New Tubes for Egnater Rebel 20

[Guitar Guy]

I've had one of these bad boys for about six months now and i am really enjoying it. I has good crunch sounds as well as a good pushed clean that takes pedals well.

When the time comes to replace tubes, I am looking for some opinions. I know going NOS would probably be the best tonewise, but I don't have the cash to drop so I want to stick with new production for now. Maybe I will try NOS in the future. Now I know that peoples' preferences, especially on tubes, are very subjective. However I'm just looking for some outside prospective. Now, on to tubes:

6v6s : The two I am mainly looking at are the JJ (these are stock in the rebel iirc) and the tungsol reissue. They both are similar in price and seem to hold up well. What do you think tone-wise?

el84s : Mainly looking at the JJ (also stock in rebel). They seem to get really good reviews and they are cheap. The mullard reissue seems to be gainier than i would like and the gold lion reissue seems promising, but at $50 a pair, I'm not sure if it worth it tonewise. Open to suggestions here.

pre-amp : This is probably where I am the most unsure. I definitely want different ones than the stock tubes. I am also not sure if i want to stick with 12ax7s or drop the gain a bit with something else. I've used JJ in the past in different amps; definately an improvement, but not necessarily "wow". Their preamp tubes don't seem to get as much love as the power tubes. Also considering tungsol reissue, they seem to be well liked. My only conscern is that it will increase the gain and high end to much. Overall I'd like to get a clear yet smooth sound with not more gain and possibly less. Maybe a combination of types? I need opinions for V1, V2 and V3 phase inverter.

Thinking of going with dougstubes. They have a pretty good selection and customer service. And since i wanted a bit more clean headroom, i might go with his late distortion option for power tubes.

Sorry for the lengthy post. I know that is a lot to try and answer so answer any part you can. Thanks.

 

[viewaskew2k5]

Re: New Tubes for Egnater Rebel 20

JJ"s will make THAT amp sound darker, a little more brittle and harsh if you use nothing but jj's. For the 6v6's in the amp JJ's are the way to go as there model can be pushed harder, especially if set up by an amp tech.
For the EL 84's i would go Ei Elites if you can find them and new issue Tung Sol's for the pre amp's. Maybe put in a JJ 803 gold pin in the v1 position or if your feeling experimental a 81 gold pin.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Re: New Tubes for Egnater Rebel 20

JJ"s will make THAT amp sound darker, a little more brittle and harsh if you use nothing but jj's. For the 6v6's in the amp JJ's are the way to go as there model can be pushed harder, especially if set up by an amp tech.
For the EL 84's i would go Ei Elites if you can find them and new issue Tung Sol's for the pre amp's. Maybe put in a JJ 803 gold pin in the v1 position or if your feeling experimental a 81 gold pin.

I definitely don't want it to be brittle or harsh. So all Tungsol in the pre amp or JJ 803 in V1 and tungsols in V2 & V3. I am looking for smooth and clear with a good midrange but not overly pronounced.

Any other suggestions for el84s? I think your right about the Ei Elites being hard to find (as I am assuming they are a different model than the Ei found on most sites).

 

[CaughtLikeFire]

Re: New Tubes for Egnater Rebel 20

I definitely don't want it to be brittle or harsh. So all Tungsol in the pre amp or JJ 803 in V1 and tungsols in V2 & V3. I am looking for smooth and clear with a good midrange but not overly pronounced.

Any other suggestions for el84s? I think your right about the Ei Elites being hard to find (as I am assuming they are a different model than the Ei found on most sites).

I personally think the Elites are a waste of $$. they're not a special version from the Ei factory or anything - just selected and then gold-plated/painted by someone else in Europe.

I've purchased a few pairs of regular Ei EL84s for my Laney from www.dougstubes.com and have had zero issues. The JJ can't touch them for midrange clarity and nice treble. The Mullard EL84s are nice but darker and not as complex in the mids. Ei is king for clarity in new production tubes (although the Ei factory is temporarily shut down while ownership is transferred . . . they may get hard to find for a little while after the current stock dries up).

I like the Tung Sol 6V6 - a little more old-school/traditional sounding than the JJ. JJ are a little more mid-scooped and sound a little bit like a 6L6 to me.

as far as preamp tubes, the 803 have a pretty prominent mid-hump. I'd go with a Sovtek LPS if you like the tone of longplate tubes. you could mix and match the LPS and Tung Sol 12ax7 - both work well in tone-generating and PI stages although I like long plate tubes for the PI whenever possible.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Re: New Tubes for Egnater Rebel 20

I personally think the Elites are a waste of $$. they're not a special version from the Ei factory or anything - just selected and then gold-plated/painted by someone else in Europe.

I've purchased a few pairs of regular Ei EL84s for my Laney from www.dougstubes.com and have had zero issues. The JJ can't touch them for midrange clarity and nice treble. The Mullard EL84s are nice but darker and not as complex in the mids. Ei is king for clarity in new production tubes (although the Ei factory is temporarily shut down while ownership is transferred . . . they may get hard to find for a little while after the current stock dries up).

I like the Tung Sol 6V6 - a little more old-school/traditional sounding than the JJ. JJ are a little more mid-scooped and sound a little bit like a 6L6 to me.

as far as preamp tubes, the 803 have a pretty prominent mid-hump. I'd go with a Sovtek LPS if you like the tone of longplate tubes. you could mix and match the LPS and Tung Sol 12ax7 - both work well in tone-generating and PI stages although I like long plate tubes for the PI whenever possible.

Can the Tungsol 6v6s hold up as well as the JJ?

Actually I haven't tried long plate preamp tubes before, but i might have to give it a try.

 

[CaughtLikeFire]

Re: New Tubes for Egnater Rebel 20

Can the Tungsol 6v6s hold up as well as the JJ?

Actually I haven't tried long plate preamp tubes before, but i might have to give it a try.

I haven't heard about the Tung Sols not working in any modern 6V6 amp. maybe someone else has some info?

usually, the concern with 6V6s is NOS tubes holding up with high plate voltages in new production amps.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Re: New Tubes for Egnater Rebel 20

bump

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: New Tubes for Egnater Rebel 20

Definitely jjs for te 6v6s as they can take higher pkate voltages than most 6v6s and will give you ore bottom end/headroom. JJs for the el84s arw good too.
Try out some EH 12ax7s or Sovtek LPS's for an alternative to the stock jjs. both sound big and smooth with plenty of gain on tap.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New Tubes for Egnater Rebel 20

I've always been intrigued by that amp, and I really do know tubes and tube amps.....despite my lack of posting in this room in the past year. Older members know I lived in the amp room.

Yes....JJ, all the way for all your power tubes.
The two suggestions that came up for pre's were Tungsol or Sovtek LPS. Don't hesitate to buy either, but it's smart to stick with those. They're some of the best modern pre tubes ever. You'll get really nice tone with either of those into JJ power tubes.

I've actually compared dozens of high end power tubes, and JJ's are a no brainer. They're the cheapest, and they're in the top 10% tonewise.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Re: New Tubes for Egnater Rebel 20

I've always been intrigued by that amp, and I really do know tubes and tube amps.....despite my lack of posting in this room in the past year. Older members know I lived in the amp room.

Yes....JJ, all the way for all your power tubes.
The two suggestions that came up for pre's were Tungsol or Sovtek LPS. Don't hesitate to buy either, but it's smart to stick with those. They're some of the best modern pre tubes ever. You'll get really nice tone with either of those into JJ power tubes.

I've actually compared dozens of high end power tubes, and JJ's are a no brainer. They're the cheapest, and they're in the top 10% tonewise.

Forgot about the Sovtek LPS, that was another i was considering.