recommend kt88's for Fryette UL

[Thor1777]

hello all,
trying to get some ideas on what kt88's to try in my Ultra lead. The tubes in it are fine now but I am just thinking of trying some different ones....how are Gold Lions (the hard quartett) had anyone used them?
thanks

 

[Phrygian]

I've only ever used the stock Sovtek's and JJ's in my UL. I'll tell ya, the JJ's opened the amp up and gave it life. I couldn't be happier!

 

[Gsxrbusa]

Have not used the lions but the Ruby KT88STR's kick ass in everything I have put them in (Nitro, Cobra, Ultra Lead) Would'nt mind hearing the Lions.

 

[Sixtonoize]

I live =C= 6550s in my UL.
I've only used them and the stock Sovtek KT88s, but I like the =C=s a lot more.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

I live =C= 6550s in my UL.
I've only used them and the stock Sovtek KT88s, but I like the =C=s a lot more.

Those things still alive? (6550s)

 

[Greazygeo]

Sovteks sound best to me. Tried JJ's and at first liked them, but they really got on my nerves pretty quick.

I like the way the Sovteks break up.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

Sovteks sound best to me. Tried JJ's and at first liked them, but they really got on my nerves pretty quick.

I like the way the Sovteks break up.

I felt the same way about Sovtek vs Ruby. The Sovteks just seem to be less musical, stale to my ears.

 

[Sixtonoize]

I live =C= 6550s in my UL.
I've only used them and the stock Sovtek KT88s, but I like the =C=s a lot more.

Those things still alive? (6550s)

Nah...they worked great for a while, but then I lost a fuse and pulled 'em.
I've got a new set, and it sounds just as good as the old one

 

[Thor1777]

thanks for all the input guys, maybe someone will chime in that has heard the gold lions but so far, maybe I just stick with the sovteks

 

[Greazygeo]

I felt the same way about Sovtek vs Ruby. The Sovteks just seem to be less musical, stale to my ears.

I never tried the Ruby's probably Chinese made?

My UL was always ran about 7-8 and the sovteks had a nice bend to them.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

I live =C= 6550s in my UL.
I've only used them and the stock Sovtek KT88s, but I like the =C=s a lot more.

Those things still alive? (6550s)

Nah...they worked great for a while, but then I lost a fuse and pulled 'em.
I've got a new set, and it sounds just as good as the old one

Sucks man, well at least they were free and you got to have a taste before they took a shit.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

I felt the same way about Sovtek vs Ruby. The Sovteks just seem to be less musical, stale to my ears.

I never tried the Ruby's probably Chinese made?

My UL was always ran about 7-8 and the sovteks had a nice bend to them.

Yeah, I use to steer clear of the Ruby. Heard bad things about them. Then I got talked into trying them. Quality has come up as of fairly recent. They have a 6 month warrenty on all tubes, win/win.

 

[Sixtonoize]

I live =C= 6550s in my UL.
I've only used them and the stock Sovtek KT88s, but I like the =C=s a lot more.

Those things still alive? (6550s)

Nah...they worked great for a while, but then I lost a fuse and pulled 'em.
I've got a new set, and it sounds just as good as the old one

Sucks man, well at least they were free and you got to have a taste before they took a shit.

Hey, man...I can't complain.
The two or three months I got out of 'em were better than nothin', and I can definitely say that they took my UL from being "a good amp" to being "MY amp".

Putting them in my UL pretty much ended my amp quest. (as much as any amp quest ever truly ends... )

 

[Gsxrbusa]

I live =C= 6550s in my UL.
I've only used them and the stock Sovtek KT88s, but I like the =C=s a lot more.

Those things still alive? (6550s)

Nah...they worked great for a while, but then I lost a fuse and pulled 'em.
I've got a new set, and it sounds just as good as the old one

Sucks man, well at least they were free and you got to have a taste before they took a shit.

Hey, man...I can't complain.
The two or three months I got out of 'em were better than nothin', and I can definitely say that they took my UL from being "a good amp" to being "MY amp".

Putting them in my UL pretty much ended my amp quest. (as much as any amp quest ever truly ends... )

Maybe I did not give them enough of a chance. "as much as any amp quest ever truly ends" Blasphemy!

 

[Ancient Alien]

I've tried them all.
I like the Sovteks, but to me the best are EH KT88's
They seem to have the most overall tone.
JJ's were to shrill and thin sounding and almost made a 3D amp turn 2D
I think they just have a little too much compression for an 88.
Rubys are nice too.
The Gold Lions sound a bit too HiFi to me.
I don't think they are any better than Sovs.
Also, a good set of Tung Sols will be good.
A little beefier in the bottom end and smooth top end.

 

[Thor1777]

so, would you go with the eh over sovteks? i was thinking of giving the eh's a chance but the gold lions have my interest as well

 

[Ancient Alien]

so, would you go with the eh over sovteks? i was thinking of giving the eh's a chance but the gold lions have my interest as well

I use the EH's in all my KT88 amps now.
To me, they are the fullest, most musical, and longest trouble free life so far.

 

[Thor1777]

cool man, thanks for the input

 

[Phrygian]

JJ's were to shrill and thin sounding and almost made a 3D amp turn 2D

That's weird, I had the exact opposite experience. JJ's brought life to my Hot Rod 50+ and my Ultra Lead.

 

[stephen sawall]

JJ's were to shrill and thin sounding and almost made a 3D amp turn 2D

That's weird, I had the exact opposite experience. JJ's brought life to my Hot Rod 50+ and my Ultra Lead.

A lot of these kinds of things can be attributed to how hot or cold the set of tubes are. (like the Groove Tube 10 rating system). Even when biased right the amp well respond and act very different. Both sound description would fit some experiences I have had with these kinds of things. Some tubes well just sound a little better run a little hotter or colder. That would be my guess as why ..... and the fact we all have different taste.

Myself I would be very interested in what some Tung Sol KT120 would sound like in there. I am very much into poweramp distortion .... but in general like the girth that comes from larger tubes even more.