Members Slaymoar Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 My main question is about tone. What are the main tonal differences between the two that you have noticed? Which one is brighter? Smoother? Which one would you pick for a rock to metal amp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zeppelin Rules Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 I'd go 6v6. I find 84s have too much of this round midrange that doesn't do heavy very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vbshredder Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 ^^ So sounds like the 6v6 would be do tighter sounding palmmute chugs from your comment? If so, i need to try swapping out my 84's, have never bothered switching out power tubes, mainly due to the biasing requirement and whatnot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grunge782 Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 6v6 all the way for me. A lot of amps I have played with el84's just seem to lack bottom grunt. 6v6's don't have that problem for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stonedtone Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 6v6 all the way for me. A lot of amps I have played with el84's just seem to lack bottom grunt. 6v6's don't have that problem for me. My EL84 Dr Z has a ton of low end thump. Even my drummer commented on that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members newholland Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 what? no.. 84's do heavy fine if you match speakers well. they can be bright and brash, or mellow as hell.. i had a 30 watter with 84s that put out a metric shitton of bottom end. 'no bottom end' is a total myth, and full on wrong. 6v6es are a 'faster' tube to me in most applications i've tried them in. they're just not as midcentric, and they seem to not go as greasy. 6v6es seem to keep their composure longer with a simple preamp, in my experience... but i've played 84 amps that never broke up as well.. so . it's all in the application. i'd think, depending on the circuit-- they're both great-- and i've tried great amps with both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ovid9 Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 I haven't played an amp with 6v6s in it, but my Bravo can bring it for a couple of EL84s. Does it have the thump of a bigger tube? Of course not, but run it through my Mesa cab and you can bring it pretty good. So, I can't say I prefer EL84s as I haven't tried 6v6s, but 84s can bring it in the right application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grunge782 Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 It is true that the circuit will have the biggest impact and some el84 amps have a good amount of lows, but if you are to use el84's and 6V6's in the same amp the 6V6's would most likely give you more of that metal grunt/thump. It's just what I've found to prefer for rock and metal so that's what my personal suggestion would be of the two types. For example I thought Mesa made a big mistake putting el84's in their mini-recto, but I tend to like a lot of bass dialed into my sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ~Abstract~ Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 6V6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bumhucker Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 When I owned my Eggie Rebel 20 I found that I didn't care for the 6v6 that much. It was smoother, a bit more scooped and had a little more bottom end but it lacked the punchy high mids and treble of the 84s. I actually preferred a mix of the 84s and 6v6s. Of course a different amp may sound better with 6v6s too. I've found the el84s also sound great in my 22h. They get the reputation for not having enough low end in smaller tube amps but I find that to be far from accurate with the jca. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members spoonie g Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 smoother, a bit more scooped and had a little more bottom end but it lacked the punchy high mids and treble of the 84s. I'd say this is a good description. 6v6's are "sweeter" and less harsh, but definitely have a hole in the mids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members marshallnoise Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 My only reference points for a 6V6 amp is an Orange Rockerverb 50 head. Due to that, if all 6V6 amps have that similar character, I am not a fan. The Rockerverb was splatty, but not in a Vox way. A percussive splat. However, I have a JCA20H and have played several Vox AC30s which use the EL84. They have a tonal character that is typically British, but the Voxy splat that is pleasing. If you are looking at something for chugga chugga, I do not think either one is suitable. I would bet the 6L6 is the king of chugga chugga. Something about the large power tubes...that bring the beef. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tech21man Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 Every EL84 boogie I played was seriously better than anything 6V6 in the heavy department, especially in the midrange, but to be honest it is the complete circuit that makes amps. I mean, fenders or laney AORs with 6V6s is not the typical amps to compare with mesa's dc3, studio .22+ or f-30...which are indeed EL84. And 6V6 oranges make me a bit sick even from clips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zozobra Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 6V6s explode less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pepi Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 Never own another EL84 amp again. I hate EL84 tubes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wizaynecarter Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 there is a reason that rectifiers, 5150s and 6505s come with 6l6s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members timmyfirst Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 there is a reason that rectifiers, 5150s and 6505s come with 6l6s You can get a rectifier with el84s! I much prefer EL84's over 6v6's, 6v6's seem to be cleaner and harsher at volume. Theres a certain smoothness that you get with 84's. They never have massive low end in my experience, but then you're a guitarist, you shouldnt need masses of low end, thats what bassists are for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cougar Hunter Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 totally depends on the amp. FWIW, my EL84 Carmen Ghia rocks, but it sucks for post-rock. not enough bass.my bro's EL84 Peavey 50/50 was awesome for thrash.My Egnater Seminar head rocks with JJ 6v6's. Would be fine for metal.My Mesa Blue Angel's 6V6 side breaks up too quickly for metal. The 6v6's get bluesy FAST in that amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members z28talon Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 totally depends on the amp. Absolutely. I have EL84s in a Mesa Mini Rectifer and a VOX AC15C1 and they have vastly different tones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wizaynecarter Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 You can get a rectifier with el84s! yes you can....but it is not the standardi was in a band with a guy that had a blackface 2 channel rectifier with el84s...it did sound good. but to my ears it sounded more marshally than my three channel duel rectifier...it had less gain and was less scooped...wich isnt a bad thing...i actually like that sound more "now".... but at the time if you compared the two together the stock rectifier with 6l6s was more "new" metalish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members timmyfirst Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 yes you can....but it is not the standardi was in a band with a guy that had a blackface 2 channel rectifier with el84s...it did sound good. but to my ears it sounded more marshally than my three channel duel rectifier...it had less gain and was less scooped...wich isnt a bad thing...i actually like that sound more "now".... but at the time if you compared the two together the stock rectifier with 6l6s was more "new" metalish. You've not seen the mini-rec then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ron Burgandy Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 I always saw EL84 as the smaller version of EL34's, and 6v6's as the smaller version of 6L6's. Of course, I've only played 6v6's in American style amps such as the Deluxe Reverb, Tweed Deluxe, Egnater Tweaker, and a couple others. I love these tubes from the amps I've used them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wizaynecarter Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 You've not seen the mini-rec then. not in person....but i just checked and it does come stock with el84s....different circuts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TU BE Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 I love my previously bashed, 6v6 Orange RV50. I think the "depends on the amp" argument is the correct one here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted June 27, 2012 Members Share Posted June 27, 2012 6V6 have more a mid range hump and EL84 are more "chimey" sounding. But that's a huge overgeneralization. The design of the amp they are in probably effects things 99% Think of all the 6V6 amps you have heard and how different they sound for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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