E34L vs (E34ii or KT77 )

[Dr.Mavashi]

The pick ups are either Fullshred, Custom, or Becker’s Perpetual burn. Amps are Laney’s AOR and GH50L. Pre-Amps are at 9 o’clock or more, I try to avoid using boosts, for lead breaks I just step off my attenuator . Tight punchy palm mutes midrange screaming pick harmonics, pick dynamics and tracking are major targets. Have E34Ls JJs, like them but it’s been 17 years want to see if they some other flavors out there.

 

[beaubrummels]

Might consider 6CA7s, based on the goals/description.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

If you do go for 6CA7's, I think EHX sound more like actual 6CA7's than JJ's, personally.

Either way, Tung Sol EL34B's are also nice.

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Might consider 6CA7s, based on the goals/description.

Are they closer to 6L6 than EL34 ?

 

[beaubrummels]

Are they closer to 6L6 than EL34 ?

It might be fair to say they're closer to 6L6 than EL34s, but to me they are their own thing a bit. 6CA7s are what was in EVH's holy grail Marshall head from the U.K. They were also stock in Traynor YBA amps in the 70's.

 

[Demanic]

If you do go for 6CA7's, I think EHX sound more like actual 6CA7's than JJ's, personally.

Either way, Tung Sol EL34B's are also nice.

I have a JJ's 6CA7 in this Picovalve. It's lasted for years and I think that it sounds great.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[JMP/HBE]

It might be fair to say they're closer to 6L6 than EL34s, but to me they are their own thing a bit. 6CA7s are what was in EVH's holy grail Marshall head from the U.K. They were also stock in Traynor YBA amps in the 70's.

https://humbuckersoup.com/el34-vs-6ca7/#:~:text=The 6CA7 is meant to,to the 6L6 vacuum tube.

6CA7 & EL-34 are the same tube although one could argue the originals were one is a pentode and one a tetrode.
6CA7 = American designation, EL-34 = Euro.
The Sylvania 6CA7 of old VH days stopped production 40+ yrs ago.
The EH 6CA& is likely more like a Sovtek 6L6 than anything British or American.
An original quad of Amperex EL-34's are going for over $1500 in some cases.
Only tube makers now are the Slovaks with their problematic JJ's & Mike Matthews in Saratov.
There are no secrets to good tubes, educate yourselves and stay away from the bling.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

The EH 6CA& is likely more like a Sovtek 6L6 than anything British or American.

Only tube makers now are the Slovaks with their problematic JJ's & Mike Matthews in Saratov.

Nah, the EH is its own thing. Supposedly based on the Sylvanias. How much that's true, I don't know, but if you look at it, it doesn't look like any of the 6L6's NS puts out. It's the JJ that's a 6L6 adapted to fit an EL34 socket electrically.

Obviously, the EH's are not the real deal, but I mean, good enough for most people who are not putting them in 60's/70's Plexis, IMO.

And there are the Chinese Psvanes as well, as well as some other smaller manufacturers in China like the guys who make the Northern Electric stuff. It wasn't only Shuguang pumping out tubes from China.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I have a JJ's 6CA7 in this Picovalve. It's lasted for years and I think that it sounds great.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

All good, man. But it is not a "traditional" 6CA7 design. That's what I meant.

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

https://humbuckersoup.com/el34-vs-6ca7/#:~:text=The 6CA7 is meant to,to the 6L6 vacuum tube.

6CA7 & EL-34 are the same tube although one could argue the originals were one is a pentode and one a tetrode.
6CA7 = American designation, EL-34 = Euro.
The Sylvania 6CA7 of old VH days stopped production 40+ yrs ago.
The EH 6CA& is likely more like a Sovtek 6L6 than anything British or American.
An original quad of Amperex EL-34's are going for over $1500 in some cases.
Only tube makers now are the Slovaks with their problematic JJ's & Mike Matthews in Saratov.
There are no secrets to good tubes, educate yourselves and stay away from the bling.

So, that means there only two factories on the planet left? Not sure if Saratov factory is sanctioned or not, but I will not be buying from that factory. So just JJs, EHX is same JJs i suppose?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

So, that means there only two factories on the planet left? Not sure if Saratov factory is sanctioned or not, but I will not be buying from that factory. So just JJs, EHX is same JJs i suppose?

No, there's a couple smaller ones in China as well. The major Chinese factory burned down. But Psvane is still around.

And no, JJ is only JJ. EHX is Russian. EHX, Tung Sol, Mullard, Gold Lion, Svetlana, Sovtek all come from the same Russian factory. That factory is American-owned, though.

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

No, there's a couple smaller ones in China as well. The major Chinese factory burned down. But Psvane is still around.

And no, JJ is only JJ. EHX is Russian. EHX, Tung Sol, Mullard, Gold Lion, Svetlana, Sovtek all come from the same Russian factory. That factory is American-owned, though.

would you say there is zero difference between JJ EL34 and JJ 6CA7 ?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

would you say there is zero difference between JJ EL34 and JJ 6CA7 ?

No. They are different designs. I was just saying their 6CA7 is actually a 6L6 design adapted to work on EL34 amps. But their E34L's, EL34II's, 6CA7's, and KT77's all sound different.

But like I said in the other thread, I just don't trust JJ power tubes' reliability. I know a lot of people have good experiences experience with them. Maybe I've just had bad luck, but ALL of the JJ sets of power tubes I've had have failed.

Some of their tubes are actually good-sounding. I've just had terrible experiences with their power tubes. But if I had a 6V6 amp, I'd be willing to take the risk with their 6V6's because they sound great. But I actually remember reading that really isn't a true 6V6, just another tube type's design adapted for 6V6 amps, LOL. So they kinda do that a lot.

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

No. They are different designs. I was just saying their 6CA7 is actually a 6L6 design adapted to work on EL34 amps. But their E34L's, EL34II's, 6CA7's, and KT77's all sound different.

But like I said in the other thread, I just don't trust JJ power tubes' reliability. I know a lot of people have good experiences experience with them. Maybe I've just had bad luck, but ALL of the JJ sets of power tubes I've had have failed.

Some of their tubes are actually good-sounding. I've just had terrible experiences with their power tubes. But if I had a 6V6 amp, I'd be willing to take the risk with their 6V6's because they sound great.

I see, would you say there would be a significant difference between JJ’s 6CA7 vs 6L6s ?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I see, would you say there would be a significant difference between JJ’s 6CA7 vs 6L6s ?

Never compared them side by side, but I bet they do sound different as well. They adapted the design, but there's plenty of stuff they have to modify to make it work. The impedance for both tube types is different, I believe, and I'm sure that would make a difference. Same as the voltage? But that's getting beyond my understanding of tubes, TBH.

The only real thing I was implying is that the JJ 6CA7 is not really a "true" 6CA7 design. But I guess rather than "true", you could use the word "traditional". So if you want the 6CA7 sound, you're better off with the EH if you don't want to spend the money on NOS Sylvanias. Those things are EXPENSIVE because that's what EVH used. At least, that's what I immediately think when I hear 6CA7.

 

[JMP/HBE]

No, there's a couple smaller ones in China as well. The major Chinese factory burned down. But Psvane is still around.

And no, JJ is only JJ. EHX is Russian. EHX, Tung Sol, Mullard, Gold Lion, Svetlana, Sovtek all come from the same Russian factory. That factory is American-owned, though.

The Shuguang [typo] factory didn't burn down the Chinese Gov tore it down on purpose for the winter Olympics they needed that particular plot of land. They didn't care about the tubes.
I know about Psvane and some others the jury is still out.
TAD Germany has some made in China i hear good things about those.

 

[beaubrummels]

6CA7 & EL-34 are the same tube although one could argue the originals were one is a pentode and one a tetrode.
6CA7 = American designation, EL-34 = Euro.
The Sylvania 6CA7 of old VH days stopped production 40+ yrs ago.
The EH 6CA& is likely more like a Sovtek 6L6 than anything British or American.
An original quad of Amperex EL-34's are going for over $1500 in some cases.
Only tube makers now are the Slovaks with their problematic JJ's & Mike Matthews in Saratov.
There are no secrets to good tubes, educate yourselves and stay away from the bling.

They are not the "same" tube, but they are very similar and are interchangeable.
6CA7 is a 250v 100mA plate; 1.4A heater; with a transconductance of 11000 mhos
EL-34 is a 264v 70mA plate; 1.5A heater; with a transconductance of 11500 mhos

The Svetlana is the same tube whether marked EL34 or 6CA7, so it can depend on the manufacturer/brand.

 

[beaubrummels]

would you say there is zero difference between JJ EL34 and JJ 6CA7 ?

They are different. The JJ 6CA7 is a dual halo getter tube, the JJ EL34 is a single halo getter tube. The specs are different, the transconductance are different, capacitances are different, plate construction is different, and the voltages are different.

https://www.jj-electronic.com/images.../el34_e34l.pdf

https://www.jj-electronic.com/images...s/pdf/6ca7.pdf

 

[Rex_Rocker]

The Svetlana is the same tube whether marked EL34 or 6CA7, so it can depend on the manufacturer/brand.

Sylvania?

 

[beaubrummels]

Sylvania?

No, Svetlana - on their spec sheet, they list the same specs and diagrams and both part numbers, so they were using the same tube for both purposes, which is disingenuous. If the tubes are really an EL34 and a 6CA7, they will have different transconductance and voltages, and in particular different plate design, grids and getters, etc.