Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

[ErikH]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

Jeff: Oh, hell no. Nothing will replace my Marshall. Sorry if I confused you.

Lew: What I found amazing was being able to pick out at least 3 of those qualities really easily from it. The growl of the Marshall when overdriven, the headroom of the Matchless and the chime of the Vox.

This has turned out to be a great thread. Glad I brought it up.

If there's more on the 6L6, 6V6 front, please add.

 

[gripweed]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

I guess I'm alone in preferring the 6v6's to about any other tube I've tried. The 6l6 never really got the kind of midrange response that I liked. I'm with Lew on the overdrive qualities of 6v6. Crank those beasts and they sing! There is a reason that the Fedner Deluxe is loved by so many players.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

well i don't prefer them to every other tube

but i like them as much as i like 6l6's

infact if 6v6's were 30 watts i'd probably run them in every amp i got instead of 6l6's

 

[ErikH]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

Bruce's 30 watt Aurora that we brought to the Dallas show had KT66's in it. When Buddy Whittington stopped by, he mentioned that KT66's were not his favorite output tubes...but then he plugged into the Aurora and loved it!

Lew, to your ears, what's the difference between the KT66 and the 6L6? It looks like when the time is right, I'll be going with the 30 watter with reverb. Better to have too much than not enough. But I think you figured that out already...lol.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

Lew, to your ears, what's the difference between the KT66 and the 6L6? It looks like when the time is right, I'll be going with the 30 watter with reverb. Better to have too much than not enough. But I think you figured that out already...lol.

I'm not a good one to ask because I've only heard KT66's in the Aurora...that's the only amp I've heard them in. I don't know that I can say for certain, but to me 6L6 tubes seem to have a glassier, more transparent, more bottley tone. The KT66 seem smoother and thicker in the mids...they seem to sing without needing to be distorted. I'm really describing the diff between the Aurora with KT-66's and all of the other amps I've owned with 6L6's though. To really know, you'd have to try the 6L6 and then the KT66 in the same amp which I have never done.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

I'm not a good one to ask because I've only heard KT66's in the Aurora...that's the only amp I've heard them in. I don't know that I can say for certain, but to me 6L6 tubes seem to have a glassier, more transparent, more bottley tone. The KT66 seem smoother and thicker in the mids...they seem to sing without needing to be distorted. I'm really describing the diff between the Aurora with KT-66's and all of the other amps I've owned with 6L6's though. To really know, you'd have to try the 6L6 and then the KT66 in the same amp which I have never done.

Fair enough. Thanks. I gotta keep saving those pennies.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

I'm going through the same dilema Erik. I want a 30 watt Aurora and I asked Bruce to build me one and the one you played is the amp Bruce built.

But I didn't ask for KT66's...I wanted either two EL-34's or four EL-84's.

Bruce decided to use a pair of KT66's instead and I wound up liking them alot...but that's not the sound I had in my head.

What I originally wanted was something like a cross between by Matchless Chieftan which has two EL34's and reverb and my Matchless SC-30 which doesn't have reverb but does have four EL-84's.

So I wanted the Aurora 30 to have reverb and four EL-84's...like a Vox AC-30 or Matchless SC-30 only with reverb.

Instead he created a whole new amp altogether! Bruce, like all really talented people, wants to do his own thing...not make copies of existing vintage or modern amps.

But I still want him to make me one with two EL-34's or four EL-84's!



Lew

 

[ErikH]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

I'd love to hear the Aurora with EL34's. Man, that would sound sweet. I had thought about asking him that myself...lol. But, like you, hearing it at the Dallas show really put an impression on me. The last amp to do that was the Zinky Blue Velvet.

That's why I've asked about the tube comparison, asked you a few things, emailed Bruce and Randy with a few. Just trying to nail down the decision, but I believe for sure it's the 30 with reverb.

He makes some good stuff and has an ear for good tone. I'm amazed at how good it sounds with just a two control tone stack and no presence control.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

I'd love to hear the Aurora with EL34's. Man, that would sound sweet. I had thought about asking him that myself...lol. But, like you, hearing it at the Dallas show really put an impression on me. The last amp to do that was the Zinky Blue Velvet.

That's why I've asked about the tube comparison, asked you a few things, emailed Bruce and Randy with a few. Just trying to nail down the decision, but I believe for sure it's the 30 with reverb.

He makes some good stuff and has an ear for good tone. I'm amazed at how good it sounds with just a two control tone stack and no presence control.

It was cool for me to hear the Aurora 30 being wailed through onstage last saturday night while I sat in the audience listening. It's very smooth and pleasant to listen to...not shrill or overly glassy or edgey at all. And it sustains like crazy without having to be super saturated or super overdriven...that's a good trick! Really, it sounds just like we heard it at the Dallas show but hearing it with a drummer and bass player and loud band confirmed for me what I thought was going to be true about it onstage but couldn't really have known without hearing it in that situation. It's smooth! Harmonically rich and a fat smooth tone that can both bark and growl but never sounds shrill. Every Marshall I've owned could growl and bark and snarl but also could tear your ears off sometimes with an overly glassy shrill tone....the Mission is sweeter.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

It was cool for me to hear the Aurora 30 being wailed through onstage last saturday night while I sat in the audience listening. It's very smooth and pleasant to listen to...not shrill or overly glassy or edgey at all. And it sustains like crazy without having to be super saturated or super overdriven...that's a good trick! Really, it sounds just like we heard it at the Dallas show but hearing it with a drummer and bass player and loud band confirmed for me what I thought was going to be true about it onstage but couldn't really have known without hearing it in that situation. It's smooth! Harmonically rich and a fat smooth tone that can both bark and growl but never sounds shrill. Every Marshall I've owned could growl and bark and snarl but also could tear your ears off sometimes with an overly glassy shrill tone....the Mission is sweeter.

Gahh, you had to mention those two terms, "bark" and "snarl"....LOL. You know I love Marshalls. That just makes the GAS worse....LOL. Were there any recordings done of the show?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

Gahh, you had to mention those two terms, "bark" and "snarl"....LOL. You know I love Marshalls. That just makes the GAS worse....LOL. Were there any recordings done of the show?

I hope not! Although I did have alot of fun soloing through my DR on "10":laugh2: ....kinda mushy for rythym though. :smack: Lew

 

[firebirdVII]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

Just curious, but why don't you guys want one of those amps with a quad of 6v6s?

It would seem like the natural next step for me, maybe a half power switch?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

Just curious, but why don't you guys want one of those amps with a quad of 6v6s?

It would seem like the natural next step for me, maybe a half power switch?

Mostly cuz I've never heard four 6V6's so I don't have an opinion one way or the other.

And also because I've always wanted a Vox AC30 amp with reverb...and I KNOW I like four EL84's.

Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

I trust Bruce enough to take my Aurora with KT66's but if I didn't get along with them I would swap them out for EL34's for sure.

ON the 6V6 question...a quad of 6V6's is pretty killer...6V6"s have got a much better smooth/creamy overdrive to me that 6L6's and running 4 of them gets you that tone but with twice the power...it's very nice!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

I trust Bruce enough to take my Aurora with KT66's but if I didn't get along with them I would swap them out for EL34's for sure.

ON the 6V6 question...a quad of 6V6's is pretty killer...6V6"s have got a much better smooth/creamy overdrive to me that 6L6's and running 4 of them gets you that tone but with twice the power...it's very nice!

Wonder why it's not so popular? I like 6V6's alot...but never tried four.

Who made the Double Deluxe? Was that Victoroa? Or was it Dan Torres? Can't remember...

One reason they're not more commen might be that for a long time there weren't any really good new 6V6's!

I still only use NOS RCA or GE 6V6's cuz the new Chinese ones sounded so bad to me and seemed to blow up!

Maybe they're better now?

Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

I would assume that because

-For a long time good quality 6V6's were hard to come by

-4 tubes, 4 tube sockets and other parts involved for 4 tubes vs 2 tubes (if they uses 6L6's) is a good bit more money per amp

-Most people are used to buying 2 tubes for a 40-50 watt amp so telling a customer he has got to buy 4 tubes is something alot of people don't want to hear...

I would assume those are the top 3 reasons that most people don't use quads of 6V6's...

Orange has an amp that uses 4 6V6's and Roccaforte builds a plexi style amp that uses either 3 EL34's OR 4 6V6's and it's amazing...I love it! There are a few others but those 2 come to mine right now...

 

[jeremy]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

doesnt curly have a victoria double dlx?

 

[missionamps]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

I don't remember the 18 watt Aurora sounding flubby either. Pretty solid sounding amp actually.

If I do end up using it for small club/bar gigs, I'd get an amp stand for it anyway. I've got plenty of OD and boost pedals to throw at it. Heck, my modded DS-1 sounded pretty darn good through it.

Thanks for all the input so far. Please, continue on with anything else that can be helpful, not just to me but to anyone else.

***************
The Aurora 18 (The American 18 Watter) has a GZ30 rectifier.. (yes GZ30, a small bottle 5V4). two 6V6s, one 12AX7, one 12AY7 (it will come with an extra 12AX7 for the guy that just "has to" have the gas to make the master volume control into a distortion boosting one).
The 32 watt Aurora reverb amp has the same preamp tube compliment, a GZ34 and a pair of KT66s... super sweet.
The 50 watt Aurora reverb model is basicly the same amp but with higher power 6L6GCs and a larger output transformer.

Oh, we decided that the 18 watter will be available with reverb later on too.

I haven't done it but the power tube sockets can be wired so a player could pop in either a pair of KT66s, 6L6GCs or EL34s and just reset the bias voltage up or down about 8-12 v to match the actual power tubes used.
Next is the big sound machine, a 2x12 50 w combo for the truly deaf.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

The Fuchs ODS-30 runs either 4 6V6s or 2 6L6s....

I always thought it would be a cool amp to have & then pull either the inner or outer 2 6V6s & run 2 EL84s in Yellowjackets

 

[ErikH]

Re: Tonal difference between 6V6 and 6L6?

I haven't done it but the power tube sockets can be wired so a player could pop in either a pair of KT66s, 6L6GCs or EL34s and just reset the bias voltage up or down about 8-12 v to match the actual power tubes used.

Hi Bruce. Thanking for posting. I always enjoy reading your posts about these amps. Now, this info above about being able to swap tubes like that, I am so for that. That is something I will want when I order one. That is just too sweet of an option. It's like having 3 amps in one just by adjusting the bias. I'm leaning more towards the 32 watter now.