Winged C Tubes...opinions?

[CapoFirstFret]

I'm looking for some opinions on the Winged C EL34s. I'm looking to retube my Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne and the local shop here has a quartet of these (rare that he has a new set of tubes available). Just wondering if they were as good as the hype or if I should look elsewhere. Thanks guys!

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

I am not a fan.

 

[richard parker]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

When I retubed my amp a while back I discussed options with Hot Rox and it came to a choice between these and Tung Sol EL34Bs. I chose the Tung Sols and couldn't be happier, they're great. I'd still like to hear the Winged Cs to compare.

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

Ok... I find em a bit stiff, or boxed in if you will... That can work well in some amps I own. On the new stuff, I am big on the Shuguang EL34b, big, warm, and open sounding.

 

[saladin]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

The Winged "C" EL-34's I put in my old Carvin X-100B made it sound godlike!

 

[dystrust]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

My brother had a '78 JMP 2203 that sounded great with Winged-Cs. I haven't (knowingly) played them in anything else, so take that FWIW.

 

[scorch]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

I have a backup set of Winged =C=s for my Fryette 2/50/2 amp. They were supposed to bump the stock Mullards to backup status but it didn't happen. They were no better and no worse than the Mullards. So...the Mullards get daily duty and Winged C's are on the shelf for the time being.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

The current ones I have no real knowledge of the older ones were excellent. Some companies still have old stock, there is some significant way to tell them apart but I'm not sure I rely on my tech for that.

 

[nedcronin]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

I love them in Marshall's, EL34's. I haven't tried them in anything else but I would not hesitate to buy them based on the sets I have used. They sound awesome and really last a long time. Compared to JJ's, EH, etc, the SED winged C just crushes them.

 

[metlking]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

I bought into the hype and got a quad. They sounded great for about 3 months then faded quickly. Then the price doubled, or so it seems........not a fan. YMMV

 

[Toe-Knee]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

I'm not a fan at all. I find them too wimpy and fizzy sounding overall. I've got a pair with very little use on them that i've been trying to get rid of for ages and nobody is interested.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

I love 'em!

I stocked up before the price increase. I run them in my superleads.

 

[nedcronin]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

Maybe they have changed them or something? My experience with them is the opposite for sure. They breakup really nicely and can be biased hot.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

The REAL winged C's are great but the new sensor Svetlana (in name ONLY) tubes after the EH buy out of the name not so hot. Depends on which ones they are.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

The REAL winged C's are great but the new sensor Svetlana (in name ONLY) tubes after the EH buy out of the name not so hot. Depends on which ones they are.

That's it

 

[wahwah]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

The SED Winged C are great tubes. Made in the same St Petersburg factory that has been there since 1927. What are now called 'Svetlana' are just another brand from the Xpo-pul factory that spits out generic tubes under the brand names Sovtek, Tung Sol, Mullard, Electro-Harmonix and Genelex. I've got sets of EL-34s and 6L6GCs in various amps and they are all sturdy. They're the only current production tubes I use in any of my amps. It's still going to come down to an amp by amp appraisal, but they are always a worthy contender.




Cheers...................................... wahwah

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

I'm a big fan, I have the Winged Cs in a couple of my Mesas, and they have been reliable and sound great. I like both the 6L6 and EL34s.

Two things to think about. Use only tubes with the correct mA rating that will bias properly. Mesas are fixed, non-adjustable bias, so you must the correct rating. I doubt your local mom and pop have any idea what that number should be. Otherwise the amp won't sound right. Beware.

And consider this: if your Electra-Dyne is under warranty, Mesa can and will void your warranty. If you have a tube problem that damages your amp, you could be SOL when the repair is not covered.

I'd play it safe if your amp is still under warranty. Replacing the originals with Mesa tubes will guarantee that your amp will still sound good, and you'll keep your warranty intact. And, if they fail, Mesa has the best tube warranty around.

Bill

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

The "correct" SED tubes are marketed under the Winged C logo, and the New Sensor under the Svetlana name.

http://www.stereophile.com/news/022304svetlana/

Look for the Winged =C= logo, and "Made in St Petersburg Russia"

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

my quick input...Went from JJ's in my JCM800 to Winged C's...although the JJ's were old, the winged C's really rounded out the bottom end and just seemed to have a little more 'push' so to speak. Had them in there around a month and a half and love them so far

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Winged C Tubes...opinions?

I'm a big fan, I have the Winged Cs in a couple of my Mesas, and they have been reliable and sound great. I like both the 6L6 and EL34s.

Two things to think about. Use only tubes with the correct mA rating that will bias properly. Mesas are fixed, non-adjustable bias, so you must the correct rating. I doubt your local mom and pop have any idea what that number should be. Otherwise the amp won't sound right. Beware.

And consider this: if your Electra-Dyne is under warranty, Mesa can and will void your warranty. If you have a tube problem that damages your amp, you could be SOL when the repair is not covered.

I'd play it safe if your amp is still under warranty. Replacing the originals with Mesa tubes will guarantee that your amp will still sound good, and you'll keep your warranty intact. And, if they fail, Mesa has the best tube warranty around.

Bill

Thanks for the head's up Bill. I'm fairly certain I'm not still under warranty but I'll look into it. Either way, I'm not too worried about damage to the amp. I'm relatively handy with amp repair and if it's something I can't fix, I know a guy that can. I'm not that impressed with Mesa branded tubes but I'll give them a price and background check and see if that's a direction I want to go.