Bluetick EL34 vs 6V6

[glman]

I finally got to try the Tung sol 6V6 re-issue tubes in my bluetick and I'm kinda disappointed.
nothing wrong with the tubes - Doug's tubes provided great service and the tubes arrived safely etc... - i just really prefer the EL34's.
the 6V6 aren't bad they just tend to make the amp too smooth and wimpy.
The 6V6's compress too much under gain in a way that i don't like - I much prefer the way the EL84's compress in my English - way better in every way.
But -. the EL34's in the Bluetick have everything that the 6V6's lack.
Balls, bottom end - more than enough, raunch and thickness!!!
I don't know if I'm judging the 6V6's harshly cause I know that there are different levels of 6V6 tubes available but I thought that the tung-sol re issues would get me in the ballpark - how much better can the NOS RCA 6V6GT's be?
I'll keep the Tung Sols around and check them out again sometime but for now it's back to the EL34's !!

 

[mark norwine]

....But -. the EL34's...have everything that the 6V6's lack.

Amen to that, brother.....

...how much better can the NOS RCA 6V6GT's be?

Better than a reflektor 6V6? Ummm......a lot.

(but it will still never be a EL34)


EDIT....another thought: how is this amp biased? Did you rebias when you switched from EL34 to 6V6? An incorrectly-biased amp can sound bad, regardless of the type / brand of tube. If it's dialed in for EL34's, I'd imagine it would need a tweak or 2 to optimize it for 6V6's

 

[glman]

Amen to that, brother.....



Better than a reflektor 6V6? Ummm......a lot.

(but it will still never be a EL34)

i would love to try some NOS RCA 6V6GT's but I 'm not sure I want to pay $400 to find out if I like them or not - at least not yet

 

[glman]

EDIT....another thought: how is this amp biased? Did you rebias when you switched from EL34 to 6V6? An incorrectly-biased amp can sound bad, regardless of the type / brand of tube. If it's dialed in for EL34's, I'd imagine it would need a tweak or 2 to optimize it for 6V6's

The amp is cathode biased - and it's optimised to use 6V6's ? - can't figure out what's up.
it shipped with EL34's SED winged "C" but I received email from George Alessandro confirming that the ideal tubes for this amp are Mazda 6V6's - I've searched high and low on the net but cant locate these old tubes anywhere.
anyway - it's no biggie - George said it will run any octal tube just fine - I love the 34's in there for now so I'm happy - the 6V6's might grow on me as time goes by and maybe I'll give it another shot with some real 6V6's in a few months time if I can locate a decent quad here back home.
thanx for the info!

 

[jokerjkny]

hmm...

i'm using ol' JJ 6v6's, and i dig the sounds i'm getting. cause i'm a single coil guy, i like a little more thickness in the midrange, and the 6v6's do that for me. and the amp doesnt seem all that much more smoother than my english, too.

and FWIW, i remember george mentioning that he originally built the prototype bluetick w/ 6v6's for eric johnson, when i first got to play the amp at his shop all those years ago, and his sound is as smooth as it gets.

 

[glman]

hmm...

I'm using ol' JJ 6v6's, and i dig the sounds i'm getting. cause I'm a single coil guy, i like a little more thickness in the midrange, and the 6v6's do that for me. and the amp doesnt seem all that much more smoother than my english, too.

and FWIW, I remember George mentioning that he originally built the prototype bluetick w/ 6v6's for Eric Johnson, when i first got to play the amp at his shop all those years ago, and his sound is as smooth as it gets.

I can get JJ 6V6's here at home - I'll give them a shot.
from my understanding the JJ's are almost a 6L6? -
I'm sure I just need to give the amp a few months to settle down and then I'll really go to town ad try out all tubes I can lay my hands on.
for now - I really prefer the EL34's -