EL84 suggestions?

[misterwhizzy]

I've been trying to figure out what the best EL84s are.

I pulled out my chassis last night and rebiased the stock tubes, and they're really not even close to being matched. It's a 20-watt amp, and they're 6 mA apart. So now I'm running one a little hot and the other cold. Sounds okay, better than it did, but I anticipate these going out in the not too distant future since they're obviously cheap and mismatched.

So what EL84s do you like and why? And what tonal characteristics do they have?

 

[marvar]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

IMO in the modern day tubes, the JJ el84 seems to be the most reliable, best sounding for the money, a very popular tube, and easy to find. most modern day el84 tubes have a much shorter lifespan than NOS. considering most are biased as class A, (or what mfg call class A, but really isn't). If you get more than a year on any of them before losing tone, you are doing good.

As far as NOS- the game is wide open.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

It's a push-pull design, class AB. And I just don't have the time to do the NOS search. If someone wants to do it for me, I'm not opposed to it, but really I guess my question applies to modern production tubes primarily.

 

[guitarded]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

I tried a JJ EL-84 in my valve junior and hated it. Too boxy sounding... and a tad dark. The stock Sovtek which came with the amp sounded better.

 

[marvar]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

I tried a JJ EL-84 in my valve junior and hated it. Too boxy sounding... and a tad dark. The stock Sovtek which came with the amp sounded better.

I have a friend that has modded MANY VJ's, and he agrees, it seems that the stuff most people don't care for in other amps sounds great in the VJ, it also depends what mods, and what pre tube you are using. He also says that lesser considered (efficient) speakers work well with that amp.
But I think you'll find most folks prefer the JJ's in most amps.

 

[eggman]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

Howdy,

For current production EL84s, I've tried only two: Sovtek and JJ in my Carmen Ghia. The JJ wins if only by default. To my ears, the Sovteks are brittle sounding in my Carmen Ghia. I'll pay as much as $5 more for a pair of JJs, if i must.
Sovteks do have the advantage of being cheap. Last Summer my local music shop was blowing 'em out for $20 out-the-door (for a matched pair). Sovteks seem to be rugged and reliable; pity they're the sonic equivilent of a McDonalds hamburger!

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

they're the sonic equivilent of a McDonalds hamburger!

lolz

 

[Stef]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

Vox ac15ccx - stock EH were brittle and noisy, JJ are darker, cleaner, fuller, ballsier..more vintage sounding

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

I always use www.kcanostubes.com when I buy NOS. I don't have a great deal of EL84 experience, but I trust what KCA and their customers say. This link is to on of their better sets of 84's. You do have to pay $110 a set, but could very well be worth it.

http://www.kcanostubes.com/content/nos-ge-el846bq5-singles-pairs-quartets

 

[FuseG4]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

Hit up ebay and type in "japanese el84". if anything comes up at a good price, is a matched set, and tests strong, try it.
Japanese tube makers back in the day made decent tubes but everyone today is all up on the US and European stuff and the japanese tube makers get looked over.

The last set of Matsush*ta (the forum filtering won't let me type "matsu$hita") el84s I had were bomb, even though I settled for a pair that was matched but tested less than optimum spec. so they were a lil weak and a lil bright but when cranked they were really sweet, chimey, and the mids were smoother than most new production stuff.

I like japanese 12ax7s as well. Got one in v1 of my marshall now and I dig it.

 

[eggman]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

Howdy,

Good suggestion about Japanese-made tubes, FuseG4. One reads good things about them. Never tried 'em myself, though.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

Tubes are tubes
get the cheapest ones you can find
try the Rubys from MF

 

[FuseG4]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

Tubes are tubes
get the cheapest ones you can find
try the Rubys from MF

... you're free to look at it that way but many people notice a very positive sound change that results from finding the right tube for the right job.
You may as well have said "speakers are speakers", and it's easy to hear that that's not the whole truth.
With tubes, some of the new production 12ax7s do sound almost exactly the same. sovtek this vs EHX that, I mean they're 95% the same components and materials...
some power tubes really sound different... JJ el84s vs sovteks vs chinese? push em all into total overdrive and tell me that you don't like one over the other, they sound the same with the volume on 2 but not on 10! If power tube distortion is your thing, say in an AC30 or something, you better pick your tubes well cuz it could mean the difference between you loving or hating how your amp sounds. Don't pick the chinese ones LOL. China makes some fair tubes but the el84 is awful.

 

[DesertRose]

Re: EL84 suggestions?

Ever tried Svetlana EL84s?
I had them while I was using a DSL401.

I love it. It was a pity I sold it away.
I hope to get it back again soon