A smart young man who understands electronics with musical talent in his fingers, a rare breed. I congratulate your parents and you for all the hard work you have done to get where you are today.
Thank you for taking the time to do this video! I would have to go with the 6L6 power tubes first then the EL84 and then the EL34. Those are my favorites. Thanks again!
I'm am amazed at the fact that there is even a slight difference between them. You can hear a slight difference in the amount of breakup and clarity when he plays the "Hard Rock" parts. I've honestly never heard a difference in other videos.
I owned a Rivera 55-12 which had a British channel and an American channel and I did wonder how that was achieved with only one pair of EL34 power tubes but seeing this and that the differences in tone are not massive (EL34 vs 6L6) then equally the compromises necessary in building such an amp are maybe smaller than may of us have come to believe; but again only if one sees it that way as it might just be seen as an amp with its own set of voices.
According to this video, theres not a huge amount in it. Which is pretty much what I expected. Its the entire design of the circuit that is responsible for the sound and the tubes are just a small part of that.
Agreed. If different types, or brands of vacuum tubes had distinct tonal signatures, manufacturers would have published frequency response curves like speaker manufacturers do, or at the very least, some sort of bass-mid-treble specs like DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan do. To the best of my knowledge not one manufacturer or seller ever has. There are of course differences in gain and output which if not matched when AB testing will be perceived as differences in bass and treble but that's not how we play music.
Questions... 1: Are all the tubes properly biased for each tube type? 2: What is the B+ feeding the OT for each tube type? 3: Was negative feedback used in the circuit? 4: How did you test the non octal el84...THD yellow jacket?
I'm not sure why there are so many comments criticizing certain aspects of the video, I thought it was well done. How did you compensate for the different tubes load resistances to the primary of the output transformer? Was it done entirely by adjusting the fixed bias - voltage to the input grid? Thanks, Tom
I had a similar thought. I'd really like to see a bit more technical information given (because he definitely has it. It's clear that this is a relatively well thought out trial). We may be in the minority on this platform who care about technical minutae, but I'm glad some "creators" still provide for us. (I wish he'd have answered your question, at least.) Edit: Yeah, I really want to see how this worked. I see plate voltages on these tubes ranging from 350v to 800v+. Also, the diagrams indicate that some of those tubes have quite varying pinouts. A schematic for his universally adapatable amp would be excellent for many of us. It seems it'd have to have more components than a single pot for bias to compensate.
Way to go Man!! Best comparison viddy for valves yet and all the specs too! Maybe so used to 6L6 and el84 ..6v6 that all the others sound hollow and glassy. There must be a reason why after all theses decades that 6L6 and EL84 are still in high demand. Reliability, ruggedness, ability to handle a days work at full power in a wide variety of situations day after day?
guitarists are just incredibly conservative compared to other types of musicians, in terms of gear preferences. contrast to bassists, who are a lot happier to embrace new technology.
Great video. Really well done. I would love a little more info - are you using a pedal board with od or distortion? Are you leaving that pot on the tube amp in the same place for entire video or adjusting it for optimal response for each tube (according to the best sign wave shape)?
What's the difference in mA requires for doing a correct bias on 6L6GB vs. 5881's. My Fender Hot Rod DeVille at 60 watts and using 2 6L6GB's running at 60 m/A (30 mA each) is way to loud for me. I would like to lower the volume by installing a pair of 5881's but I don't know the correct bias mA. I know almost nothing about this subject. But I have succeeded in re-biasing the tubes a little colder down to 56-57 mA using a meter and the amplifiers built in bias adjustment pot. It's still way to loud! I want to be able to max out the volume to obtain the power tube sag that sounds so good. Thanks in advance for any consideration that you may give my question. Peter Nelson
Late to the party as usual... I'd be interested to see what tonal difference (if any) you'd get from running a batch of exactly the same valves/tubes through a test like this (ideally using re-amping so the input is identical every time). I am interested to know how much variation there is between individual tubes of the same type/same manufacturer, most comparisons only use one of each tube type with the assumption that all tubes of a given make/model sound the same. I wouldn't be surprised to find there was as much difference between tubes of the same make and model as between differing makes/models.
Couldn't tell any difference between any of them. Would like to see graphics of the comparisons to see if there's a provable difference. I’m starting to think the values of capacitors used in the tone stacks of different amps are the real difference.
Hi,how do you these different tubes in a single amp? I've read about yellow jacket. I guess it's like a adapter for tubes! Anyhow,great demo,I'm impressed of you skills. ThanksJim K.
From full tube specs the main difference between the 6V6 and the EL84 is the bigger octal based 6V6 has nearly double the stated life span of the smaller EL84.
Great comparison! Confirms what I've been thinking, that valve type probably isn't the first factor one should take into consideration when shopping for amplifiers. There's definitely a difference but the often so knocked EL84 doesn't fare half bad in this and the more exotic types (KT66 and beyond) don't really seem worth the extra effort?
A studio isn't really helpful, when we don't know more precise details about the overall schematic, and the way it adapts to the varying needs of the tubes (e.g. plate voltages varying from 300v-900v). Tubes play a role, but they're not everything.
Interesting, some sound more glassy or scooped. But really, it's not a huge difference, particularly once other factors come into play like guitar, pedals etc. Your guitar and playing would have much more of an influence.
Great video! I'd like to do a similar experiment with the numerous tubes that I have laying around. What is the single ended amplifier that you used, or did you build it yourself?
They all sound nice, but while the ELs have a nice fullness I'm partial to the 6CA7 and 6550. Just seem to have something special, rich fullness with a certain sweet clarity.
I particularly like the KT66, EL84, 6CA7, and KT88. Kind of hard not to like the 84. The 6C seems to distort more of the treble frequencies than the others in a unexpectedly pleasing way. The 88 sounds real girthy in a way I think would sound good for stoner/doom or if you’re in a 3 piece band and need something thicker. There just seemed to be something missing with the 77 that either the 66 or the 88 had during each take. The 66 fell a bit short for me during the hard rock section though, just didn’t have the balls of the other tubes that I liked.
I like 6v6s they brake up nice. The bigger tubes are Louder of course In my opinion the sweetest sounding big tube is the 5881s I also like the KT66 but they have to have the 3 gathers. Thanks for making this video.Enjoyed your Guitar playing too. c];-)
great playing. my favorite is the second kt66. so smooth and creamy. you really need different tubes for different sounds. you can never have just one tube amp! anyone struggling to hear differences. try taking away your other senses. close your eyes, or look away from the video. sometimes the bias of one's opinion can affect the ear's sensitivity to difference because you'll be looking at the tubes and thinking too much about what you shouldn't be thinking about. also, i think he is playing through a pedal at some parts, which is a bad idea for a scientific method. pedals ruin amp tone.
I can definitely tell a difference. Some were brighter sounding than others and one even sounded a little muddy. I think it depends on your style of music you like to play as to which tube you prefer. I'm kinda partial to the 6V6...that's what my amp has in it. Guess I'm used to that sound. Thanks for the demo...pretty cool!
Great video! Thank you. To my ears, there are differences, especially between the higher watt and/or higher filament current tubes compared to the lower, like say as n EL84 vs a KT88... but I'm very surprised how little difference... my favorites, 6L6GC and 5881... but I play a tweed bassman and recognize my bias... Thanks again!
Nice work! I definitely hear a difference between the EL34/84 and the others ..and agree that power tubes give the amp the basic flavour. Fender uses 6L6 type, Vox And newer Marshall’s the EL type, older Marshall Plexis etc the KT type..so that’s your 3 basic flavours right there. I would assume the differences become more apparent the louder you turn up the amp?
You used all jj tubes for this? There are differences from manufacturer to manufacturer in a given tube type that probably amount to as much difference as using all of these different tube types. Excellent video.
cool idea but...being a class A single ended with only one power tube,you cant hear the reaction that the other tubes in a push/pull,or single end /w/ 2+ tubes has on the plate voltage or the reaction of the transformer to a higher volt draw,and about a million other things that interact with tube tone. That being said-cool vid
to be totally honest I don't hear much difference in most of these comparisons.. must be this half inch speaker on the back of this Android. off mabe I'm tone deaf. Not
acctualy, I always find difficult to compare in single-ended mode. if one tries it in a Push-pull amp, with right voltages for each kind of tube, one will here way more difference. That´s when the sound signature shows up greater. Single-ended are always too "preampy"
Definitely give it a listen on a decent home or car stereo. There are very apparent differences. I played it on my Bosch work boombox and could definitely hear a difference from tube to tube
Thomas R. Bowen Yep. I realize that my iPhone speaker isn't the ideal platform for listening to this, but usually I can at least hear some differences in tube comparisons. These all sound identical in this demo.
too riff heavy. his playing changes between the tubes and the inconsistency compromises the average ear. they don't all sound the same, but the differences are subtle because of the lineup of changes too. you start to really hear the differences at el84s but with the clean playing later, you should be able to hear more dynamics between the tubes. pushing them is about overdrive rather than the dynamics. which this guy is smart enough, he should know this.
Two - 7591 Power tubes i have in my Combo amd one 5AR4 Rectifier tube the rest 7 pre Amp tubes 6AV6 this Amp 60s is A Guyatone GA-910 Concert sounds super clean can u compare those tubes7591with 6L6 thanks good videos
+riseofthefallen301 Actually a higher aperture. F8 would have kept everything more in focus. this was shot wide open at F2 or something. (depending on the lens)
A smart young man who understands electronics with musical talent in his fingers, a rare breed. I congratulate your parents and you for all the hard work you have done to get where you are today.
You are doing the Lord’s work here. Best tube comparison video I’ve ever viewed.
these all sound great to my ears. definitely noticeable differences but Id be happy with any of these
Every now and then I come back to this video. Thank you for going through all this trouble.
The first tube you used ,6l6gc I loved the most.. nice guitar riffing by the way.
Excelent video showing the audible comparison between tubes. Well done.
6L6: 3:35
KT66: 3:48
5881: 4:03
6V6: 4:16
EL34: 4:30
6CA7: 4:44
KT77: 4:58
EL84: 5:12
6550: 5:26
KT88: 5:40
Thiago Vitesse thank you!!
9:38 6L6GC
9:53 KT66
10:09 5881
10:24 6V6GT
10:39 EL34
10:55 6CA7
11:10 KT77
11:25 EL84
11:40 6550
11:56 KT88
The one that I liked out of all of the demos was the 6CA7 by far.
Thank you for taking the time to do this video! I would have to go with the 6L6 power tubes first then the EL84 and then the EL34. Those are my favorites. Thanks again!
EL34's! 6v6 really impressed me too.
Thank you for sharing. I can hear some difference between tubes!! EL34's for me. Thanks.
I'm am amazed at the fact that there is even a slight difference between them.
You can hear a slight difference in the amount of breakup and clarity when he plays the "Hard Rock" parts.
I've honestly never heard a difference in other videos.
the fingers are the most important "tubes"
Hard Rock Riff.
9:38 6L6GC
9:53 KT66
10:09 5881
10:24 6V6GT
10:39 EL34
10:55 6CA7
11:10 KT77
11:25 EL84
11:40 6550
11:56 KT88
A very complete and instructive comparison!
I recently did an EL34 swap on my Studio HT20, and it sounds killer
Love the vid.
Great equipment. Great use of the technology. This was exactly what i was looking for when searching El84 vs...
Thanks for posting, this was great for me! I felt the 5881 was the one I liked the least.. 6"x"6 I liked them all, but my fav. was the EL34
All this video shows is that a proper microphone with good placement is far more important than what type of tubes you're using....
And....... You're telling me wood doesn't matter? Oooooh nooooooo!!!! Please tell me you aren't serious.
+Kenton “GeekyLemur” Schroer The species and density of the table wood impacts the overall tone, and sustain of course
I have a plywood table thats been sustaining some vases and coffeeware for years.
Oh Dear! sure screw power tubes, they bring nothing to the tale lol
I owned a Rivera 55-12 which had a British channel and an American channel and I did wonder how that was achieved with only one pair of EL34 power tubes but seeing this and that the differences in tone are not massive (EL34 vs 6L6) then equally the compromises necessary in building such an amp are maybe smaller than may of us have come to believe; but again only if one sees it that way as it might just be seen as an amp with its own set of voices.
It probably switches the tone circuit for different American or British voicing and gain characterstics
6:36 KT66 9:53
7:29 EL34 10:39
8:07 KT77 11:09
9:03 KT88 11:55
According to this video, theres not a huge amount in it. Which is pretty much what I expected. Its the entire design of the circuit that is responsible for the sound and the tubes are just a small part of that.
+J583 agreed Tone stack and placement ;)
Agreed. If different types, or brands of vacuum tubes had distinct tonal signatures, manufacturers would have published frequency response curves like speaker manufacturers do, or at the very least, some sort of bass-mid-treble specs like DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan do. To the best of my knowledge not one manufacturer or seller ever has.
There are of course differences in gain and output which if not matched when AB testing will be perceived as differences in bass and treble but that's not how we play music.
I bet the camera that took this blurry ass shot cost a lot of money.
Thanks for the vid, excellent comparison example.
Interesting experimentation. Great job.
Anywhere to take a look at the waveforms ??
Such an ambitious young lad!
Questions...
1: Are all the tubes properly biased for each tube type?
2: What is the B+ feeding the OT for each tube type?
3: Was negative feedback used in the circuit?
4: How did you test the non octal el84...THD yellow jacket?
I'm not sure why there are so many comments criticizing certain aspects of the video, I thought it was well done. How did you compensate for the different tubes load resistances to the primary of the output transformer? Was it done entirely by adjusting the fixed bias - voltage to the input grid? Thanks, Tom
I had a similar thought. I'd really like to see a bit more technical information given (because he definitely has it. It's clear that this is a relatively well thought out trial). We may be in the minority on this platform who care about technical minutae, but I'm glad some "creators" still provide for us. (I wish he'd have answered your question, at least.)
Edit:
Yeah, I really want to see how this worked. I see plate voltages on these tubes ranging from 350v to 800v+.
Also, the diagrams indicate that some of those tubes have quite varying pinouts. A schematic for his universally adapatable amp would be excellent for many of us. It seems it'd have to have more components than a single pot for bias to compensate.
Thanks Premier Guitar! Rock riffs!
9:38
9:53
10:08
10:23
10:39
10:54
11:10
11:25
11:40
11:55
Way to go Man!! Best comparison viddy for valves yet and all the specs too! Maybe so used to 6L6 and el84 ..6v6 that all the others sound hollow and glassy. There must be a reason why after all theses decades that 6L6 and EL84 are still in high demand. Reliability, ruggedness, ability to handle a days work at full power in a wide variety of situations day after day?
guitarists are just incredibly conservative compared to other types of musicians, in terms of gear preferences. contrast to bassists, who are a lot happier to embrace new technology.
Great video. Really well done. I would love a little more info - are you using a pedal board with od or distortion? Are you leaving that pot on the tube amp in the same place for entire video or adjusting it for optimal response for each tube (according to the best sign wave shape)?
What's the difference in mA requires for doing a correct bias on 6L6GB vs. 5881's. My Fender Hot Rod DeVille at 60 watts and using 2 6L6GB's running at 60 m/A (30 mA each) is way to loud for me. I would like to lower the volume by installing a pair of 5881's but I don't know the correct bias mA.
I know almost nothing about this subject. But I have succeeded in re-biasing the tubes a little colder down to 56-57 mA using a meter and the amplifiers built in bias adjustment pot. It's still way to loud! I want to be able to max out the volume to obtain the power tube sag that sounds so good.
Thanks in advance for any consideration that you may give my question.
Peter Nelson
I made a mistake, the existing tubes are GT 6L6B's not 6L6GB's.
Super helpful video!
Late to the party as usual... I'd be interested to see what tonal difference (if any) you'd get from running a batch of exactly the same valves/tubes through a test like this (ideally using re-amping so the input is identical every time). I am interested to know how much variation there is between individual tubes of the same type/same manufacturer, most comparisons only use one of each tube type with the assumption that all tubes of a given make/model sound the same. I wouldn't be surprised to find there was as much difference between tubes of the same make and model as between differing makes/models.
Couldn't tell any difference between any of them. Would like to see graphics of the comparisons to see if there's a provable difference. I’m starting to think the values of capacitors used in the tone stacks of different amps are the real difference.
Hi,how do you these different tubes in a single amp? I've read about yellow jacket. I guess it's like a adapter for tubes! Anyhow,great demo,I'm impressed of you skills. ThanksJim K.
P
From full tube specs the main difference between the 6V6 and the EL84 is the bigger octal based 6V6 has nearly double the stated life span of the smaller EL84.
Can 6550 tubes be used in place of 6l6? What about kt66 in a 6l6 slot?
Excellent, thanks a lot man!
Excellent comparison, thanks! As for tubes, they all sound fine, just a matter of taste.
Great comparison! Confirms what I've been thinking, that valve type probably isn't the first factor one should take into consideration when shopping for amplifiers. There's definitely a difference but the often so knocked EL84 doesn't fare half bad in this and the more exotic types (KT66 and beyond) don't really seem worth the extra effort?
I like the 5881 a lot!
KT66 has beam-forming plates, just like the 6L6. They should not be drawn like a grid
It would have been better if yall recorded it in a studio enviornment.
A studio isn't really helpful, when we don't know more precise details about the overall schematic, and the way it adapts to the varying needs of the tubes (e.g. plate voltages varying from 300v-900v). Tubes play a role, but they're not everything.
Interesting, some sound more glassy or scooped. But really, it's not a huge difference, particularly once other factors come into play like guitar, pedals etc. Your guitar and playing would have much more of an influence.
6V6 and EL34 for me.
I suppose not all of the tubes testet want to look into the same primary impedance in the OT.
hands down the 6550, I can hear massive differences between the valves and the 6550 valve just does it for me
Quicksand riff at 9:22?
+Kevin Roberts Is that what that is? Pretty jammin.
Everything is super close. Only thing i could definitely discern is that i dont like kt66s. Sounded dull to me
KT66 soo smooth^^
Great video! I'd like to do a similar experiment with the numerous tubes that I have laying around. What is the single ended amplifier that you used, or did you build it yourself?
They all sound nice, but while the ELs have a nice fullness I'm partial to the 6CA7 and 6550. Just seem to have something special, rich fullness with a certain sweet clarity.
Very little difference output tubes make until they are on 11. It's all about the preamp at this volume.
Great job!
I particularly like the
KT66, EL84, 6CA7, and KT88. Kind of hard not to like the 84. The 6C seems to distort more of the treble frequencies than the others in a unexpectedly pleasing way. The 88 sounds real girthy in a way I think would sound good for stoner/doom or if you’re in a 3 piece band and need something thicker. There just seemed to be something missing with the 77 that either the 66 or the 88 had during each take. The 66 fell a bit short for me during the hard rock section though, just didn’t have the balls of the other tubes that I liked.
Think I like the KT88's the best, followed by the 5881's ... But they all "vacuumed" on the low strings.
Wow the EL34 sounded least gross in the mids. I was hoping one of the other tubes would sound better.
I like 6v6s they brake up nice. The bigger tubes are Louder of course In my opinion the sweetest sounding big tube is the 5881s I also like the KT66 but they have to have the 3 gathers. Thanks for making this video.Enjoyed your Guitar playing too. c];-)
for some reason i like them,MUCH MORE in power pentode mode
McLovin plays guitar now.
great playing. my favorite is the second kt66. so smooth and creamy. you really need different tubes for different sounds. you can never have just one tube amp!
anyone struggling to hear differences. try taking away your other senses. close your eyes, or look away from the video. sometimes the bias of one's opinion can affect the ear's sensitivity to difference because you'll be looking at the tubes and thinking too much about what you shouldn't be thinking about. also, i think he is playing through a pedal at some parts, which is a bad idea for a scientific method. pedals ruin amp tone.
Kt66,5881,el34...😎🎸🇬🇷👍
Great video! Thank you for doing this :-)
Great Video....Congrats
Very interesting ! THX
Thank you, that is great.
I can definitely tell a difference. Some were brighter sounding than others and one even sounded a little muddy. I think it depends on your style of music you like to play as to which tube you prefer. I'm kinda partial to the 6V6...that's what my amp has in it. Guess I'm used to that sound. Thanks for the demo...pretty cool!
The biggest differences were between el34's, 6l6's, and kt66. Everything else sounded too similar to matter I think.
Great video! Thank you. To my ears, there are differences, especially between the higher watt and/or higher filament current tubes compared to the lower, like say as n EL84 vs a KT88... but I'm very surprised how little difference... my favorites, 6L6GC and 5881... but I play a tweed bassman and recognize my bias... Thanks again!
MCLOVIN!!!!!!!!
🌟
A video that proves there is no difference between the hundred different tubes they make. 1% at most.
Clean your ears.
The 6l6 and EL-34 are surpirisingly similar. Nearly identical, actually
Kickass shop!
GOOD JOB ON VIDEO
Nice work!
I definitely hear a difference between the EL34/84 and the others ..and agree that power tubes give the amp the basic flavour. Fender uses 6L6 type, Vox And newer Marshall’s the EL type, older Marshall Plexis etc the KT type..so that’s your 3 basic flavours right there. I would assume the differences become more apparent the louder you turn up the amp?
You used all jj tubes for this?
There are differences from manufacturer to manufacturer in a given tube type that probably amount to as much difference as using all of these different tube types.
Excellent video.
cool idea but...being a class A single ended with only one power tube,you cant hear the reaction that the other tubes in a push/pull,or single end /w/ 2+ tubes has on the plate voltage or the reaction of the transformer to a higher volt draw,and about a million other things that interact with tube tone.
That being said-cool vid
to be totally honest I don't hear much difference in most of these comparisons.. must be this half inch speaker on the back of this Android. off mabe I'm tone deaf. Not
No, there's just no actual difference in any of this stuff. It's all marketing and the search for "tone". Shit is ALL the same.
acctualy, I always find difficult to compare in single-ended mode.
if one tries it in a Push-pull amp, with right voltages for each kind of tube, one will here way more difference.
That´s when the sound signature shows up greater.
Single-ended are always too "preampy"
Definitely give it a listen on a decent home or car stereo. There are very apparent differences. I played it on my Bosch work boombox and could definitely hear a difference from tube to tube
@@Kathayne636 how do you not at least hear the difference between the el34 and the others?
The only difference I hear using my headphones and car stereo is the slight volume difference of these tubes. Sound-wise, no difference at all.
Dude, tube amps are like warm apple pie.
4:35
4:49
7:30
7:48
10:39
10:54
6550 or kt88
720p but it looks like it was filmed with a potato?!
Hilarious
I can't tell a difference between any of them lol damn cell phone
Thomas R. Bowen Yep. I realize that my iPhone speaker isn't the ideal platform for listening to this, but usually I can at least hear some differences in tube comparisons. These all sound identical in this demo.
too riff heavy. his playing changes between the tubes and the inconsistency compromises the average ear. they don't all sound the same, but the differences are subtle because of the lineup of changes too. you start to really hear the differences at el84s but with the clean playing later, you should be able to hear more dynamics between the tubes. pushing them is about overdrive rather than the dynamics. which this guy is smart enough, he should know this.
EL34
Two - 7591 Power tubes i have in my Combo amd one 5AR4 Rectifier tube the rest 7 pre Amp tubes 6AV6 this Amp 60s is A Guyatone GA-910 Concert sounds super clean can u compare those tubes7591with 6L6 thanks good videos
Tubes affect the feeling under your fingertips and 13% of the sound. :)
6L6GC for me
KT77 all the way
Blows my mind that powertubes change the character like speakers, albeit a lesser degree
It's subtle, but closing my eyes, the EL34 came across as most musical. I must be used to its sound.
12:25
13:05
13:19
we do not need room sound< dude
totally mclovin
For a random guitar player there wouldn't be a significant difference. Pro guitarist playing could make a better perspective here.
Kt88!
El84
El84 the best
JUST. USE. LOWER. APPERTURE! chrissakes...
+riseofthefallen301 Actually a higher aperture. F8 would have kept everything more in focus. this was shot wide open at F2 or something. (depending on the lens)
Presumably his camera doesn't have this functionality? And he seems to be more into EE than photography. heh.