Greetings~ What would be the prime choice for a quartet of EL84/6P14P power tubes? Typically I would simply go for some JJ's as I'm told they can take the heat, but may not be the most musical. So, which ones, JJ's, Reflector, or very affordable 6P14P's from Ukraine? The amp will not really be used a whole lot, but i want it to hold up & stand out while it's used. Thanks in advance!! ॐ
Power Tubes for Mesa DC-3 Amp....?
- Thread starter maya29
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Ascension
Well-known member
The Mesa EL 84 amps run hot and are very hard on power tubes. Make sure what ever you buy can handle the heat. An example is my Jet City JCA 22H really like the reissue Mullards tone wise, and they will live there. However, a Mesa like my F 30 will smoke them pretty quickly. Have owned several of the Boogies that run EL 84's so know those amps pretty well.
JJ has a set that will handle it as does Tungsol I know, but you have to get the right set as every JJ or Tung Sol won't last long in a Boogie.
This set of Tungsols in particular would be a very good choice for those amps. https://www.thetubestore.com/tung-sol-el84-6bq5.
JJ has a set that will handle it as does Tungsol I know, but you have to get the right set as every JJ or Tung Sol won't last long in a Boogie.
This set of Tungsols in particular would be a very good choice for those amps. https://www.thetubestore.com/tung-sol-el84-6bq5.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I dig the old Russian 6P14P-EV tubes. They are STURDY, and they sound big, wide, and open.
As far as current production ones, the equivalentes are the Sovtek EL84M's. I dig those too. I have those in my 20W poweramp now.
Honestly, give me either. I like both better than "traditional" EL84's because they sound the least EL84-like and maybe a tiny bit more like bigger tubes. Not night and day, but they do feel a smidge cleaner and wider.
As far as current production ones, the equivalentes are the Sovtek EL84M's. I dig those too. I have those in my 20W poweramp now.
Honestly, give me either. I like both better than "traditional" EL84's because they sound the least EL84-like and maybe a tiny bit more like bigger tubes. Not night and day, but they do feel a smidge cleaner and wider.
Ascension
Well-known member
There are more than one version of the JJ EL 84's and some will fail in a Mesa. You are dead on that the low output version is one to be avoided.
The larger bottle EL 84's like the old TAD and in particular one version of the Tung Sol EL 84 have been the most reliable for me in these amps.
These Mesa amps that run EL 84's are all brutal on power tubes. I have run them for years, but as of now have my F 30 combo on Marketplace because of this. You absolutely must run a robust EL 84 in these amps, or you will have issues and most of the time sudden issues with failed power tubes. It's not a maybe it will happen, and you also have to replace the power tubes in these if you often gig with them. It just goes with the territory. The Simucast EL 84 Mesa amps sound great, but because of how they are designed, run the power tubes very hard. I own 3 EL 84 amps right now, and I am selling the Boogie because I am simply tired of dealing with this. Have run these amps for many years on stage, though.
Going to a PRS Sonsera 20 that runs a pair of 6L6's for now, but I am looking for a first gen US built PRS Archon 25.
Get to a reputable tube vendor and tell them what you have, then let them recommend the right set of EL 84;s is my strong advice to you.
There is a set of the JJ's that will live in these, but a few other tubes that will live and sound much better.
Or you can just buy a set from Mesa. I would buy a quad, not just a pair of whatever you get so you have a back-up pair.
Here are the Mesa EL 84's and I like them better than the JJ's but not as well as the bigger bottle Tung Sol or TAD tubes. Here is a set of the Mesa EL 84's from Reverb.
Ascension
Well-known member
Agree on these. There is one Tung Sol that is very close to these, though.
I would look for the 6BQ5 variant of the EL 84 to run in these amps, as they are much more robust than a normal EL 84. The bottle is slightly larger and won't fit some amps, but is no problem in these amps.
These guys have one of the better selections of EL 84's I have found.
EL84 / 7189 / 6BQ5 Power Tubes | www.thetubestore.com
EL84 | 7189 | 6BQ5 Vacuum Power Tubes. Matched tubes in stock and ready to ship! Order Now!
misterwhizzy
Well-known member
When I was using EL84 amps, I never found Tung-Sols to be worth the price premium. I didn't find them to sound noticeably different, and I had some fail, whereas my JJs and Mullards did not. I'm going to second the recommendations for JJ power tubes, although in general, I'm not a big fan of their preamp tubes.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I'm the other way around. I've actually never had a JJ in a set of power tubes not fail on me, LOL. OTOH, I've never had a JJ preamp tube fail on me. And while they're not my favorite tonally, they have some redeeming qualities like being tight, smooth, focused, gainy, etc. and especially quiet and resistant to microphonics which can work on certain situations. That's speaking about the ECC83S which is kinda their ubiquitous (yet infamous) preamp tube. They make others that don't really sound like that. I'm sure if you tried the ECC803S, you'd almost find it the antithesis to the ECC83S.
About Mesa tubes, correct me if I'm wrong, but the way they grade them is just middle-of-the-road compared to other vendors. Meaning a Mesa tube that's graded to bias hot, it's only middle-of-the-road just mildly leaning towards hot by other vendors' standards. Maybe that's oversimplifying it, but I'm pretty sure you can get vendors to sell you tubes that match Mesa's ratings.
About Mesa tubes, correct me if I'm wrong, but the way they grade them is just middle-of-the-road compared to other vendors. Meaning a Mesa tube that's graded to bias hot, it's only middle-of-the-road just mildly leaning towards hot by other vendors' standards. Maybe that's oversimplifying it, but I'm pretty sure you can get vendors to sell you tubes that match Mesa's ratings.
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