 6l6 and 2 El34?
Did you crank it up to 10 on the master volume?
I dodn't Think that you will here much difference when the gain is coming from your preamp tubes.
Good video. Mix-matched 6L6 brands? My amp won't allow that. I require matched pairs.
Comparison contrast depends on a lot of other factors as well. My application is Cary V-12 and trying new (Soviet made) Mullard EL34. Will re-bias when they arrive.....
EL34's are my favorites.
Good vid, Colin, & thx for recording it right, it's annoying as hell to get a vid in which the damned strumming hand is audibly slapping strings.👍
Power valves really show their tonal differences when pushed hard. This type of amp mainly relies on preamp distortion, you won't hear any change in texture there. It's the saturation of the power stage that would really differ.
Those Tung-Sol EL34s are probably the brightest true pentodes out there, with a clipping characteristic that is actually pretty 6L6GC-esque, so no surprise you find them brighter than expected. EL34s usually are stronger until point of breakup where they compress like crazy. 6L6GCs not that much so, though the taller the bottles the stronger the valves with these, generally.
Would the 6L6s be better used for an acoustic amp, especially with a 12 string acoustic guitar?
The first riff you played sounded better with 6L6s, but EL34s sounded great overall (to my ears). Great video!
Just got into tube amps from moving from solid state. I had no idea that the different valves gave different sounds and from this video I don't think it matters. Both sound great.
You won't be able to hear much of a difference on a compressed RUclips video but they can change the sound of an amp dramatically.
Hey man help me out here please. I have a solid state Randall which I think kicks ass, but it's solid state, and was thinking about using a tube boost pedal by Bravo Audio in the effects loop, since I can't just give it new tubes since it doesn't contain any being a solid state. I'm really new to tubes, so was curious if I were to get one of these or even the one used in Mesa's would it fit for sure, or is it safe to say that the pins might not be the same because it varies a lot? I'd appreciate some feedback :)
tubes are old school tech, so the have natural compression- warmth! Tube distortion pedal is not the same thing as a Tube amp.will it make your amp sound like a tube amp no, never gonna happen. All your gonna get is tube distortion going into your Amp, and realize not all so called tube distortion pedals are acually driving the tubes to a distorted level, Many maker Lie about this , you can see when a tube is being driven, it changes colors- brightness when a signal is being passed through it, this is when you know your getting real tube sounds, many so called tube pedals just use the tube in the power supply so you have a pretty light, but it has no real effect in the signal as tubes needs some power ,which will never come from a 9volt battery- power supply, Example look at how Massive power supplys are in real TUBE preamps- Just PREAMPS! we are talking 12-14 volts at 2-6amps of voltage ! so never expect to get this from a 9 volt battery!
I highly suggest takin your amp to a store, and compare it to a low price 10- 20 watt tube amp! hear the differance your self, MAke sure you use a good Speaker!
Your speakers are more of your sound then your AMP! you can plug in 6,000$ amp in a crap speaker and it will sound like a crap speaker
Do i need to rebias of i change the power tubes?
shouldnt the amps be turned up so the power tubes actually change the sound? were pretty much hearing the preamp tubes only on both recordings.
Yes, that is the thing they all know nothing about. The preamp is the one shaping 80% of the tone. Power amp only has 20% to do with the tone. Therefore the only way to hear the other 20% of the power amp tone is to crank the fucking thing. But like always, the little bird brains on youtube have no clue as to why it is what it really is. All they know is what they read on threads. When really the preamp is 80% of the tone, If preamp sucks the whole fucking amp sucks. You will never hear the other 20% until you crank the poweramp.
I thought your video was an excellent depiction of the different tonal sound from the tubes. Varying from power chords to picking and bassy notes from the B string. Good job. I listened through good headphones on my galaxy s and noticed a lot of variances between the two. I thought I was going to prefer the el34's but I felt they sounded a bit muddy on the bottom end.
always a great video from you. straight answers and points on all of them. you just solved my tube issue with one phrase. "the 34s have a punchier bass" that is it. sold
I knew a Mullard OC71 transistor which spoke in an odd crisp British accent with a slight gallic twang. It was a Germanium transistor.
Is that similar to what you're doing?
HEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!! xD
First of all, I got a bugera 333 (the combo version) and it came with 4 6L6 valves and I have a couple questions...
Does changing vavles change the sound at all?? I mean, treble, bass and mids??
What are the best brands?? I mean, are Groove valves nice??
Can I fit ENGL vavles in to my Bugera?? :p Will it sound better? :p
Thanks :)
The purpose of changing valves/tubes is so that you can get a different sound (unless you are replacing as opposed to changing, which is getting the same type of tube to fix a worn-out one). My personal favorite are Ruby tubes, they aren't super expensive, and I have never had a problem with them. That being said, if you are willing to spend some more money, Mesa Boogie Tubes are fantastic. Groove tubes are pretty good, but there really aren't any brands of tubes that are absolute crap, so as long as you get tubes from a good manufacturer, you should be good. Also, tubes are Universal, you have pre-amp tubes, rectifier tubes, large power tubes, and small power tubes (small being the 6v6, el84, etc.). You have large power tubes in yours, so avoid el84s and 6v6s and you should be good. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the video!
I liked the EL34s better.
They have a deeper sound. More body.
It sounded bigger.
@@therapscallion23 facepalm
Sounds are very hard to quantify with words, and we all hear slightly different things.
It also sounds different in the room than it does recorded down, and then the compression that youtube puts on everything changes it again.
EL34 had some earlier break up than the 6L6s, and I could hear them growl a bit more.
but the comparison was to let everyone hear the difference and decide for themselves. Music wouldn't be anywhere near as interesting if we all agreed on everything :)
Would I be able to swap any of these tubes with a KT88?
hi ! i'm about to get a bugera 333xl, is it true that the amp does biasing itself? Thanks for your answers , i'm kinda scared of biasing the amp
Eros Di Miele only the newer ones from the infinium series
Hi CSG, I'm not sure I "get" this video......although well done, wouldn't both quads of tubes/valves need to be new for a more accurate evaluation of each? Also, I hear mostly pre-amp tube/valve distortion, would it not make more sense to lower the gain and increase the output volume to overdrive the output tubes/valves to saturation? Just my thoughts, maybe I'm wrong? Thanks, Tom
=)
0:35 "Either an EL34 or a Sex El Sex"
HAHAHA I had the exact same thought! No disrespect Colin!
***** What does that sound like? I can't imagine how it would be that different from how any other english speaking person says it. Does it stick to the roof of your mouth for while before finally emerging through clenched teeth?
***** Oh god......it's bad enough you guys say "Zed" for the letter Z!
You say Zee for the letter Z.
Moses Bullrush Yes, we do.
Hi Collin , have you tried a combination of both types of valves in various amounts in order to get a more taylored response. Good luck, have fun John.
The guitar shines through the 6L6s better than it does through EL34s. There’s a certain ‘gritch’ in an EL34 that seems to replace the actual ‘note’.
can someone post up how and what to do for a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL, 40 watt combo?
Michael Craig first of all... the DSL40C isn't a JCM2000
Second... use Mullard EL34 or Mesa Boogie EL34
Tubes can be removed without the risk of breaking by using a circular motion and easing them out. Don't worry about the sockets because they're meant to handle the circular motion.
Huh, to me the el34 sounded more precise! And also, my dark tiny terror sounds pretty gritty and brittish, how much would that change if i change to el34?
The 6L6s seem a bit more vocal to me. The EL34s a bit thicker.
I bought that head some time last week...i played out with it last night...Keep in mind this is my first tube amp... I had the channel volume down for playing at my house and instead of being smart and turning them up and the master down i just turned up the master...I kept getting really bad feedback...Lol i guess you have to learn some things the hard way. Also i think im gonna keep the valves it came with. Nice vid man.
Thanks, really enjoyed that, especially the accent!
I have an old Princeton type amp it has 3 tubes a 6v6 a 5y3 and a 12ax7 now my question is just this...I do not have to bias the pre amp the power amp and the rectifier tube so its a matter of switching to either a 6l6 or a el34. I want to overdrive the circuit but as its set up it wont with those tubes. Anyone got a suggestion. It s a 40 watt amp with no extras at all.
You can't go switching valves at will, amps are designed with a particular valve type in mind and they usually cannot be swapped without modification.
The Infinium circuitry is an anomaly as it actively adjusts between 6L6 and EL34.
Purely because there is no manual bias controls doesn't mean you don't need to bias. Your amp will have bias set for the type of valves it uses, swapping these for other types of valves would result in your amp not working correctly.
My Valveking Mkll is my only amp that can take both of these valves. The EL 34s improved the amp characteristics drastically over the factory 6L6. I have some KT77s i want to try next.
Nice playin, man....sounds nasty!
How would you compare 6L6 to EL34 today? Considering this was 7 years ago do you think tubes are better by todays standards vs then?
I have a Marshall 100w 1959 with four El34. I really want that AC/DC lead sound. Thinking about changing the power valves but there are so few real good guitar stores in my town.
The issue with these Bugeras is that they actually don’t self bias properly. To make them work with both types of valve the plate voltage is really low and both tube types run really cold. I modified a friend’s 333 heads to run at properly with each valve. He did lose the ability to interchange the valves but the amps sounded entirely different from the stock heads.
what kinda tubes are usually used in Chilean amps?
so can you normally change the types of tubes/valves in amps? i have a traynor amp with el34s but i tend to like 6L6s and i wanted to know if i could switch them out
In a Dual Rec the 6l6 tubes sound a lot better than the El34s, but, in this amp the reverse is true - but in this case the sound is a lot closer.
is it true you should not handle the glass tubes with your fingers, as the oils from your fingers cause unequal heating of the glass ruining the tube? heard this somewhere.
This is only an issue if the oils on your fingers cause enough of a temperature differential to damage the glass. This can happen, and is an issue with high wattage halogen bulbs, but as long as you fingers are fairly dry, you're OK handling a warm tube. This is the case with any foreign substance on glass that may go through heating and cooling cycles. The main reason not to handle hot tubes is that they're hot. Anyway, if your tubes are dirty, wipe them down with a cloth and they should be fine.
Nope, you shouldn´t hold halogen and car bulbs, but tubes are less sensitive to this kind of handling. There´s not that high temperature on the surface of the tube compared to the halogen bulb. Also, halogen&car bulbs use some specific type of glass which is sensitive. But not to oils but to aggresive sweat and acidity.
Since google wont give me the answer, for a single pair of tubes, could you use one el34 and one 6l6? Or do they have to match?
+BassNBeards It's tricky but it can be done...
www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/mixing-power-tubes.856137/
I wouldn't advise it tough at all as not every amplifier has a bias trimm for every single socket of the poweramp. First consult your tech if your amp is even capable of such a mod.
Is there heavier more bassy tubes with more growl I can put in the JCM 2000 DSL combo? Trying to get the heaviest Hendrix type tone possible..
+Michael Craig 6550's, 6550's bro...
+dzemohendrix will those type fit in a JCM 2000 dsl combo? I do not have the head and stack, just the combo.. so, I want to get a way bigger sound.. not necessarily more distorted, just way huge, thick notes etc... like Hendrix, Stevie Ray, etc...I dont know the name of that type of tone, but you know what I mean..and how much would these tubes cost, how many fit in this type of amp?
Yes they'll fit. They're actually a lot harder to distort than say an EL-34 and they have a great bottom end. I'm guessing you have the JCM 2000 DSL 401. It has EL-34's by default, and 4 of them. They'd be about 250-300$ for 4 good 6550's. Here I found some on EBay for you.
www.ebay.com/itm/Quad-4-Vintage-Original-USA-GE-6550-tubes-guitar-stereo-power-amps-lot-3-/322039114717?hash=item4afb06ebdd:g:CvcAAOSwv9hW5bR~
Then again you can get some on the cheap as low as 35-40$ per tube. Be careful tough with them as they're not as reliable as let's say JJ's tubes or Russian Svetlana's.
And another thing you might want to compare the 6550's with the KT-88's. The KT-88's push like a 100 W per tube so they're loud as living fuck. Find some comparration videos on RUclips with these two tubes. The amp I can think of that comes with 6550's is the Slash signature Marshall AFD100, and for the KT-880's, Slayer's Kerry King JCM800 KK comes stock with them. Compare and see what you like. They're similar in price.
Michael Craig Post scriptum.
I see you're not very much informed on the subject of tubes.
Wichever tubes you buy, NEVER take them out or put new in when the amp is turned on or turned off. Take it to a technician who needs to bias the cathode currents of the tubes, or else they won't amplify or just burn out. Every tube has it's own bias current and wichever you buy just take it to a tehcnician to replace them and bias them for you. This is crucial because you might die of electic shock if you don't know what you're doing. I am dead serious, approach this with care...
Yeah, I know a person can get shocked messing with this stuff. Correct, I dont know much about tubes. That is perfectly fine. We all learn as we go along in life. I ask questions, I learn. If I dont ask, and seek out info, no one will knock on the door and tell me what I want to know.. I have to search for the information, and answers...they dont seem to know jack shit at the music stores anymore, so this seems to be one place to learn stuff. What is the 6550 tube, and how does it compare to 6l6 or El-34? I am looking to get as huge a tone as possible, the Hendrix-Stevie RAY type of tone, still sounding like a Stratocaster, but much huger, and more dynamic..can you tell me more about these different tubes? Thanks..
Learning quite a bit from your videos but one thing I can teach you is to roll the tubes in a tight circular motion instead of back and forth to extract and insert them. It keeps the connections from wearing out, kind of like a plug on an outlet will loosen up.
I have a Peavey 6505+ 112 and i was jamming, and out of nowhere, my gain and volume kept dropping off like someone was playing with my knobs. I immediatwly stopped playing and put it in standby. My powertubes were still glowing the normal healthy orange color. My preamp tunes are covered, so i don't know exactly what's going on. Would i be better off replacing all the tubes, or just the one or ones that are out? Taking it to a tech real soon. Techs here are greedy, and they will make more money switching all of them out, so that's what they'll try to get me to do. Any advice?
not only will you need to swap all the power valves for a matched set, but you will need to have the amp professionally re biased.
valves amps need a fine balance of voltages across the power valves to operate properly, if that balance isn't kept and maintained on a regular basis then it will drift, certain valves will have to take more load than others and this can cause the whole amp to fail.
so valves should be matched so that the are all operating within the same tolerance, and the amp needs then to be biased to that set of valves.
your amp should get serviced every 6 months or so to keep it playing properly and to prolong the life of the valves.
there is no way around this without using some form of valve monitoring system, which although available, are expensive to fit as an after market unit.
valve amps require constant upkeep and careful set up
thanks. got that done and got it back and it's rocking harder than ever. thanks :)
CSGuitars Hey man, I love how this line of amps let you know when to change the power amp tubes, but how often for the pre amp tubes?
You can retube and bias your amp yourself for half of whatever they're asking unless you retubed and your still having the issue then it's somewithing within the amp then I'd suggest taking it to a tech. When it comes to techs some how there's always something randomly broken that's to be fixed.
+Lewis Keller Find out who was fiddling with your knob first, then concentrate on the amplifier.
Colin were the EL34's a matched set ??? and did you replace pre amp section????.
Reason I ask I used to own a Bugera 333xl,standard with EL 34'S had a few issues with it. UNTIL...... I renewed all the tubes with a matched pre amp and EL 34 tubes JJ"S then it sounded awesome true and tight... Just my opinion...
My understanding is that a matched quad is not necessary with the Infinium technology as it biases each tube separately versus a single bias point requiring all the tubing to have the same value.
You are correct in as much as INFINIUM models do not require matched tubes .However my Bugera 333xl was a 2009 model,no Infinium technology dude..
what about a setup with two el34 and two 6l6?
Does it use a solid state phase inverter? Just wondering. Doesn't really matter to me, my Blackstar uses a SS phase inverter and sounds killer.
can I place half of each inside the amp?
+CSGuitars - Best way to hear the comparison is by listening back & forth to the clean tones starting at 4.15 (6L6) and 9.52 (EL34)
Can't really hear any difference with all the distortion, it's pointless trying to listen to the subtle differences between the sound of the valves when there's so much distortion, i found it better skipping between these times.
I have an EL84 in my Laney Lionheart and it sounds great, but i wouldn't mind having other valves to swap between if I feel like summat different but it's my first valve amp and there are so many different things written about valves it's hard to find true and not duff info.
Colin, do you know which valves are interchangeable in an EL84 amp? Is is just a case of taking 1 out and inserting the new 1? My Laney Lionheart L5 Studio just has the 1 EL84 and 3 x 12AX7 pre amp valves i have no idea about biasing, would i need to do that? Cheers mate.
The heavy sound on the EL34s, to me, felt like they had much less distortion, but had a lot more 'bite' as it were. Overall, the 6L6 tubes seemed to distort more and at lower volumes, whereas the EL34s keep their definition, and have a more full tonality.
Both are very pretty.
Try out some KT's as well. I think you'll dig a KT88. Thanks for the great video.
Mine is an older model, was in a pawn shop, no details, no footswitch, no guarantee. couldn't even test it.
As such I anticipated some issues.
Pleasantly surprised to find there was none. Had to replace a valve a few weeks in, but that's standard with second hand valve amps.
Have been using it at shows and at home since I got it, never had an issue with reliability yet. No downside in performance or build quality. A very good amp for the price. Louder than you'll ever need too.
Just got a matched quad of J/J E34L tubes to replace the 6L6s in my Mesa Dual Rectifier multiwatt. I enjoy it more now.
el34 much less fizz, i think i might change mine to el34. whats the preamp tube?
iDealJ&J,electro harmonix and groove tubes are the most common but you won't go wrong with either.
i wouldnt say that a higher noise floor equates to more gain.
are you able to mix valves like a hybrid? Or is that silly? Idk i don't have a fancy amp like that
this amp is actually one of the cheapest tube amps in the market.
These 120w heads go for roughly 300 used on average.
That's still a bit expensive for me XD
Rather unique, those Tung Sol EL34s, in that they were designed to sound closer to a 6L6GC than your average EL34. That gives them a bit more open top end than usual. Then of course there are 6L6GCs that are quite dark or mid centred too.
very cool..thanks for sharing
So is the only difference between the Blackstar Series One 6L6 and the EL34 the valves? And if yes: can you simply replace them as you did with your amp?
Thanks for the video
Watched this video months ago...I have an amp that you can swap the tubes out with a flip of a switch...just for feedback on the video and for the folks wondering which tubes to purchase etc., Here's what I found ...I bought the EL34's excited to try them to get a More Marshall crunch...and I guess it worked...'cause I took my amp out LIVE and played a gig (forgetting I did the swap from 6L6 to EL34)...I found myself all night trying to get enough BOTTOM END from my amp...so I went back to my 6L6's....just my opinion....I won't be going back to the EL34 atleast LIVE anyways....Thanks for the great videos!
The EL34 had a colder and raspier break up than the 6L6. The 6L6 made this amp sound very Mesa-like