JJ kt77 reliability

ProgFree

New member
I'm changing tubes in my VH4. How are other users experiencing JJ KT77 quality now? I just bought a quartet last week and had a faulty tube. A friend of mine bought also more or less simultaneously and had two faulty ones. I like their tone but would gladly skip such problems. And how about their el34? Cheers!
 
ProgFree":3igzq1ha said:
I'm changing tubes in my VH4. How are other users experiencing JJ KT77 quality now? I just bought a quartet last week and had a faulty tube. A friend of mine bought also more or less simultaneously and had two faulty ones. I like their tone but would gladly skip such problems. And how about their el34? Cheers!

I received a quad of JJ KT77s from Tube Depot this weekend and installed them in my Einstein about an hour ago. I am blown away by how much I like them. Seem reliable and stable to me. Pardon my ignorance, but how would I know if I had a faulty tube?
 
joafink2":kcnzvot8 said:
ProgFree":kcnzvot8 said:
I'm changing tubes in my VH4. How are other users experiencing JJ KT77 quality now? I just bought a quartet last week and had a faulty tube. A friend of mine bought also more or less simultaneously and had two faulty ones. I like their tone but would gladly skip such problems. And how about their el34? Cheers!

I received a quad of JJ KT77s from Tube Depot this weekend and installed them in my Einstein about an hour ago. I am blown away by how much I like them. Seem reliable and stable to me. Pardon my ignorance, but how would I know if I had a faulty tube?
I read somewhere that Peter had more luck with the KT77's when he bought batches of them (obviously) over the EL34's.
Your Einstein should have the Tube Fault indicator at the back of it. Right?
 
I've been using JJ's since 10-15 years back now, and I never had any issues at all.
Nothings been off, all sounded great and all lasted for 2-3 years until I changed tubes, so not one tube has blown.
Been using EL34's, 6L6's, KT77's and E34L's.
I think it's up to who you buy from and how good they are matched. And of course how you bias them.
I always order from TubeTown (EU), so if that's a possibility I absolutely recommend them :)
 
I been running a quad of JJ KT77s that I bought second hand and have had no issues. I've swapped in and out of three different maps now and really like them. Have also run JJ 6L6, EL34, 6550, and E34L and have never had an issue.
 
OK guys, thanks for the feedback. I have been using JJ since 10 years or so, KT77, EL34 and 6L6 in different amps and never had issues. But based on my experience and on what others say it can be that the problem is with the store and/or poorly handled packages. My friend and I bought from the same place.
 
ProgFree":2v7nmmx0 said:
OK guys, thanks for the feedback. I have been using JJ since 10 years or so, KT77, EL34 and 6L6 in different amps and never had issues. But based on my experience and on what others say it can be that the problem is with the store and/or poorly handled packages. My friend and I bought from the same place.

I absolutely agree.
Where do you live? I only have experience with buying tubes within the EU, TubeTown is great as I mentioned earlier. I recently bought a quartet of 6L6's and they where so closely matched that one par only differed with 1 mA.
 
ProgFree":90cyrn7l said:
OK guys, thanks for the feedback. I have been using JJ since 10 years or so, KT77, EL34 and 6L6 in different amps and never had issues. But based on my experience and on what others say it can be that the problem is with the store and/or poorly handled packages. My friend and I bought from the same place.

Oh ok. That makes more sense. Where did you buy from, so I can avoid that place.
 
Yesterday I went by a local music store and bought a quartet of JJ EL34 for the VH4, then installed and biased. Perfectly steady current and a 0.1 mA discrepancy between both pairs of tubes! The best I ever got in all the tube changes I did in all my amps. Great tubes and a great amp!

P.s. I live in Europe. Sorry but because I do not really know who did mess up in this situation I won't say the place where I bought from. It may have been the manufacturing, the store or the courier service.
I can say that I bought from a large music store in Germany and that the courier.. well there are plenty of comedy videos on how they handle packages...
 
I have literally damn near or over one hundred JJ tubes in collection and amps combined. I have never had a problem with them. I had one DOA once, but it was swiftly replaced by tubedepot. I was well componsated for my hassle without even asking. I do use other brands too more for preamp, and I have a ton of NOS/vintage tubes, but I don't use them all the time.
 
they are fine, first I bought KT77 from banzai music, but I suppose it was badly paired, so one of tubes started to glow brighter over time. they replaced it by warranty, next pair that I have now. first couple weeks I had very some cracking noise very quite though (like vinyl LP) then it went away, so far so good. Peter Diezel told they are more reliable than EL34. That why Diezel uses KT77 right now, but I think it can change over time you never know.
 
Eurotubes has been awesome and I'm near 50 tubes with probably 50 more coming over the next year with all the new amps on my list so I'd try them vs the local stores.
 
Pain":3a760ohf said:
Eurotubes has been awesome and I'm near 50 tubes with probably 50 more coming over the next year with all the new amps on my list so I'd try them vs the local stores.

Off topic, but...

Have you modded your blue voodoo? It was night and day. I think CEC still has the info.

Check it out. I don't think that I have played mine in a year or two though.
 
I buy the cheapest wuad I can find on reverb/ebay each time. Bias up and never had a problem. I do however swap tubes every two years no matter the condition as the tone always improves. Not trying to get 3-5 years out of a set.
 
swamptrashstompboxes":bccgn6pk said:
MetalHeadMike":bccgn6pk said:
swamptrashstompboxes":bccgn6pk said:
Ih, and the JJ E34L's are one of my favorite power tubes ever for high gain stuff.


I REALLY like the E34L :yes:

Hard to beat. And cheap at that.
Extended low-end too with these tubes - mega phat :yes:

I've heard good things about the JJ-EL34II as well. Have yet to try. Tung Sol's new EL34 are apparently awesome - I've yet to get my hands on 'em but they may be the next 34-tube flavour I try. I've always been a sucker for the Gold Lion 77s, but at their price, there's a lot of others to try out for half the price. The stock JJ-77s I've had in my Diezels have been just fine...awesome really.

Did some heavy tone testing/tube testing today on a couple of my Diezels - MV at 12:30 (yes, well past halfway) and channel volumes at 90%, gain set at 70%-80% where applicable - wanted to test for microphonics, failure, the "RiceKrispies" test, etc. Fucking unreal power and tight as a toads ass. Direct in - no FX, no gate, nada - just plugged straight into the amp.

Crushing!!
 
swamptrashstompboxes":4xr0l5eu said:
Tung sol EL34's are great. I have them in one of my amps. Can't remember which one though. Lol.
If they're a fairly recent acquisition, they'll be the only Tung Sols available in that tube-type, the EL34B.

I've heard only good things about these tubes.
 
Back
Top