-the best c.p. EL34's-

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sg guy

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-its been years since I had an EL34 amp,... I used to go JJ for any MARSHALL style platform,... now I avoid JJ's like the wet spot...

-what c.p. EL34's is everyone using,.. and what's there characteristics....
 
I think he's saying c.p. current production el34s.


I honestly don't know... I don't like most I've tried. I want my winged c back. :cry:
 
^ beat me to it. :lol: :LOL: Think he's going for chinese production.

Probably these - Ruby Tubes EL34BSTR if that's the case.
 
I like Electro Harmonix in my Marshalls. Best of the Russian el34's I've tried. I don't have much experience with Chinese el34's. I had some TAD's that sounded good, I think they are relabeled Chinese tubes.
 
-yes,..c.p. current production-

-so are my options Chinese or Russian?

-I do like EH pre's,...
 
s-l1000.jpg


I thought there would be no life after Winged =C='s [not svetlana] went out of bisness but i was wrong

These are everything =C='s were and more.

Call Laura and tell her your needs.

http://store.valvequeen.com/tung-sol-el34-b
 
My favorite EL34s (whether NOS or otherwise) are Siemens/RFT. And I've found that new EH EL34s are very similar. They are inexpensive, hold up well enough, and are quite musical sounding.

The Chinese BHT and BSTR are ok. But they are a bit grating/harsh to my ears.
 
I've liked the Svets (as long as your aren't doing super heavy stuff, which I'm not) and the Mullards. I think the Mullards and the Tung Sols pictured above are both produced in the KroPul factory.
 
I'll rock the boat here and say the JJ E34L is still my go to for EL34. Sound great in my Stiletto and sounded great in the Metro 69 I used to have. I also tried winged C, The Ruby's and Mullard Re-issues and they were all just different not better. Actually I will say I instantly disliked the Ruby's in my '69 repro. I think my MKV sounds great with the standard Mesa EL34's that are in it right now. As long as new amps are designed with C.P. in mind there's no reason they can't sound great. I think the more pressing issue with modern tubes is reliability.
 
Are the winged =C= 's still being made in St. Petersburg? I see you can get 'em @ Amplified Parts, if you want to pay like 230 a quad.
freak.gif

Are those just factory seconds?

So I guess it's these then -

The 3 companies making tubes-
1. Xpo-pul (formerly part of Reflector) in Russia (Electro Harmonix, Tung-Sol, Mullard Reissues)
2. JJ / Tesla in Slovakia
3. Shuguang in China (Ruby, Valve Art, Golden Dragon)

Electro Harmonix, Genalex, Svetlana, Mullard, Sovtek, Tung Sol, etc
Brief facts - These name and associated trademarks are owned by the New Sensor Corporation and manufactured at their Xpo-Pul / Reflektor factory in Saratov, Russia. New Sensor is an American corporation and since taking ownership of the Reflektor factory they have been focused on improving the quality and design of modern production tubes.

Shuguang / Sino
Brief facts - Typically manufactured in the Shuguang factory in China, Sino Chinese tubes have under gone vast improvements since their introduction. Both reliability and tone have improved tremendously. Do not dismiss these as a majority of boutique and major modern amp manufacturers use these tubes as original equipment.

JJ / Tesla
The Tesla factory in Czechoslovakia was one of the oldest factories in the world producing vacuum tubes since the mid 1920s. In 1994, after relocating Tesla factory equipment and many of its experienced engineers to the Slovak Republic.

SED "Winged C" - (Out of production)
SED Winged "C" tubes are made by SED SPb, a division of J.S.C. Svetlana in St. Petersburg, Russia. SED tubes are well known for their quality and superb tonal characteristics. The logo incorporates the Russian factory symbol that appears on all SED-made tubes; all production SED tubes will have the "Winged C" logo.


,
 
C is done.

The backstock floating around are overpriced factory seconds or who knows what.

Most places just have singles if any.

Lots of other options.
 
I haven't tried the Tung Sols, but I need to. I've been pretty happy with Shuguang EL34B, EH EL34s, and EH 6CA7s. I have found JJ EL34s to sound good in some of my amps but I've also had more noise with them (usually a low humming sound) and also had a couple red plate on me very early in their life.
 
Jayy":13hkireg said:
I haven't tried the Tung Sols, but I need to. I've been pretty happy with Shuguang EL34B, EH EL34s, and EH 6CA7s. I have found JJ EL34s to sound good in some of my amps but I've also had more noise with them (usually a low humming sound) and also had a couple red plate on me very early in their life.
Click to expand...

So far I've always got my JJ's from Eurotubes with no problems. Probably had at about 3-4 quads from them over the years
 
Chester Nimitz":9z8dkkvs said:
s-l1000.jpg


I thought there would be no life after Winged =C='s [not svetlana] went out of bisness but i was wrong

These are everything =C='s were and more.

Call Laura and tell her your needs.

http://store.valvequeen.com/tung-sol-el34-b
Click to expand...

What are you liking about these most? I always used =c= but switched to Mullard reissues after you couldn't get c's anymore. I've been happy with them but I will get some of these and give them a whirl.
 
Chester Nimitz":2adwkba7 said:
s-l1000.jpg


I thought there would be no life after Winged =C='s [not svetlana] went out of bisness but i was wrong

These are everything =C='s were and more.

Call Laura and tell her your needs.

http://store.valvequeen.com/tung-sol-el34-b
Click to expand...

Not even close to Winged C's IMO. They are cloudy sounding and lack the attack Winged C's have. I've wanted to like these badly... My ears just don't care for them.
 
Big powerful, musical tube not lacking in mids, bass or treble, if anything a little too much top end.

I agree with the attack not being like =C='s but my amps aren't "cloudy".

I still have 2 quads of EL-34 =C='s that got 5 years on them, saving them for later.

I would like to try TAD 34's, heard good things.
 
Just pulled a set of Tung Sol's and replaced with a set of the Mullard reissues, they are much better. TS's have a upper mid spike that is too harsh in my Marshall amp.
 
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