5881/6L6 Question....

[jmgman69]

I really love my JJ 6L6's in my mod 50, they sound amazing!

Same here,I also love the 5881s which I feel are real similar..

 

[3 Mile Stone]

Just got a set of Tung Sol EL34 B. I have no idea what the B is for but these are KILLER sounding EL34's. Never heard anything better and I've been a die hard TS 5881 fan for quite a while now. You really should try these. They have the killer midrange that you want form a EL34 but the clean tones sound nice and chimey like the 5881. Very nice tubes.

 

[jmgman69]

Just got a set of Tung Sol EL34 B. I have no idea what the B is for but these are KILLER sounding EL34's. Never heard anything better and I've been a die hard TS 5881 fan for quite a while now. You really should try these. They have the killer midrange that you want form a EL34 but the clean tones sound nice and chimey like the 5881. Very nice tubes.

Hows the bottom end?

 

[Buckeyedog]

Just got a set of Tung Sol EL34 B. I have no idea what the B is for but these are KILLER sounding EL34's. Never heard anything better and I've been a die hard TS 5881 fan for quite a while now. You really should try these. They have the killer midrange that you want form a EL34 but the clean tones sound nice and chimey like the 5881. Very nice tubes.

Dude......stop!! I've only got about 6 different sets of tubes now.......guess I'll have to get one more set.........

where did you get them??

 

[jmgman69]

Just got a set of Tung Sol EL34 B. I have no idea what the B is for but these are KILLER sounding EL34's. Never heard anything better and I've been a die hard TS 5881 fan for quite a while now. You really should try these. They have the killer midrange that you want form a EL34 but the clean tones sound nice and chimey like the 5881. Very nice tubes.

Dude......stop!! I've only got about 6 different sets of tubes now.......guess I'll have to get one more set.........

where did you get them??

No kidding We're making the tube companies "RICH"The only tube I found that I absolutely hated was a GT6L6ge,it was very harsh!!

 

[EWSEthan]

Just got a set of Tung Sol EL34 B. I have no idea what the B is for but these are KILLER sounding EL34's. Never heard anything better and I've been a die hard TS 5881 fan for quite a while now. You really should try these. They have the killer midrange that you want form a EL34 but the clean tones sound nice and chimey like the 5881. Very nice tubes.

You like them more than the TS 5881?!?

 

[jmgman69]

Guys,Tommy works for Tung-Sol

 

[jkdsteve]

Guys,Tommy works for Tung-Sol

hahahha..Tubes are worse than modules...or the same..gotta catch 'em all!

 

[gtr31]

This could be the answer for Richedie

 

[3 Mile Stone]

Guys,Tommy works for Tung-Sol

Seriously they ought to cut me deal or something right?

I'm still deciding about the Tung EL34B, so no I will not say I like them better ... yet. They are a serious and viable option though because like the 5881 it seems to do a good job of not ruining your clean tones. It has everything you like about the EL34, nice big midrange and that unmistakable Marshall punch, but a better top end. Not quite is shimmering and magical as the 5881. BUT if you spend most of your time, like I do in distortion territory, say EG3/4 or Sl2 or MHG or EG5 and less time on the clean channel it is very very tempting. I'll probably put them in for a while and although I am not gigging a ton right, if I get a chance I'll take them on stage to see how they cut it live. I'll have to give another listen to evaluate the low end. Seemed very nice and thick.

 

[EWSEthan]

Hmm from that description I must say Im tempted. Maybe I will try them. I am just so goddamn smitten with the 5881s though...

 

[3 Mile Stone]

I hear you Matt, not gonna ditch the 5881 at all, love it too much. But I will be doing a pretty long test run on these to see if my ears re-calibrate to the new EL34B tone. The distortion mode is better I think in the EL34B and it's a clean sound I can live with. Thinking real seriously about switching to a Vox module with a little light compression for cleans and keeping my EG3/4 in ch 2 and giving the TS EL34B a run. I've playing my R59 Burst, Standard Les Paul a lot lately and in my mind I could see that combo coming together real nicely.

 

[EWSEthan]

Since you work for TS, do you have two you could send me to try?

I also spend most of my time on the gain channels so this has certainly got me interested. Im curious about Jeff's EL34 reliability concerns though. But then, I am running 5881s with incompatible plate voltage right now!

 

[3 Mile Stone]

I got mine on eBay. $43 bucks from a seller I think the name is amplkat or something. Pretty cheap for a new thrill man.

 

[aeroic]

Since you work for TS, do you have two you could send me to try?

I also spend most of my time on the gain channels so this has certainly got me interested. Im curious about Jeff's EL34 reliability concerns though. But then, I am running 5881s with incompatible plate voltage right now!

Matt:

I just put in my Tung sol 5881 into my new mod 50...woohoo i finally got it!!!.

just curious, does your tubes glow more than normal? I have then set at about 33 mv, and they are glowing bluer than any other tube i've had, and secondly the plate is glowing a nice shade of orange a bit too. i'm just concerned that this isn't normal.

On another note, they do sound good . much better than the sovtek 5881's. i bought a set of JJ 6V6's that I should get to try later on also. And a set of Tung-sol 6550's (thought i'd try them compared to the Tung Sol 5881's) to try both in my mod 50 and my vht 2/90/2.

eric

 

[jkdsteve]

I just put in my Tung sol 5881 into my new mod 50...woohoo i finally got it!!!.

just curious, does your tubes glow more than normal? I have then set at about 33 mv, and they are glowing bluer than any other tube i've had, and secondly the plate is glowing a nice shade of orange a bit too. i'm just concerned that this isn't normal.

On another note, they do sound good . much better than the sovtek 5881's. i bought a set of JJ 6V6's that I should get to try later on also. And a set of Tung-sol 6550's (thought i'd try them compared to the Tung Sol 5881's) to try both in my mod 50 and my vht 2/90/2.

eric

Orange plate glow = not normal..try and bias them cooler? Personally if they were new and biased in range like that...I'd return 'em though.

No 'red-plating' on my RM50 at 32mV with the TS 5881s.

I think they sounds different to the Sovtek 5881s (which sound more like a modern 6L6) than the TS 5881s do.The TS's are smoother and rounder as has already been described.

 

[jmgman69]

Since you work for TS, do you have two you could send me to try?

I also spend most of my time on the gain channels so this has certainly got me interested. Im curious about Jeff's EL34 reliability concerns though. But then, I am running 5881s with incompatible plate voltage right now!

Matt:

I just put in my Tung sol 5881 into my new mod 50...woohoo i finally got it!!!.

just curious, does your tubes glow more than normal? I have then set at about 33 mv, and they are glowing bluer than any other tube i've had, and secondly the plate is glowing a nice shade of orange a bit too. i'm just concerned that this isn't normal.

On another note, they do sound good . much better than the sovtek 5881's. i bought a set of JJ 6V6's that I should get to try later on also. And a set of Tung-sol 6550's (thought i'd try them compared to the Tung Sol 5881's) to try both in my mod 50 and my vht 2/90/2.

eric

Proud New father!

 

[aeroic]

Since you work for TS, do you have two you could send me to try?

I also spend most of my time on the gain channels so this has certainly got me interested. Im curious about Jeff's EL34 reliability concerns though. But then, I am running 5881s with incompatible plate voltage right now!

Matt:

I just put in my Tung sol 5881 into my new mod 50...woohoo i finally got it!!!.

just curious, does your tubes glow more than normal? I have then set at about 33 mv, and they are glowing bluer than any other tube i've had, and secondly the plate is glowing a nice shade of orange a bit too. i'm just concerned that this isn't normal.

On another note, they do sound good . much better than the sovtek 5881's. i bought a set of JJ 6V6's that I should get to try later on also. And a set of Tung-sol 6550's (thought i'd try them compared to the Tung Sol 5881's) to try both in my mod 50 and my vht 2/90/2.

eric

Proud New father!

Thanks man. It sure does have killer tone. the bassman module w/ a Chinese 12ax7a and a EH 12ax7a sounds awesome!!! I didn't like the EG3/4 in my M4, but in the Mod50 it sounds great. The COD for me sounds better in my M4 than my Mod50. I still need to mess around w/ the COD as far as tubes.

For me, the chinese tubes are just awesome in V1 of a lot of the modules. In the EG5 I use a chinese 12ax7a in V1 and a ruby 12ax7a (which isn't as hot as the 12ax7a from the tube store) because if i ran 2 chinese 12ax7a's i'd get a fair amount more noise / buzz. I like the EH's in V2 on a few modules as they round out the tone a bit w/ the Chinese. I'm definitely happy. I've been using the Tungsol 12ax7 as more of my "all around tube" that I use in my power amp...input tube etc. I've not cared for it as much for tone shaping tubes. The EH's, Ruby's, and Chinese 12ax7s for me are the bomb for that.

I can't wait until I get my shipment early next week w/ my Tungsol 6550's, and JJ 6v6's. And can i say...the biasing on the back of the Mod 50 is just plain bad ass. SO friggin easy. Why all amp makers don't do that, I just don't understand!

Eric

 

[jmgman69]

Matt:

I just put in my Tung sol 5881 into my new mod 50...woohoo i finally got it!!!.

just curious, does your tubes glow more than normal? I have then set at about 33 mv, and they are glowing bluer than any other tube i've had, and secondly the plate is glowing a nice shade of orange a bit too. i'm just concerned that this isn't normal.

On another note, they do sound good . much better than the sovtek 5881's. i bought a set of JJ 6V6's that I should get to try later on also. And a set of Tung-sol 6550's (thought i'd try them compared to the Tung Sol 5881's) to try both in my mod 50 and my vht 2/90/2.

eric[/quote]
Proud New father! [/quote]

Thanks man. It sure does have killer tone. the bassman module w/ a Chinese 12ax7a and a EH 12ax7a sounds awesome!!! I didn't like the EG3/4 in my M4, but in the Mod50 it sounds great. The COD for me sounds better in my M4 than my Mod50. I still need to mess around w/ the COD as far as tubes.

For me, the chinese tubes are just awesome in V1 of a lot of the modules. In the EG5 I use a chinese 12ax7a in V1 and a ruby 12ax7a (which isn't as hot as the 12ax7a from the tube store) because if i ran 2 chinese 12ax7a's i'd get a fair amount more noise / buzz. I like the EH's in V2 on a few modules as they round out the tone a bit w/ the Chinese. I'm definitely happy. I've been using the Tungsol 12ax7 as more of my "all around tube" that I use in my power amp...input tube etc. I've not cared for it as much for tone shaping tubes. The EH's, Ruby's, and Chinese 12ax7s for me are the bomb for that.

I can't wait until I get my shipment early next week w/ my Tungsol 6550's, and JJ 6v6's. And can i say...the biasing on the back of the Mod 50 is just plain bad ass. SO friggin easy. Why all amp makers don't do that, I just don't understand!

Eric[/quote]
That's funny,I didn't really care for the EG3/4 in my M4 either,But it kills in the MOD.The COD lives in my M4 and so does the EG5 The SL2,Vox and Bman sound killa in both though,not that the other modules don't sound good cause I like them too

 

[jmgman69]

I don't recall other tubes glowing blue and bright orange,is this good?I talking about the 5881s TS.Seems rather HOT eh!
Sounds good though