6v6 tubes provide the best tone

[Msound]

Followed closely in second place the EL84.



Best tone= chimey cleans, great light od, crunch, rock

I find the 6L6 to be the best tube for just a straight clean tone, a pedal platform if you will.

I have played many many different tube amps and these are my conclusions.

This is one mans opinion, agree, tell me why. Disagree and tell me why.

Don't respond to this generalization with a generalization

Favorite amps
tweed deluxe
princeton reverb
deluxe reverb
vox ac30

With a twin reverb style amp occasionally giving me a smile

[p.j.]

Originally Posted by Msound

Followed closely in second place the EL84.



Best tone= chimey cleans, great light od, crunch, rock

I find the 6L6 to be the best tube for just a straight clean tone, a pedal platform if you will.

I have played many many different tube amps and these are my conclusions.

This is one mans opinion, agree, tell me why. Disagree and tell me why.

Don't respond to this generalization with a generalization

Favorite amps
tweed deluxe
princeton reverb
deluxe reverb
vox ac30

With a twin reverb style amp occasionally giving me a smile

I think that 6v6's are my favorite tube in my Univalve. YMMV, of course.

PJ

[wildshoetwt]

I prefer KT66 > 6L6 > EL84

[StompBoxBlues]

Maybe there are best tubes, but I listen to AMPS not tubes. Tubes are a critical component in the amps, but you can bet your ass that someone can design an amp that makes any tube sound like crap. Tubes aren't all of it. In some amp designs they aren't maybe even all that much of it. Some amps get their "sound" from the preamp more than the power section.

That said, KT-66 is my favorite now. Because of how they sound in my Budda SD-45. Other than that, I love EL-84s, then 6L6's. Again, this is also a sweeping generization because there are lots of exceptions.
My SD-18 uses EL-84's and I love that too.

I had a few amps with 6v6, and for some reason, the fendery sound pushed on those wreak havoc with my tinnitus. I LIKE the sound (at least for some styles of playing) but I simply can't use some of the 6v6 amps, because of some frequencies that irritate the tinnitus.

The Budda SD-45 has great cleans, but the OD is just soothing and fantastic to my ears. SD series use a lot of tube OD in the output.

Like I say, I choose more after the amp, than first think what kind of output tube and then choose. I'm sure others (that know what they want) do it that way, but I just prefer hearing what the amp maker did with the tools, intstead of limiting it to tube type.

[kelvinator60]

The NOS GE 6v6s in my Deluxe Reverb are about as close to tube heaven as I have found. LOVE 6v6s. Having said that my main amp is an Allen Encore with TAD 6L6s because I need the clean headroom BUT 6V6 is still the sweetest sound. If I get crazy I may try some in the Allen.

[mbargav]

Originally Posted by Msound

Favorite amps
tweed deluxe
princeton reverb
deluxe reverb
vox ac30

With a twin reverb style amp occasionally giving me a smile

We have identical tastes in amps.

[frquent flyer]

The Victoria regal 2 allows using one 6L6 and one 6 V6 at the same time. The 6 v6 adds sweetness to the tone.

[chervokas]

I think it's kind of silly to say something like the X tube delivers the best tone.

For one thing the sound of an amp is made up of so much more than the sound of the power output tubes. Sure each power output tube has a characteristic sonic signature, and its operating points dictate to a degree the type of circuit a designer might use it in (though in truth marketplace demands for familar sounds are probably a bigger factor), but you can design two amps w/ say 6V6s that sound very different from one another. To me tone shaping in the preamp circuit, the nature of the output transformer, the type of biasing, the bias point, the amount of negative feedback in a circuit, the phase inversion scheme, probably each make a bigger difference than the output tube type to my ears, especially between relatively similar sounding tubes (say, for gtr circuits Fendery 6V6/6L6 tubes on the one hand and Marshally EL84/EL34 tubes on the other).

For another thing, I don't believe there is any such thing as "best tone." Not only are there personal preferences (some people love Eddie Van Halen's tone--not talking about his playing here, just the tone--but I don't) and different guitars that work better with different amps, but there are also different types of tones a player might prefer in different contexts.

As far as my playing goes I like Fender tweeds (especially the "low-powered" twin, love a Deluxe but its limited clean headroom makes it a bit of a one-trick pony) and BFs (especially the cleans from anything from a Vibro Champ to a Bandmaster or Twin) so I dig 6V6 and 6L6-based amps. I never much bonded with Marshalls or Voxes, but among circuits of their type I've had an easier time getting good sound out of EL34 based models (rich full mids with top end clarity without grit), never really found a tone I liked playing with EL84 amps for some reason--every time I play w/ an AC30 type amp or one of the Dr. Z El84-type amps for example I always sound either dark and lifeless or thin and shrill--but in fairness I've spent far more time tweaking my tone w/ 6V6s and 6L6-based amps.

[kjriel]

Well, here's a thought on that subject. I have always gravitated toward the 6V6 amps and love the tone I get from them, BUT........
I have 2 amps that have dual power sections, a /13 JRT (6V6/El84) and a /13 MJL (6V6/EL34). I have also owned two different Frenzel amp heads that had the ability to swap in different power tubes and currently have a champ that is modded to do this also. What I have found is that I really like the amps designed to run 6V6's and use them when playing at home, but most of the time when I need to crank it up and cut through the mix for gigging situations I almost always switch to EL84's or 34's, or KT88's in the Frenzels. The 6V6's as pleasant as they sound when playing alone don't seem to cut through the mix as well as other options. With that being said, I have had KT66 and EL34 designed amps that have moved on because they didn't seem to have the character that the 6V6 based amps had. Just an observation, and most certainly not consistent from amp to amp.

[Olds442]

my opinion is that EL84s have zero balls.



never been a fan due to the overall lack of low end. great for 80's rock but...

ymmv obviously.

[mentoneman]

Originally Posted by Olds442

my opinion is that EL84s have zero balls.



never been a fan due to the overall lack of low end. great for 80's rock but...

ymmv obviously.

i used to think that until i got the mojave coyote driving a bogner 4x12.

6v6s...i always love how they sounded in princetons and deluxes and so far rule in my carol ann OD2r. compress early, make cleans touch sensitive, smooth out the lead tone.

however they do tap out early on bass driving an EV cab. but that's ok by me because i'm not a big fan of adding bass from and amp's eq.
i'd rather drive a speaker cab harder for resonance and thump.

high quality kt66s in a j45 style amp is beautiful and transitions from clean to mean better than ELs or 6Ls

[riffmeister]

Originally Posted by chervokas

I think it's kind of silly to say something like the X tube delivers the best tone. For one thing the sound of an amp is made up of so much more than the sound of the power output tubes.

Agreed. It's the overall amp design and execution that matters.

[sickboy79]

I think it's amp dependent and what type of sound you are going for. In some amps - 6v6s are the ticket. Others I find them to mushy/compressed.

[shadesofgray]

Originally Posted by wildshoetwt

I prefer KT66 > 6L6 > EL84

+1 love the kt66s

[cugel]

6v6ers are wonderful but nothing can give you the grind of an el34. try getting live at leeds with anything but an el34. they have a distinct tone that i love. i am on a single 6v6 kick of late and those dirt simple circuits are the end all for me