Any one have thoughts on the KT66s

[TheHunter]

I have had my KT88s and KT66s for about year or so (time to Replace them).

I have been happy with my tone but thought it lacked a little something. My friend (Insightibanez) bought and RM100 and dropped some KT88s and KT77s in his and it just crushes like no other, where mine is darker in comparison and fizzy.

Is it my KT66s, I dont see anyone on here using them, does anyone have any advice for me. I really dig the Marshally tones and Im close with the setup I have but I think I could get closer with some El34s and KT88s.
I think the KT66s might be fizzy and flabby for my taste.

Any input would be great!!

 

[kc2eeb]

KT-66s are more for a "Bluesbreaker" tone like Clapton on the Bluesbreaker album. They a little soft sounding if you're looking for a metal tone. A good set of Kt-88s will give you a much harder "in-your-face" sound. Pat L.

 

[TheHunter]

Id like good mid clarity with tight low end and smooth highs. As little fizziness as possible, and aggressive as a fat kid with a twinky.

I have some of that, but my lows are not as tight as they could be, and the highs are a bit shrill, the mids I have I do like but still lacking CRUNCH.

HMMMM.

 

[JKD]

I read your description and I thought KT-77 tbh...wasn't clear if you'd tried this though.

 

[shred-o-holic]

88's are going to have the cleanest headroom....followed by 34L's and then 34's......77's have a complexity to them....they are a 34 variant as well...

 

[TheHunter]

I read your description and I thought KT-77 tbh...wasn't clear if you'd tried this though.

Like i said I did try my buddies RM100 with the KT88 and KT77 setup, this sounds very punchy and articulate all around, of course this is in comparison to my KT88-KT66 setup.

His mids seemed to stay tighter going into the bass areas, where mine seem to roll off much faster into fizz, and his bass was very growly like Chuck Shuldiner's marshall sound, his low end stayed tight. I guess the only way I can say this clearly is mine sounds loose while his sounded tighter on the same exact modules with the same exact preamp tubes, minus the same power amp tubes.

At this point Im thinking that 34s or 77s are the way to go combined with the 88s.

I have some JJ 6l6gc im gonna pair up with the 88s later this week and see where that takes me, but as far as i know the 66s and 6L6 are very similar, am i wrong in my assumptions?

Thanks to all who have replied.
keep it comeing.

 

[shred-o-holic]

Yeah you're right about the similarities.....if you want cleaner headroom....then I would shy from the 6L6's personally.....I talking for high gain...

 

[TheHunter]

Yeah you're right about the similarities.....if you want cleaner headroom....then I would shy from the 6L6's personally.....I talking for high gain...

Ya I don't really play anything clean so HIGH GAIN is what Im really shooting for. So no 6L6. Hmm OK.

It seems like the EL34L, KT77, or more KT88s are the way to go. I think I like the GROWl of the EL34L or KT77s mixed with the KT88s seems the smartest way to go.

 

[trendkill1168]

Sound like you would like 2 KT88's on the outside and 2 E34L's on the inside. The E34L's provide more bass than standard EL34's and they stay tight while still giving you those crunchy mids that you are looking for. I used this combo in the RM100 I originally had and that was the best that it ever sounded out of any of the power tube combos I tried (never tried a quad of KT88's though). Looking to do the same thing with my Lynch Box here shortly.

 

[droptrd]

Yeah you're right about the similarities.....if you want cleaner headroom....then I would shy from the 6L6's personally.....I talking for high gain...

Yeah. i didnt notice any difference from my 6l6's

 

[TheHunter]

Yeah you're right about the similarities.....if you want cleaner headroom....then I would shy from the 6L6's personally.....I talking for high gain...

Yeah. i didnt notice any difference from my 6l6's

Your saying you didn't notice a huge difference from 6L6 to KT66?

Did I read that right?

I just ordered a Mathched Pair of JJ EL34Ls and a Balanced JJ ECC83s, we will see what this does for my tone.

>?<

 

[droptrd]

Yeah you're right about the similarities.....if you want cleaner headroom....then I would shy from the 6L6's personally.....I talking for high gain...

Yeah. i didnt notice any difference from my 6l6's

Your saying you didn't notice a huge difference from 6L6 to KT66?

Did I read that right?

I just ordered a Mathched Pair of JJ EL34Ls and a Balanced JJ ECC83s, we will see what this does for my tone.

>?<

yep. I really couldnt tell the difference. I switched from SED 6l6's to sovtek kt66's. a little mid change. i was expecting a much bigger difference. I actually like the SED's better

 

[TheHunter]

So I went home turned on the RM100 and decided to do a little investigation.

So I unscrewed the fuse in the back on the KT66 (outside sockets) so i could just hear the KT88s, HOLY **** BATMAN, clraity, punch, tightness, lots of great chunk.

Did the same thing to the KT88 ,unscrewed there fuses to just hear the KT66s, blech! this has been my problem the whole **** time, Flabby, very loose, mids are not articulate at all, very course sounding compared to the 88s. This is the reason I had to turn my density down to half way.

KT66s DARK AND LIFELESS
KT88s BRUTAL AND LARGER THAN LIFE

EL34Ls on there way.