Best EL84 for Headroom?

[Jazz Rock]

What brand makes the EL84 that offers the most headroom?

 

[Pierre]

Re: Best EL84 for Headroom?

You won't get a huge difference. Better a new speaker or a new amp dude. My VC15's got a good headroom, more than the LC15 if I remember right.

 

[Jazz Rock]

Re: Best EL84 for Headroom?

Who said I was looking for huge difference. Everything in life is about subtleties :friday:

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Best EL84 for Headroom?

I found that I had a little more headroom with a TAD el84 in my 18 watt. But 84's being what they are, will never have a whole lot of headroom.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Best EL84 for Headroom?

+1.......aside from grabbing a 30w 4xEL84 as opposed to 2xEL84 & running it clean.

They're snotty by nature

Headroom will have more to do with the circuitry than anything else.....keep the mids down...efficient speaker...

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Best EL84 for Headroom?

I think amplifier design ultimately is what will make one person happy with the headroom of that EL84 amp over another EL84 amp (not necessarily from tubes themselves).

EL84s, by design, won't have tons of headroom like a more powerful tube (I mean, look at the size of tubes like KT-88s... they're huge and have more headroom inherently). I've seen some EL84 amps like the Bad Cat Hot Cat have practically zilch headroom and I've seen Peavey and Crate EL84 amps have plenty of headroom. All 3 have 2 EL84s in the power amp section, it's just the design. For instance, Vox AC-30s, I don't know what Vox does, but they seem to be louder than just about every other 30w EL84 equipped amp around. If you like the sound of EL84 amps and want more headroom, really try different EL84 amps that are out there - you may be very surprised.

 

[Curly]

Re: Best EL84 for Headroom?

if your amp has adjustable bias, you can bias a little cooler for more headroom

if your amp's bias is not adjustable, you should look for tubes that are a little "harder". A good vendor (such as Watford Valves) should be able to help.

 

[subanots]

Re: Best EL84 for Headroom?

not in jj's

 

[Jazz Rock]

Re: Best EL84 for Headroom?

If you like the sound of EL84 amps and want more headroom, really try different EL84 amps that are out there - you may be very surprised.

I am definitely not looking for a massive change of sound. I have been on the Watford website and by their descriptions it seems that EL84 from Harma give more the most headroom amongst EL84. So could it be the way to go along with a cooler bias?

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Best EL84 for Headroom?

I am definitely not looking for a massive change of sound. I have been on the Watford website and by their descriptions it seems that EL84 from Harma give more the most headroom amongst EL84. So could it be the way to go along with a cooler bias?

Give it a shot, you really wouldn't have much to lose

I was always under the impression that EL84 amps, by nature, were fixed bias - is this not true? I'm not sure if you'd be able to bias it a bit cooler, but if you can I wouldn't lower it too much because you'll get less volume as a result and it'll be counter productive at that point (I'm assuming you're trying to keep it clean at high volumes in the band context)

 

[Jazz Rock]

Re: Best EL84 for Headroom?

(I'm assuming you're trying to keep it clean at high volumes in the band context)

I wish I was :grumble: No I just try to get a sound that is less mushy under the higher settings of gain of my pedals.