single rectifier.....el34's or 6l6's?? which do you prefer and why?

[guitarist17]

Title says it all...Which would i go for, if i wanted big thick tight metal tones and great cleans? im thinkin 6l6's, especially for the clean sounds. but, you guys tell me your expierences. also, what do you guys bias these amps at ? what brand of tubes do you prefer, preamp and poweramp? Thanks

 

 

Chris

[Filter500]

Well, since the amp is self-biasing I don't bias it, but choosing the right value tubes is important to have the bias be fixed at the proper point (which you may mean). For EL-34 that rating is a matched pair of 37 and for 6L6 a matched pair of 17 is what I use. I'm running EL-34s right now, but I also like the 6l6. It's a flavor of the week sort of thing. I'm lazy so I'm just leaving the EL-34s in for now. The SED winged C 6L6GC sound excellent. I'm running SED EL-34s as well which also sound great. I'm running electro-harmonix 12ax7s in the first 4 sockets and a JJ 12ax7 in the phase inverter (I've found EH 12AX7 sounds like ass in the PI), and same goes for my SL-X head. Oh, and stay away from the new 'Svetlana' brand tubes if you want a tight and smooth tone. I tried some and the bottom end was loose and the mids harsh. SED is the way to go for me.

[guitarist17]

 

Originally posted by Filter500 Well, since the amp is self-biasing I don't bias it, but choosing the right value tubes is important to have the bias be fixed at the proper point (which you may mean). For EL-34 that rating is a matched pair of 37 and for 6L6 a matched pair of 17 is what I use. I'm running EL-34s right now, but I also like the 6l6. It's a flavor of the week sort of thing. I'm lazy so I'm just leaving the EL-34s in for now. The SED winged C 6L6GC sound excellent. I'm running SED EL-34s as well which also sound great. I'm running electro-harmonix 12ax7s in the first 4 sockets and a JJ 12ax7 in the phase inverter (I've found EH 12AX7 sounds like ass in the PI), and same goes for my SL-X head. Oh, and stay away from the new 'Svetlana' brand tubes if you want a tight and smooth tone. I tried some and the bottom end was loose and the mids harsh. SED is the way to go for me.

 

 

 

any particular reason why you like el34's over the 6l6's in the single?

[Dylan Walters]

I just picked up a used Solo 50 that came with 6l6's. The 6L6's sounded great, but as soon as I swapped them out for EL34's the amp had a whole different vibe to it. The sound tightened up a bit and both the clean and distortion sounds sound more focused to my ears. I definitly like the gain channel more with the EL34's. The clean still sounds great, but is not as 'fender-ish' as before. Try them both to see what you like best.

[Gitfiddler]

Dude,

 

17tubes just got one.. I don't remember seeing one at the Ampfest.. WTF?

 

just kidding. i know nothing about Mesa

 

let us know if you get one

[Les-Zombie]

with my rectos i had mesa el34 in my triple and jjs in my rectoverb, i used jj6l6 with the tube selecter switched to el34 and it sounded pretty good that way, and jjs in the pre.

the el34 were clearer sounding and tighter, the 6l6 were warmer and more lows with the bias selected to el34.

[17 Tubes]

Hey...yeah I had one for a bit. Just to get me through some gigs.

 

 

I did not mess with the tubes much.

 

The amp is still under warranty, and the 6L6's i have are not Mesa. Sort of frowned upon in the Mesaland.

 

 

It had EL34's in it. I just changed out the VHT's tubes to the 6L6....and prefer them over the 34's that were in it.

[17 Tubes]

Originally posted by zao with my rectos i had mesa el34 in my triple and jjs in my rectoverb, i used jj6l6 with the tube selecter switched to el34 and it sounded pretty good that way, and jjs in the pre. the el34 were clearer sounding and tighter, the 6l6 were warmer and more lows with the bias selected to el34.

 

[Filter500]

 

Originally posted by guitarist17 any particular reason why you like el34's over the 6l6's in the single?

 

 

Sometimes the 6L6s are too gooey on the bottom and glassy on the top. The EL-34s have the tighter bark and growl in the midrange that I usually expect in my tone. When I really want my tone to feel more angular like a brick of thick distortion, the EL-34 can do a better job of this.

[guitarist17]

 

Originally posted by Filter500 Sometimes the 6L6s are too gooey on the bottom and glassy on the top. The EL-34s have the tighter bark and growl in the midrange that I usually expect in my tone. When I really want my tone to feel more angular like a brick of thick distortion, the EL-34 can do a better job of this.

 

 

 

sounds like i should go for el34's then? i like a thicker grindier tone, that is tight. But, im using my 5150 in combo with the single recto, and ill be running a ts9 in the front, so maybe it wont matter waht tubes i have, as the recto will be really tight from the ts9? what do you guys think?

 

Chris

[Kesa]

I have A Dual and I have the 6L6 / E34L quad from Eurotubes.

I have been gigging heavily for a month and a half with them. The description on the eurotubes site could not be any more precise.

 

And Im still running cool. Amp can be touched cool. The tone can only be described as the tone every Rec should have. Im runnin on Tube rectifier and it is even tighter then before on the Silicon setting.

 

see what you can get for the single. El 34's are tooo middy for me.

[Filter500]

 

Originally posted by guitarist17 sounds like i should go for el34's then? i like a thicker grindier tone, that is tight. But, im using my 5150 in combo with the single recto, and ill be running a ts9 in the front, so maybe it wont matter waht tubes i have, as the recto will be really tight from the ts9? what do you guys think? Chris

 

 

If you want grindy and tight I suggest the EL-34s. I think the power tubes will still play a role even if you're using other gear in combination.

[guitarist17]

i heard about people running 6l6's in the single recto, but with the bias switch on el34's, is that safe? it sounds pretty damn unsafe? whats the point of doing this? running the 6l6's a bit higher? so if i wanna run 6l6's or el34's i just pop them in cuz its a self biasing amp correct? thanks

 

 

chris

[17 Tubes]

Originally posted by guitarist17 i heard about people running 6l6's in the single recto, but with the bias switch on el34's, is that safe? it sounds pretty damn unsafe? whats the point of doing this? running the 6l6's a bit higher? so if i wanna run 6l6's or el34's i just pop them in cuz its a self biasing amp correct? thanks chris

 

Chris...

 

The amp has a switch on it. Underside of the back panel.

 

 

I don't know why anyone would risk running it like that. Maybe they are a tech and have performed the measurements or something.

 

 

I would have to say they put a switch on it for a reason.

 

 

 

Hence my: earlier.

[onehourburn]

Originally posted by guitarist17 i heard about people running 6l6's in the single recto, but with the bias switch on el34's, is that safe? it sounds pretty damn unsafe? whats the point of doing this? running the 6l6's a bit higher? so if i wanna run 6l6's or el34's i just pop them in cuz its a self biasing amp correct? thanks chris

 

Not sure if its safe or not but the point is to raise the bias. The amp is bias pretty cold and putting it in el34 mod with 6l6's in it bump the bias up to a hotter bias.

 

 

onehourburn

[mctallica1]

34's... no doubt about it.

[Filter500]

 

Originally posted by guitarist17 i heard about people running 6l6's in the single recto, but with the bias switch on el34's, is that safe? it sounds pretty damn unsafe? whats the point of doing this? running the 6l6's a bit higher? so if i wanna run 6l6's or el34's i just pop them in cuz its a self biasing amp correct? thanks chris

 

 

Under the switch it says: CAUTION: Switch must match tubes in use. I'm guessing Mesa doesn't advise messing around. If you buy Mesa tubes you can just pop them in, but if you buy another brand you have to make sure they're the right rating. The ratings I mentioned for example are safe. If you have tubes that are rated at a good level you won't need to play games with the switch to run a hotter bias as the tubes will take care of that. It could be that Mesa chooses tubes with a rating to give a colder bias. If you buy tubes with the ratings I suggested you don't want to go much higher as that's a medium hot and normal bias and anything else just isn't safe.

[MattACaster]

I used SED 6L6GCs with mine and haven't looked back. Made the amp much clearer over the stock Mesa tubes.

[DannyM]

EL34. Tightens up the bottom end. Sounds better.

[Locky]

I still have the stock Mesa 6L6's in my amp. I tried some Mullard EL34 but didn't really like the difference. I find the 6L6's are much bassier and the cleans are just fantastic with 6L6's. The cab should be a big factor in determining your power section.

[guitarist17]

thanks so much for the help guys.. really not sure whhich tubes im gonna put in there, maybe ill just get a set of each. I don't really wanna go with mesa tubes, as i haven't heard the greatest things, so if i call eurotubes or get SED tubes, how do they know how hot of tubes to send me? mesa's tubes are supposedly matched for there amps correct? Does JJ have certain 6l6's or el34's that are better for rectos, or set at a specific MA for them? thanks guys, just trying to understand all this

 

 

Chris

[Filter500]

The EL-34s should be running at 35ma per tube or so, and a matched pair rated at 37 gets me 35ma per tube in the Mesa. The matched pair rated at 17 gets me in the safe zone also with 6l6. When I order tubes from thetubestore.com for example I specify in the comments box "matched pair rated at 37" and that's what they send. There's a sticker on the base of each tube that says 37.

[Locky]

 

Originally posted by Filter500 The EL-34s should be running at 35ma per tube or so, and a matched pair rated at 37 gets me 35ma per tube in the Mesa. The matched pair rated at 17 gets me in the safe zone also with 6l6. When I order tubes from thetubestore.com for example I specify in the comments box "matched pair rated at 37" and that's what they send. There's a sticker on the base of each tube that says 37.

 

 

So when you order 6L6 tubes you ask for a matched pair at 17?

[Filter500]

 

Originally posted by Locky So when you order 6L6 tubes you ask for a matched pair at 17?

 

 

Yup that's what I've done in the past, although the 17s were for another amp. I can't remember what they come in at ma wise in the Mesa, but they're likely to be a little cold rather than too hot. I tried some rated at 35 and they came in at 50ma per tube! Hot zone! The JJ6L6s that were in the amp when I bought it from DannyM are rated at 22 (just checked).

[Filter500]

Also... (from tubestore)

 

"Each of these types is unique. Fixed bias amplifiers CAN'T be biased. These amps (for example, some Fender and Mesa Boogie models) are designed to run with tubes that have a specific current draw (see question 4) and should only use tubes that fall within a certain range. Fortunately, these amps are usually pretty forgiving and will work well with a pretty wide range of tubes. For the best results, specify the make and model of your amp in the "Comments" of your order and we will make sure you get the best tubes for your amp."