Who is using what power tubes and which amp?

[JKD]

OK, lets have a round up....what tubes are you using, which amp do you have, what are they biased at and what do you like about them.

I'm going to start with my favorites:

GT EL-34M (6ca7) at 34mA in RM50HB
Great sounding tube, not sure if they are still produced now Fender owns GT. Bigger low end than your average EL34 but still tight and has the sweet EL34 mid push and not too harsh in the high end/high mids.

These have quite a similar sound to the much loved SED =C= EL34s but more lows and I think a bit sweeter.

I actually like to bias a bit hotter (37-39) but I don't think it's that good for the longevity of the tubes.

 

[Skyze]

Carvin T100 with 6L6's, not sure on the bias or anything..

I hope to get some EL34s soon in something, as I've enjoyed those more in the past. Although for any 1U poweramp I want, seems ill be stuck with EL84s

 

[kc2eeb]

Ruby 6L6GCMSTR, biased @ 32ma in a RM50.
Big round and warm with a sparkling top end.

 

[BigBrewtus]

2 JJ EL34Ls outside/ 2 EH 6L6s inside. Biased to 34mA
Big bottom end and high end sparkle with a great
mid range punch.

 

[m0jo]

RM4 + RT2/50

- EHX 6CA7, nice EL34 bark but with more balls and a bit more sizzle.
- TAD 6L6GC-STR, good full and clear tone, good tightness and clarity

As for biassing, I run them both somewhere between the advised range
32 - 34mA is what I aim at.
I may want to tweak that better...

Do you guys notice much difference between say 30 and 34mA?

 

[eyeball987]

After trying 6550's, 6L6's, EL34's, and combos of each, I am back to =C= EL34's biased a little cool at 30ma. Amp is a RM100KH made for Kirk.

My modules are mainly Marshally and the 34's are where its at for me.

 

[speedemon]

hi All,

Ohhh, so you want to talk about tubes ehhhh....

I am running a pair of JJ 6L6 and Tung Sol EL34s, I forget the bias, 3Xm.

Gives a little more "authenticity" to the crunchy stuff.

 

[Shinozoku]

Tung Sol 5881, 33mA.

tight lows, super clear in the midrange, cutting highs. Smallest 6L6 variants I've ever seen (JJ 6L6GCs and even Sovtek 5881's dwarf them!) but they scream loud and proud! Brighter and clearer than the JJ's and more life than the Sovteks.

 

[JKMV12]

My RM80 has JJ 6V6's biased at about 22mA. The reason being that my Ruby 6550C's (bias ~50mA) were rendered unsafe for further use. I guess there was arcing in one of the tubes so now there is about a 15mA difference in tubes. I liked the Ruby's b/c they have a tonal character that is full, heavy, and powerful. My lack of experience with different tubes makes my ability to evaluate the JJ's difficult. Basically i feel like they get the job done but i would rather use something else. Next up is either 6L6's or EL34's...not sure which one...or which brand...but i need some extra cash to justify buying new tubes. Once the JJ's go it will be time.

 

[christianguitarman]

In my RM80 I have the Ruby 6550's and love them! In my RT 2/50 I just blew a set of 6L6 in the first channel and i'm looking for a replacement... a friend asked me if it would accept 6V6 and i'm clueless... I know very little about tubes... I run EL34 in the 2nd channel.

What tubes would you guys recommend for my RT 2/50? I usually pair my Blackface, Deluxe, Super V, and sometimes the Brown modules on channel 1 of the RT2/50 with the 6L6 and on the 2nd channel with the EL34 I sometimes use the Brown, and always the Recto, and Mr. Scary. I play alot of Praise and Worship music at church and in those situations my RM4 is usually loaded with BFace, Deluxe, Super V and Brown. 1st two modules to the 1st channel (6L6), other 2 to the 2nd channel(EL34). I also play some Christian Rock / metal and for those occasions it's BFace, Brown, Recto, and Mr. Scary same power amp config... 1st two to channel 1 2nd two to channel 2...

 

[Shinozoku]

Try the Tung Sol 5881 I highly recommend this power tube. It's got loads of tone!

 

[Julia]

I still have the Ruby 6550C in my amp. Biased at 41 mV. Nice and clear with a ton of headroom. I might turn on the amp today.

 

[Rod]

I use the Gold Lion reissue KT66's in both my Rm50 head and combo. The Lynchbox is running 5881's

 

[Mattfig]

RT2/50 has TAD 6L6GCs and SED Winged C EL34s - both are biased near the hot side....

In my RM100 I've been experimenting quite a lot...Tried all sorts of combos but am back to Tung-Sol 6L6s and JJ EL34s biased warm-ish...

I like 6550s for clean tones but dislike the preamp-only distortion you get with them and gain-based modules...The others I've tried (many) have been too odd to my ear to use...Meaning I'm so conditioned to 34s and 6L6 that anything too different sounds strange to me...For recording, once in a while, I'll throw in a set of oddities but they never stay...Other times I'll go all 6L6 or all EL34...Depends on the day and the conditions...I love being able to swap them so easily and take full advantage of that feature!

 

[Tbag]

I use JJ KT88's for super tight punchy as hell sounds, great tops and pronounced mids, tight controlled low end.

JJ 6V6's for classic fender clean sounds on the other side of power amp.

I have found however every preamp tube through RM4 & RT 2/50 is equally as important as the next. Sovtek LPS for phase inverters (almost exactly like JJ but brighter) TungSol for Input. Then for the RM4 it's a JJ and TungSol. The JJ's give the fullness and body of the sound while the TungSol helps brighten everything up. Just my 2 cents...

 

[Mattfig]

Uh oh...Did someone say pre-amp tubes?

:twisted:

Here we go!!!!

I'll start, and I'm swinging for the fences...NOS tubes are valuable and worthwhile only once you've sorted out your guitar, pickups, settings, eq, cables, fx, cab, speakers, mics, IRs....But, when that stuff is together a preamp tube can keep a great module at bay and sound good or take it to the next level...Of course your PI, real V1 are also important firstly as well...I love the smell of cork, don't you Dave?

:twisted:

 

[Rod]

I still have the Ruby 6550C in my amp. Biased at 41 mV. Nice and clear with a ton of headroom. I might turn on the amp today.

Allright...I thought we'd lost you to the modelling world!!!