Power Tube Reconmendations

[Aristocat]

So I've been running JJ34's in my BE Modded SL for 3 years now. I haven't been digging the tone for a while and I've been wanting to change things up.

Typically, I've used Svetlana and Winged C's in the past but I've heard they don't jive in Friedman amps. What I'm looking for is to darken things up a bit, keep the mids crunchy and towards a lower mid emphasis and smooth out the high end.

Preamp tubes are a different issue as well.

I've run Tung Sol's in V1/2 and Ruby AC5HG+ in 3/4 for a couple years now. I dig the Ruby's but the Tung Sol's were so bright, I had the presence and treble on 3/4. I put JJ's in and while the helped with the above a little, they added this extra midrange that I'm not digging.

So far, I'm thinking of trying:
Winged C's
Ruby B-STR's.

So what do you guys run in your amps?

 

[Racerxrated]

Over the last few years I've built up a supply of Winged C, Siemens, Telefunken and Mullard 34s. None are NOS and they've been reliable. I gig once a month but play every day. Those sound best to me in Marshalls. Every time I get a different Marshall, I try whatever 34s are in there. Then I put in pair of mine. Mine usually sound much better at volume. I like Chinese 8th and 9th gen pre, and also Amperex best in Marshalls. I know these tubes are hard to find now, but Doug's/KCA usually have some in stock.

 

[Aristocat]

It's funny, because I just watched Rivera's EL34 shootout and the Telefunken/Ampherex were my two favorites.

I'm thinking of trying to find some of those.

 

[Racerxrated]

Don't be afraid to try 'used but test strong' tubes, that's all I ever buy and they all work great. If I were a full time musician I'd try to find some new production tubes but I don't put in more than 2 hrs a day now. Gig once a month. The only tubes I've had trouble with are new production lol...KT88s for a Deliverance and 6L6 for an SLO.

 

[Aristocat]

I just messed around more with the new set. The JJ's add this mod crunch that's cool and smooth the top. The Tung Sol's are brighter and more open.

Now if I can find the perfect mix lol

 

[HilltopExplosion]

So I've been running JJ34's in my BE Modded SL for 3 years now. I haven't been digging the tone for a while and I've been wanting to change things up.

Typically, I've used Svetlana and Winged C's in the past but I've heard they don't jive in Friedman amps. What I'm looking for is to darken things up a bit, keep the mids crunchy and towards a lower mid emphasis and smooth out the high end.

Preamp tubes are a different issue as well.

I've run Tung Sol's in V1/2 and Ruby AC5HG+ in 3/4 for a couple years now. I dig the Ruby's but the Tung Sol's were so bright, I had the presence and treble on 3/4. I put JJ's in and while the helped with the above a little, they added this extra midrange that I'm not digging.

So far, I'm thinking of trying:
Winged C's
Ruby B-STR's.

So what do you guys run in your amps?

In my BE100, I've tried

Power tubes
EH EL34- Great crunch and nice mids, but they went red real fast and took out a fuse, so I'm of them now
JJ EL34- What came with the amp. Sound was crunchy but smooth, but went through several sets because of red plate. of them now too
TAD B-STR's- Great crunch and mids, more bottom and highs, so like you I only run my presence around 4-5
EH6ca7- Great crunch, highs but more bottom, but as the volume increases these really give a kick. These are what I've settled on now.

The ARS EL34's in my amp were "rated" at 64. If I go too low of a rating, or bias#, the amp won't bias up to 32ma.. just to let you know what I'm using, I get a higher rate, or bias#.. The set I have in there now are 39, so I had to lower the bias and they sound fine.

The preamp tubes I have finally settled on... after many, many, maaaannny hours of trial and error are Tungsol in v1 RCA in v2 and Chinese in 3 and 4, with the EH6ca7 power tubes.

Of course all amps are not the same, and this might not work for you, but this setup makes my amp growl like a mother, with no hiss, and plenty of crunch, hope this helps!

 

[lll]

For new-manufacture, EHX 6CA7s.

 

[sg guy]

-GOLD LION KT77's-

-NP JJ803S-(LONG PLATES)-GOLD LION gold pins

-NOS AMPEREX or anything LONG PLATE

 

[hammered]

So I've been running JJ34's in my BE Modded SL for 3 years now. I haven't been digging the tone for a while and I've been wanting to change things up.

Typically, I've used Svetlana and Winged C's in the past but I've heard they don't jive in Friedman amps. What I'm looking for is to darken things up a bit, keep the mids crunchy and towards a lower mid emphasis and smooth out the high end.

Preamp tubes are a different issue as well.

I've run Tung Sol's in V1/2 and Ruby AC5HG+ in 3/4 for a couple years now. I dig the Ruby's but the Tung Sol's were so bright, I had the presence and treble on 3/4. I put JJ's in and while the helped with the above a little, they added this extra midrange that I'm not digging.

So far, I'm thinking of trying:
Winged C's
Ruby B-STR's.

So what do you guys run in your amps?

Might be worth a shot trying the Ruby AC5H+ in V1 , I`ve got one in V1 of my Small Box and a Ruby WBCHG in V2 , works really good

 

[Aristocat]

The TAD/Ruby EL34's and the EHX 6CA7 sound like the ticket.

Im thinking Tung Sol in V1 JJ/Brimar in v2 and the Ruby's in 3/4.

I had an old Bedrock loaded with RCA and Brimars years ago and got rid of it not knowing the worth of the tubes.

 

[sgill72]

I've got a Small Box and the TAD B-STR's are where it's at for me. I'm am done with JJ EL34's...too many go to sh!t.

 

[LP Freak]

I've got a Small Box and the TAD B-STR's are where it's at for me. I'm am done with JJ EL34's...too many go to sh!t.

I hate how JJ's sound

 

[AndyK]

Never had a problem using EH El34's. Cheap, and sound great in Marshalls!

 

[Ventura]

-GOLD LION KT77's-

-NP JJ803S-(LONG PLATES)-GOLD LION gold pins

-NOS AMPEREX or anything LONG PLATE

Love me some GL-KT77s...

V.

 

[sg guy]

-obviously a man of character, and superior intelligence!!





quote="Ventura"]

-GOLD LION KT77's-

-NP JJ803S-(LONG PLATES)-GOLD LION gold pins

-NOS AMPEREX or anything LONG PLATE

Love me some GL-KT77s...

V.[/quote]

 

[sjk]

I've got a Small Box and the TAD B-STR's are where it's at for me. I'm am done with JJ EL34's...too many go to sh!t.

I hate how JJ's sound

Maybe I need to get my hearing checked How would you describe what you hate about the JJ's tone. I've had good luck with them despite reading about lots of failures, I've had 1 failure in the last 4 years with them and have put hundreds (more likely thousands of hrs in that time) of hours on various amps with the JJ EL34's and EL34L's.

I've had a 100 watt Plexi for the last year with probably 100 hrs on it in that time with Mullard reissue EL34's (were in there when I got the amp used) that has been near dimed most of those hrs and they are still kicking and sound pretty good. I think I will get some more of em for backups.

I've got a quad and a pair of the good winged C's I bought about 5 years ago, that are great and long lasting but I'm not about to buy anymore of them with the higher prices and less reliablilty in the last of em before they stopped production.

 

[LP Freak]

I've got a Small Box and the TAD B-STR's are where it's at for me. I'm am done with JJ EL34's...too many go to sh!t.

I hate how JJ's sound

Maybe I need to get my hearing checked How would you describe what you hate about the JJ's tone. I've had good luck with them despite reading about lots of failures, I've had 1 failure in the last 4 years with them and have put hundreds (more likely thousands of hrs in that time) of hours on various amps with the JJ EL34's and EL34L's.

I've had a 100 watt Plexi for the last year with probably 100 hrs on it in that time with Mullard reissue EL34's (were in there when I got the amp used) that has been near dimed most of those hrs and they are still kicking and sound pretty good. I think I will get some more of em for backups.

I've got a quad and a pair of the good winged C's I bought about 5 years ago, that are great and long lasting but I'm not about to buy anymore of them with the higher prices and less reliablilty in the last of em before they stopped production.

I'm a big fan of Winged C's also. In a Marshall they just sound more raw and natural where JJ sound smooth and seem to blanket the sound especially in the mids. And yes, they last a long time.

 

[Racerxrated]

I've got a Small Box and the TAD B-STR's are where it's at for me. I'm am done with JJ EL34's...too many go to sh!t.

I hate how JJ's sound

Maybe I need to get my hearing checked How would you describe what you hate about the JJ's tone. I've had good luck with them despite reading about lots of failures, I've had 1 failure in the last 4 years with them and have put hundreds (more likely thousands of hrs in that time) of hours on various amps with the JJ EL34's and EL34L's.

I've had a 100 watt Plexi for the last year with probably 100 hrs on it in that time with Mullard reissue EL34's (were in there when I got the amp used) that has been near dimed most of those hrs and they are still kicking and sound pretty good. I think I will get some more of em for backups.

I've got a quad and a pair of the good winged C's I bought about 5 years ago, that are great and long lasting but I'm not about to buy anymore of them with the higher prices and less reliablilty in the last of em before they stopped production.

I'm a big fan of Winged C's also. In a Marshall they just sound more raw and natural where JJ sound smooth and seem to blanket the sound especially in the mids. And yes, they last a long time.

My experience as well. Find some Siemens NOS or used/strong 34s. Very similar if not identical to winged Cs IMO.

 

[midnightlaundry]

Why does everybody hate on JJ shit? I was thinking about trying a regular set of EL34's, not the L version. Eurotubes said these are the closest thing to an old school Mullard. Their KT77's are pretty nice as well.

My Trainwreck build seems to eat power tubes, so I think I need a new set already.

 

[HilltopExplosion]

Why does everybody hate on JJ shit? I was thinking about trying a regular set of EL34's, not the L version. Eurotubes said these are the closest thing to an old school Mullard. Their KT77's are pretty nice as well.

My Trainwreck build seems to eat power tubes, so I think I need a new set already.

My experience with the el34s is they sound fine, my amp just kept eating them. Maybe the vendor I got them from didn't do a burn in..
After I changed to a different power tube, I liked the tone and stuck with it. I also use the ecc83s with no problems.