What is it about 6V6 tone?

[Gnarlly]

Love 6V6 tubes/amps! (see my amps in sig) For me, 6V6's are tied with EL34's as my favorite power tubes (6L6's and their big-bottle cousins the 6550/KT88 are just too "stiff" IMO, and EL84's compress too easily).

Some complain about the "mushy" bass of 6V6's, but you just have to learn to turn that bass control down a bit. What I love the most is that "bounce" that only 6V6's seem to have. Great power tubes!

[GoofyDawg]

Originally Posted by Austinrocks

several under $1K used,

with JJs 6v6S will replace alot of 6L6s, the plate voltage is 500 volts, I have them in my hot rod deluxe, my marshall studio 15 had 6v6s as well, so you might check those out.

http://www.eurotubes.com/

Really love the sweet bubbly tone of the 6v6s when playing single coils, my humbuckers are split coils for this reason. currently my two favorite amps are running 6v6s, my omega modded hot rod deluxe and mesa mark iv.

Wow! 6V6's in a Hot Rod! Never thought about that, but since they're pin compatible... I've got a set of JJ's in my tube drawer! I love my Hot Rod, but with 6V6's, oh man! Can't wait to get home!

[Tonic Amps]

FWIW - JJ 6V6S are not really a 6V6. The innards are pretty far removed from any 6V6 that I've seen and are more like a 7591. They do sound pretty good and handle higher plate voltages, so I guess it's a matter of taste and application.

[Austinrocks]

Originally Posted by GoofyDawg

Wow! 6V6's in a Hot Rod! Never thought about that, but since they're pin compatible... I've got a set of JJ's in my tube drawer! I love my Hot Rod, but with 6V6's, oh man! Can't wait to get home!

glad to help, put a dummy open plug in the external speaker jack, it gets the transformer to the 4 ohm output tap, otherwise the amp needs to be rebiased, mine this got the bias to 30mV which is correct.

eurotubes has a bias video if you want to see how to do it, I do overbias mine to 37mV which sounds better IMO.

http://www.eurotubes.com/euro-Fender-HRDV.htm

also the 6v6s get a really nice bubble tone with single coils so check that out if you can.

[Austinrocks]

Originally Posted by Jon Silberman

I'm the odd man out. I prefer the clarity, cut, and robustness of 6L6s. I'm still on the fence but seriously considering selling my one 6V6 amp.

so do you play mostly humbuckers, the 6v6s really sound best with single coils.

[Jon Silberman]

No, actually, I play almost exclusively single coils! However, I'm not primarily into a fat bluesy tone (and when I do want it, I'm a pedals guy). My current band does Grateful Dead with a smattering of country.

[GoofyDawg]

Originally Posted by Tonic Amps

FWIW - JJ 6V6S are not really a 6V6. The innards are pretty far removed from any 6V6 that I've seen and are more like a 7591. They do sound pretty good and handle higher plate voltages, so I guess it's a matter of taste and application.

Thanks for the clarification, Darin!

Hopefully the move went smooth. Sorry I didn't get a chance to come down before the move, but got swamped with work.

BTW, do you make any amps with 6V6's. I thought you did. Would love to try one out and review it!

[meterman]

Big fan of 6V6s here, have two TopHats that run 2 and 4 of them in class A, great tone IMHO. My other favorite is EL34s, never have totally bonded with EL84s or 6L6s although I've played some great sounding amps with each...

[hardys]

Originally Posted by pedalcr8z

Count me in too. Thick smooth and creamy is what my ears tell me and I haven't found a better example of their use than this Vicki Deluxe. This amp has re-educated my ears.

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but can you fit a large 5AR4 & 6L6s in that cab with that speaker? I just bought a 5E3 clone chassis that can take those tubes or the 5Y3 & 6V6s like you have. I'm trying to decide on a clone cab (cheap) or a clone cab with an extra inch depth (more $$$).

[pedalcr8z]

sure plenty of room. My fear is that you would change the vibe of the circuit with a 6L6.

[jamison162]

Originally Posted by Austinrocks

so do you play mostly humbuckers, the 6v6s really sound best with single coils.

I call BS on that statement! Depends on the amp and circuit! My Orange Rockerverb 50 handles anything you can throw at it and excels at clean and dirty tones. Single coils, P90's, humbuckers, Filtertrons, mini-hums - whatever you got. 6V6's are where it's at! Been saying it for a while now.

I agree, JJ's are the least "6V6" sounding currently made 6V6's - I've tried them all. Tone wise, they are way more in the 6L6 camp than 6V6.

[EADGBE]

Originally Posted by GoofyDawg

Out of all the amps that I've played and reviewed at my blog, the amps that seem to have greatest effect on me are amps with 6V6 power tubes. There's just something magical about the tone that I find hard to describe. A bit more mid-rangy perhaps, but really lush cleans and open overdrive characteristics. Not that I mind a bit of compression, but I really prefer that 6V6 breakup.

I'm curious though... what's your favorite power tube?

I read that the 6V6 was the first tube designed specifically for music. As it was the tube for car radios in the old days.

I think my favorite is the EL34. Although I haven't played them all. Or A/B'd them in the same amp.

[Don A]

I told Fletcher at Mercenary Audio that I didn't like EL84s. He told me it was the transformers in cheap EL84 amps that I really didn't like and set up an Oahu tone monster with EL84s for me to play. It was incredible. Probably the best amp I ever played. More similar to my 5E3 clone (but smoother) than I expected. He said that the amp was one of 20 ordered by Keith Richards.

[Squigglefunk]

Originally Posted by Don A

I told Fletcher at Mercenary Audio that I didn't like EL84s. He told me it was the transformers in cheap EL84 amps that I really didn't like and set up an Oahu tone monster with EL84s for me to play. It was incredible. Probably the best amp I ever played. More similar to my 5E3 clone (but smoother) than I expected. He said that the amp was one of 20 ordered by Keith Richards.

I think EL84 tubes just go dead really fast... like weeks/months instead of years

they'll keep working for a long time after that but become more middy/muddy/flat sounding

[jamison162]

Originally Posted by Squigglefunk

I think EL84 tubes just go dead really fast... like weeks/months instead of years

True, because most EL84 designs are cathode biased and burn em up quick.