Re: 6L6 vs EL-34 as put by Mesa guys
Random thoughts:
I've used 6V6, EL84, 6L6, El34, and 6550 amps over the years. I would say my fav is the 6L6, because it is just so versatile, and it's a very natural-sounding tube to me.
I will say that the 6550 amps I've tried from SUNN and Marshall sounded good at clean levels, but I did not like the way the amps broke up when pushed to distortion. Compared to the Fender 6L6 amp I owned at the time, the high end got very veiled; while the Fender stayed clear and had a great singing quality. So the 6550 is my least favorite, by far.
Mesa's Nomad Series all use the same preamp, and power sections of 4xEL84 in the Nomad 45, 2x6L6 in the Nomad 55 or 4x6L6 in the Nomad 100. And as I recall, those amps can use EL34s in place of the 6L6. So it's a great way to compare these tubes.
The rectifier makes a big difference in the feel of the amp. One of the most FUN amps I've ever played was my 1964 Fender Tremolux and it's 210 cab. Because of the tube rectifier, the amp had noticeable "sag" and a great spongy feel. Certainly not what a lot of metal guys would want, but for a small blues club, it was the perfect size and tone. Some of the early JTM45 have a tube rect., while the later 50 models have SS rect. and that's a great way to hear the difference.
Back in the day, I went from a Fender Bandmaster amp, to a SUNN SS amp, and used the SUNN for many years, which was perfect for the solo gigs I was doing at the time. Then years later I got into a classic rock band and found the SUNN wasn't quite cutting it. The amp that got me back into tubes was an Rivera-designed Fender Super Champ (2x6V6) with the EV speaker. I would take that to band practice and turn it on 10 and it would just sound amazing. It wasn't quite loud and clean enough for gigging, though. I went through a series of amps: a Marshall JCM 800 with EL34s, an original 1965 Deluxe Reverb, the Tremolux, and then a Fender 75, but it really was the Mesa Mark III that gave me all the tones I was looking for.
I have several Mesas right now using both EL84 and 6L6, or a combination of 6L6 and EL34 tubes. The Mesa Simul-Class option on the Mark III and Mark IV amps is really a neat thing. The two 6L6 tubes in standard Class AB provide the muscle, and two EL34 in Class A add a bit of upper mid-range aggression. It's a great tone and a great "feel".
I do wish Mesa would make a small amp with 6V6s. One thing you can do with some of their amps (the Heartbreaker for one) is to use the low voltage "Tweed" setting and swap in 6V6s. That turns a 100-watt fire-breathing monster into a really great amp for smaller clubs. And you can run EL34s in the Heartbreaker, too. Lots of versatility. (I think I need a Heartbreaker!)
I noticed years ago that the low-end of my JCM 800 Marshall is very different than say a Twin Reverb. The Fender has a big fat bottom that can be boomy at higher volumes. The treble stays clear, even when the amp is pushed into distortion, but by then you're dropping that Bass knob down to 1-3 to keep it from getting flubby. Play the Marshall at living room volumes and it's the worst sounding amp ever--no bass and just screeching brittle high end. Put the Marshall on the bandstand with some good volume and the bass suddenly appears--different than the Fender--tighter and more defined. And that screeching high end becomes fuller and rounder and sweeter, but retains enough edge to really cut through the mix. Some of that is preamp design, some of it IS the power tubes. I used to play small clubs and mic my Martin D-28 and D-18 guitars with a Shure SM-57--and that's the acoustic equivalent of the Fender/Marshall difference. All good....but different.
Do you like high-power, big bottle amps with lots of headroom; or do you prefer the smaller 6V6/EL84s in a cranked amp? All good....but different. But play on one for a while...and switch...and it's almost disorienting. Your tone is....just GONE! I use both, and now I can go back and forth without freaking out, but it took a couple of years I think for me to be able to use my DC-3 (4xEL84) without giving it evil stares at times. But--it sounded good...hey, nobody was throwing things at the stage, LOL! But it is DIFFERENT. Are the 6L6s BETTER? Not really. Just different. But it can take a bit of "ear re-training" and practice to go between different tube types. And the same for the "big amp with headroom" versus the small cranked amp.
I've been to clinics with Joe Satriani and Andy Timmons. Joe was using the JSX back then. He's a big amp guy. Andy uses Mesas, and is known for his two amp rig using a Lonestar Classic and a Stiletto Deuce. Yep, big amp guy--both amps using the 100-watt Full Power settings. Before he was using this rig he was using a Mesa Maverick, only 35-watts Class A. And yes, it took some time to adapt.
I'm really happy and very fortunate to have a nice amp stable right now. I've got amps that can go to a practice or small jam session, and be easy on my back; to the big amps that can handle any situation. And the Mesa amps are versatile enough to handle any kind of music that I can throw at them. It is all about choosing the right amp for the type of music you play and the venue.
It's kinda like asking if you prefer slip joint pliers or Channel-Lock pliers or needle nose. Well, you need them all. Use the right tool for the job.
Bill
I definitely agree on the "feel" differences at high volumes though.
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