The Throatyest power tubes?

  • Thread starter Thread starter richedie
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jessexxx":544hajha said:
yup,..

and whenever someone uses a descriptive word like "throatyness" it's open to interpatation..

how many times does the word "brootz" get used?...and from what i have heard it has a million different meanings!

what i consider "throaty"...someone else will consider "mushy"...

No, no... "throatiness" is well defined. It's somewhere between Chunky and Gooey.
 
Anyone try EH EL34s? A buddy loves them and is sending me a test to test out.

Dallas, nice to see you got great tones with stock gear. Funny, I tried a ton of pickups in my LPs over the years and in the end, I ended up loving the Bill Lawrence designed "Original Humbucker" Gibson used in the late 80s. Have em in my Gibsons and love them. I think the bridge is like 10K. Real fat, hot PAF type...
 
I'm thinking about trying the E-34L again in my RM 50. There is just no that clarity with these Svet 6550's I think that the E-34L has. But JJ's have been shit with there productions runs lately.....I bought a set from Doug for a Roadster a couple years back and they weren't near as good as I remembered them with my RM 100......no fault to Doug he tried to warn me LOL.....maybe I should ask Doug how they are now.....or what he might recommend...or maybe my axefx has fucked my ears up with it's insane clarity?? :lol: :LOL: :lol: :LOL: :no: :yes: :confused: :lol: :LOL:
 
Shred, you could try the GT E34Ls....but honestly I think plain EL34s are best - EH or winged C.

also, I have great clarity with the Svet 6550s. A buddy of mine loves the EH 6550s and EH KT88s but Doug said it is difficult to hear any difference with any of the KT88s or 6550s.
 
psychodave":dlsp7258 said:
stefvorcide":dlsp7258 said:
steve_k":dlsp7258 said:
I don't care for any 6L6 voiced amp.

:rock:
Same here EL34 for the win. I liked the KT77 in my JSX, I should've kept the tubes to try 'em in herbert... I still have the el34. but soon BYE BYE, I'm gettin all Tungsol EL34B, they have more meat apparently.
Make sure to post the results on the tungsol el34b's. I contemplated getting a quad to try out. I find that I like the winged c el34's. :thumbsup:
:thumbsup:
 
I am an EL34 guy but there is nothing like an amp with some Valve Art KT66's in it. I ran those in my Cornfords and they made that amp come alive!
 
Bob Savage":2k6ou9hl said:
richedie":2k6ou9hl said:
What do you guys think is the power tube that adds a throaty sound? I have heard VHTS, Bogners, Mesas, Diezels that all sound throaty. Then I was reading on the Bogner site they talk about EL34s adding a throaty-ness to the sound. Curious what you all think.

I realize that different tube types have different characteristics, but the voicing/circuitry is going to have far more to do with "throatiness" than the actual tube used.

+1
 
Just talked with my buddy again, tungsol el34b's he tried, winged c el34's he tried.....says the EH EL34s are the best he tried!

What don't you guys like about E34Ls?
 
I was reading in the Tube Amp book by Pitman that EL34s are supposed to be scooped, lacking mids and very compressed. 6L6s are supposed to be fat in the mids and very smooth. I always thought 6L6s were more scooped and EL34s more middy.
 
When i switch around 6L6 around with EL34 in my THD Bivalve i can hear a lot more upper mids in the balance of tone with the EL34. The upper mid cut range. The 6L6 has a fuller midrange sound that has more balance and a much bigger bottom.

To be honest the tubes do not sound a huge bit different. They are very similar. If i put in EL84 and KT88 they sound a lot different.
 
stephen sawall":1z1xs8i4 said:
When i switch around 6L6 around with EL34 in my THD Bivalve i can hear a lot more upper mids in the balance of tone with the EL34. The upper mid cut range. The 6L6 has a fuller midrange sound that has more balance and a much bigger bottom.

To be honest the tubes do not sound a huge bit different. They are very similar. If i put in EL84 and KT88 they sound a lot different.

While I would say that the difference in tone isn't huge, for the difference feel between an EL34 and 6L6 is like night and day. 6L6's always make me feel like I'm fighting the amp, where EL34's I find much more dynamic. Again, the circuit itself is going to make a big difference, too. Some amps sound more like "themselves" with EL34's & vice versa.

Has anyone tried the GT Mullard reissue (not the New Sensor) at all? I've read good things about them, but I'm hesitant to give them a try in case they suck :D
 
I have amps with 6L6s and EL34s. In most venues, I am not able to turn up loud enough to achieve power tube saturation, so I feel that the the point is moot.

Four EL34s saturating is LOUD. Four 6L6s saturating is Really LOUD. Heck, when I sub 6V6s in my Mesa Heartbreaker and turn it up enough to get power tube saturation, it's freakin' LOUD!

I've got a Pignose G60VR with 2 6L6s and it's *really* loud way before power tube saturation.

ty
 
I use a THD Hot Plate with anything 30 watts or more.
 
Ran 3 pairs of EL34s thru' my setup today - =C=, Ruby BSTR and GT-EL34M(6ca7)...and I got to say I like the clarity of the GT the best...it seems like it has everything I like about the =C= and the BSTR and no real downside...but I don't know that I'd call it throaty.

Most tone fun I've had all weekend...YJ Triodes with EL84s..now that's a sound I can dig...very soft feel and smooth tho'...and I found my JJs are microphonic tho! :doh:
 
richedie":2k7c2x8m said:
Just talked with my buddy again, tungsol el34b's he tried, winged c el34's he tried.....says the EH EL34s are the best he tried!

What don't you guys like about E34Ls?
I like the EH EL34's as well. KT-77's and Ruby EL34BSTR....Those 3 are my favorites. I think all 3 of those have a slight low mid focus rather than a high mid focus like SED's, and Winged C's. KT-77's have gotten pretty unreliable from what I hear, something to do with the pins I think. I haven't gotten any that have gone bad yet, but that was the word on the street awhile back.
 
Bob Savage":1knex1by said:
jessexxx":1knex1by said:
yup,..

and whenever someone uses a descriptive word like "throatyness" it's open to interpatation..

how many times does the word "brootz" get used?...and from what i have heard it has a million different meanings!

what i consider "throaty"...someone else will consider "mushy"...

No, no... "throatiness" is well defined. It's somewhere between Chunky and Gooey.

Like gargling cheeseburgers!
 
I am ordering some EH EL34s and EH KT 88s. I agree on the fight. Any 6L6 type tube, or 5881 makes it a fight for me...not smooth and a bit compressed with EL34s. Even 6550s/KT88s feel better than 6L6s.

I use a 50 watt head and barely can get the master to noon so I guess I am not having any impact with the power tubes.
 
It totally depends on the amp IMO. My old Fender Tonemaster had one of the best "Marshall" sounds that I've ever come across...it came stock with 5881's. I like different attributes of many different tube types but if I do an inventory, most of my amps are EL34 based.

It's kind of ironic that one of the all time iconic Marshall/EL34 tones came from EVH seeing as he preferred the old big bottle 6CA7's which were essentially a 6L6 pinned out to operate in an EL34 based amp.

FWIW, I tried the EH 6CA7's in my Chieftain...they were awful! I went back to E34L's immediately.
 
Bob Savage":3lwf827x said:
jessexxx":3lwf827x said:
yup,..

and whenever someone uses a descriptive word like "throatyness" it's open to interpatation..

how many times does the word "brootz" get used?...and from what i have heard it has a million different meanings!

what i consider "throaty"...someone else will consider "mushy"...

No, no... "throatiness" is well defined. It's somewhere between Chunky and Gooey.

:lol: :LOL:
 
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