Renegade Tube Question

[sixstrings]

If I only want to use the 6L6 or EL34 side of the blend knob, could I replace the tubes with a quad of the same type? Like run all 6L6's or all EL34's?

 

[Buckeyedog]

I'm almost positive you can, but hope Jeff or Bruce chime in with a definitive answer.

This is from the manual:

The Renegade amplifier is shipped
with a pair of 6L6/5881 tubes and a pair
of EL34 tubes, but is designed to accept
a variety of different tube types. EL34,
6L6, 5881, 6CA7, 6550, KT66 and KT77
are among the many possible choices.

 

[just42dave]

yeah how about two diff sets of 6l6??
I have a GE set that would be cool..

 

[Resonant Alien]

Yes, you can do all of the above. I currently have KT66 in one side and TS 5881s in the other. At one point, I was running 6L6GC-STRs in one side and 6L6-WGCs in the other. At one time, I also had two different types of EL34s. As long as you bias it correctly according to the rating of the tube, you're good.

That said - running a quad of the same power tube in the Renegade isn't going to really do much for you. You'll get about 15W more power by running Tube Mix in the center versus fully to the "6L6" or "EL34" sides. You're not going to get the 100W you get with standard type amps that use a quad - you'll get 65W versus about 50W that you get in the fully left/right positions. So, I would be more inclined to run two different pairs of 6L6s - that way you can blend the sonic characteristics of both.

 

[fek]

I need to pony up and pick one of these up. I have a RM50 combo and RM100 head now but would love to load up a Renegade with 6550's and EL34's.

 

[sixstrings]

Yes, you can do all of the above. I currently have KT66 in one side and TS 5881s in the other. At one point, I was running 6L6GC-STRs in one side and 6L6-WGCs in the other. At one time, I also had two different types of EL34s. As long as you bias it correctly according to the rating of the tube, you're good.

That said - running a quad of the same power tube in the Renegade isn't going to really do much for you. You'll get about 15W more power by running Tube Mix in the center versus fully to the "6L6" or "EL34" sides. You're not going to get the 100W you get with standard type amps that use a quad - you'll get 65W versus about 50W that you get in the fully left/right positions. So, I would be more inclined to run two different pairs of 6L6s - that way you can blend the sonic characteristics of both.

I wasn't thinking of doing it for the extra power, but I like the sound of a quad set of tubes when the volume is up. Have you tried KT77's in the Renegade yet?

 

[Resonant Alien]

I wasn't thinking of doing it for the extra power, but I like the sound of a quad set of tubes when the volume is up. Have you tried KT77's in the Renegade yet?

Gotcha. No, I haven't tried KT77s. I was really trying to get away from the EL34-ish territory, and I was worried that KT77s would still be too close. My heart wants to like EL34s, but every time I try them, my ears say "no". I really like the compressed gain of EL34s, but the mid-range bite is just too much for me. The KT66s were a good compromise for me. They have less of the mid-range bite that I don't really like with EL34s, but they are more compressed and not as full range as a 6L6, which is what I like 90% of the time for my dirty tones. I usually run Ch1 fully on TS 5881s and Ch2 fully on KT66s. For some songs, I run Ch2 fully on TS 5881s, or a mix. I rarely run Ch1 on KT66s. I probably should try KT77s though - might be another good flavor - I was just worried they would still be too close to an EL34.

The only issue with KT66s is that they don't produce as much gain as an EL34. This works fine for me in my setup because I basically have Ch2 setup for mid-gain tones, and I am using a Tone Freak Severe pedal through Ch1 if I want high gain modern tones, so I'm not really trying to go high gain on Ch2. If you want Ch2 to get higher gain, KT66s probably aren't the best choice. YMMV

 

[just42dave]

fkin awesome amp

 

[Resonant Alien]

fkin awesome amp

+ 1,000,000,000,000 Still can't believe I got an amp this good for under $1k.

 

[RoidRage]

fkin awesome amp

Yep... I've Got some Heavy Hitter Amps!!!

And I can't believe How Good This Little Thing IS!!!

WOW!

RoidRAGE