Tung Sol EL34B

[surface54]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

The EL34s with a bit of 6L6 in them are an interesting idea for channel switching amps, because you get a clearer, deeper, clean channel, but your still running EL34s when things get dirty.

The best for this type of thing is the 6CA7. No cardboard. Not for early breakup, but they still sound much like EL34s, and with bottom end. NOS 6CA7s are hard to come by, but the EH reissues arn't bad at all.

i hear all the greatness about the EH6CA7 on the marshall forum too.

can they beat the winged c's?

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

It depends on what you want. I have run =C= for years. The =C= EL34 are the traditional European EL34 sound. The 6CA7 is more in the American tradition. It has more bass, but also tight and punchy. Nonetheless, the mids and treble are EL34. The 6CA7 is also higher headroom.

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

When I had my Splawn I was using a bunch of different preamp tubes. I'd just swap them all out shootout-style.

The Tung-Sol 12ax7 always sounded great to me. It had a great punch and responsiveness to it. It seemed to bring out the "twang" in a way other tubes never could. That couple with a nicely warm and full bottom made it a peach. I use them in the JSX now.

The Sovtek LPS just works perfectly as a PI.

 

[surface54]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

i gotta day dream about EH6CA7's now.

 

[tonefreak1527]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

how do they compare to jj

 

[surface54]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

one other question do the EH6CA7's sound good for metal and heavy rock?

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

The originals worked great for Ed Van Halen back in the day. Since 6L6's, 6550's, and EL34's are all used for various flavors of metal, and hard rock, I don't see why they shouldn't. I was amazed by how much low end punch they have. Sometimes if you get more bass you loose tightness and articulation, or to get a tighter sound you have to dial out more bass. Not with these, at least for me. Whats works for someone may not work for someone else, so the only way to know if they work for you is to do it. They require a bit more bias than typical EL34s but its not like completely a different range from EL34s like is the case with 6L6s or 6550s.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

how do they compare to jj

I like 6CA7s better tonally than E34Ls, for an EL34 with a bit of 6L6 flavor. I can't say how they compare to the JJ KT77, somebody else will have to speak to that.

 

[surface54]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

i was just reading on the marshall site that the plate voltages for the EH6CA7's are too low for some marshalls. my DSL is 470pv and that tube has been dying in marshalls within two months per some members. they say it sounds amazing just has drifting bias and problems with high pv's.
i really wanted to get this tube but now i dont think its a good idea. even JJs are rated for 425-450plate volts and my DSL is 470 give or take some. so really im breaking the tube from the get go if im understanding all this correctly.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

I thought todays el34s could still all take up to around 500, and the JJ can be ran up to almost 600.
Don't ask me where I read that but that's what I was under the impression of.

 

[surface54]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

I thought todays el34s could still all take up to around 500, and the JJ can be ran up to almost 600.
Don't ask me where I read that but that's what I was under the impression of.

yeah i read KT77 can handle up to 800pv
the marshall site is down right now i dont know why.
that exact thread is in there i will post it when its back up.
and yes i read the winged c's can handle 500pv. and JJ are right on at 450pv.

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lol ouch!

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

My Jubilees run about that pv on average. I didn't noticed any problems, although I didn't leave the 6CA7s in there for several months, because it would probably have been good to mod the bias voltage range, so they wern't running borderline too hot in those particular amps. Even run so hot they were no red plating or drifting bias problems ...ect...

My JTM45 runs around 400-410 volts.

I have run the =C= for years at 460+ plate voltages without problems. I ran JJ E34Ls in a Jubilee for about 3 years at 460+ without problem as well.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

yeah i read KT77 can handle up to 800pv
the marshall site is down right now i dont know why.
that exact thread is in there i will post it when its back up.
and yes i read the winged c's can handle 500pv. and JJ are right on at 450pv.

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lol ouch!

all I know is that there's a ton of people running JJs in DSLs. if the stock svetlanas can take it I'm sure JJs can take at least as much.

 

[surface54]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

i agree im sure they can take it.

here is that thread
http://www.marshallforum.com/workbench/12639-word-wise-eh-6ca7-tubes.html

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

Okay I read the thread. The issue is not the voltage on the plates but the voltage on the screens. The one guys says that the screen votage is borderline in most Marshalls for the JJ EL34, JJ E34L, and the EH 6CA7, because its comes from the plate voltage. But its not borderline for the =C= EL34 or the KT77. Those that had short service life with the 6CA7 probably were running it fairly hot, which isn't really necessary with the 6CA7. A more conservative bias and they would probably be fine. Actually for hard rock and metal the use of a bias that runs the tubes a bit cooler makes the amp feel a little tighter. Running the tubes hotter is better for classic rock and blues though.

The OP's problem was that he tryed to use EH 6CA7s in a socket improperly wired up for them.

If your concerned about the voltages, run =C= for traditional EL34 tone, or KT77 for a bit of 6L6 response mixed in.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

Okay I read the thread. The issue is not the voltage on the plates but the voltage on the screens. The one guys says that the screen votage is borderline in most Marshalls for the JJ EL34, JJ E34L, and the EH 6CA7, because its comes from the plate voltage. But its not borderline for the =C= EL34 or the KT77. Those that had short service life with the 6CA7 probably were running it fairly hot, which isn't really necessary with the 6CA7. A more conservative bias and they would probably be fine. Actually for hard rock and metal the use of a bias that runs the tubes a bit cooler makes the amp feel a little tighter. Running the tubes hotter is better for classic rock and blues though.

The OP's problem was that he tryed to use EH 6CA7s in a socket improperly wired up for them.

If your concerned about the voltages, run =C= for traditional EL34 tone, or KT77 for a bit of 6L6 response mixed in.

sweet, pretty good info here.

 

[surface54]

Re: Tung Sol EL34B

great news then!