Best New Issue EL34

[big_teee]

What is your favorite New Issue EL34?
In my new amp build I've tried EH EL34EH, Which I thought was too bright and trebly.
The JJ KT77. which was too dark sounding.
I can't afford to just buy a pair of all of them, but that would be fun.
So what do the rest of the Group use.
We can include the KT77, & 6CA7s.
Thanks,
Terry

[soundmasterg]

For me, the Winged C are the best of new production, followed by the JJ KT77. I've heard good things about the Tung Sols. What may be bright and trebly or dark in your amp may be entirely different in a different amp. Which amp are you putting them in?

Greg

[big_teee]

For me, the Winged C are the best of new production, followed by the JJ KT77. I've heard good things about the Tung Sols. What may be bright and trebly or dark in your amp may be entirely different in a different amp. Which amp are you putting them in?

Greg

I built a version of the Marshall 2204.
I have it modded out to suit the tone I like.
It has both Pre and Post Master Volumes.
6L6s Sounded pretty good in it also.
I'm using TungSol 12AX7s also.
Thanks,
Terry

[jrfrond]

I've switched over to JJ EL34's. So far, they seem to be the only ones that don't experience premature screen grid failure, and they sound good too. I've had problems with all of the Reflektor-made EL34's, and after getting a bad batch of 2dz. Winged-C 6L6's a couple of years back, I won't go near their stuff anymore.

[big_teee]

I've switched over to JJ EL34's. So far, they seem to be the only ones that don't experience premature screen grid failure, and they sound good too. I've had problems with all of the Reflektor-made EL34's, and after getting a bad batch of 2dz. Winged-C 6L6's a couple of years back, I won't go near their stuff anymore.

John, Do you like the JJ EL34 or the 34L ?
Also how do they sound compared to the JJ KT77s?
I thought the 77s were too dark in my amp.
Too MonoTone sounding.
Terry

[jrfrond]

John, Do you like the JJ EL34 or the 34L ?
Also how do they sound compared to the JJ KT77s?
I thought the 77s were too dark in my amp.
Too MonoTone sounding.
Terry

I have to be honest, I haven't tried the 77's, though I've been contemplating ordering some next time I order from CE Dist. The E34L is the same as the EL34 with a higher-voltage bias requirement, for players or techs who want to install them in place of 6L6's without modding the bias supply (of course, you'd still need to jump pins 1 & 8).

[Rhodesplyr]

John,

This is a good example of the ups and downs in tube production. I've never had a problem with any SED/Winged-C tubes, and their 6L6GCs are my favorites.

On the other hand, I bought a quad of JJ KT77s a few years ago. The bulbs leaned at various angles in the bases, and they had JJ's thinner-than-standard pin problem (which I think they've corrected). I know several tube dealers who've gotten bad batches of JJs. My conclusion is that JJ can make great tubes--when they feel like doing so.

I used the Teslovak E34LS (aka the Groove Tubes E34LS) in my ST-70 for a while and liked them a lot--very coherent sound from top to bottom. But they seemed to have problems with their internal welds. I had two in which the screen grids simply became disconnected; you could see the results of arcing where the weld had come undone.

In my ST-70 at the moment: a set of the EH 6CA7s. In the end, for Hi-Fi, I like the tighter bass of beam tetrodes vs. true pentodes, but for guitar, of course, midrange is the key.

I think that the bottom line is that tube manufacturing, like speaker building, depends to an extent on the manual dexterity and attention to detail of the person putting them together.

[jrfrond]

John,

This is a good example of the ups and downs in tube production. I've never had a problem with any SED/Winged-C tubes, and their 6L6GCs are my favorites.

On the other hand, I bought a quad of JJ KT77s a few years ago. The bulbs leaned at various angles in the bases, and they had JJ's thinner-than-standard pin problem (which I think they've corrected). I know several tube dealers who've gotten bad batches of JJs. My conclusion is that JJ can make great tubes--when they feel like doing so.

I used the Teslovak E34LS (aka the Groove Tubes E34LS) in my ST-70 for a while and liked them a lot--very coherent sound from top to bottom. But they seemed to have problems with their internal welds. I had two in which the screen grids simply became disconnected; you could see the results of arcing where the weld had come undone.

In my ST-70 at the moment: a set of the EH 6CA7s. In the end, for Hi-Fi, I like the tighter bass of beam tetrodes vs. true pentodes, but for guitar, of course, midrange is the key.

I think that the bottom line is that tube manufacturing, like speaker building, depends to an extent on the manual dexterity and attention to detail of the person putting them together.

I tried the EH 6CA7's in some rehearsal studio Marshalls, hoping to get a bit extra life out of them,even biasing them a bit on the cold side and upping the SG resistors. They still blew up in approx. the same amount of time as the EH EL34's.

[Rhodesplyr]

I tried the EH 6CA7's in some rehearsal studio Marshalls, hoping to get a bit extra life out of them,even biasing them a bit on the cold side and upping the SG resistors. They still blew up in approx. the same amount of time as the EH EL34's.

What was the failure mode?

[jrfrond]

What was the failure mode?

Shorted, but obviously it couldn't be the screen grids, as these are beam-tetrode replacements. I suppose the beam plates could short or break down, or some other internal short. Anyway, I wasn't a happy camper with this.

It's easy to see why Marshall moved away from EL34's back in the 70's, and loaded all new Marshalls (well, they were new back then) with 6550's. Totally different sound, but EL34's, even the old Mullards, were always prone to spontaneous failure.

[big_teee]

Shorted, but obviously it couldn't be the screen grids, as these are beam-tetrode replacements. I suppose the beam plates could short or break down, or some other internal short. Anyway, I wasn't a happy camper with this.

It's easy to see why Marshall moved away from EL34's back in the 70's, and loaded all new Marshalls (well, they were new back then) with 6550's. Totally different sound, but EL34's, even the old Mullards, were always prone to spontaneous failure.

Speaking of 6550s.
I have tried 6l6s, EL34s,JJ KT77s, in my 2204 Amp build, was thinking of trying either 6550s, or Maybe KT88s Just For Sh*tz & Giggles.
I wonder what they would sound like, and I think they will drop right into the 2204 No Problem Maybe!
Terry

[defaced]

Maybe KT88s

I run JJ KT-88s in my SLO style amp. Big and open is the only way I can describe them. I don't use power amp break up as part of my sound, and I very much like the KT-88s for their sound. You may need to tweak the bias supply to get these to bias properly depending on tube grade and such. I'm at -55v with ~52 ma on the cathodes at 535v plate and 533v screen at the moment.

[carlg]

I'm glad this came up. An old friend of mine has been buying groove tubes EL34 from the local store for his hiwatt dr105. This has resulted in several visits to me to service the amp recently. I'm not good at identifying these things, maybe someone else will know which makes these are.

First he had a microphonic set. These would make a low end fuzz/rumble when the music was loud (which is all the time with this amp):



After we proved it was the tubes with some substitutions he replaced all four with a different set of groove tubes. These were much worse. I checked the bias when they first went in and everything was cool but a few weeks later he brought it to me with a blown fuse and one very dead looking tube. I subbed in a replacement tube to get him back in business but a few weeks after that a second one of the set died. This time there was a scorch mark on the socket it was in, between pins 2 and 3. I replaced the socket and chucked the remaining tubes of this type. This type is marked made in russia and looks like this now:



Anyone recognize this tube? Whatever they are, Hiwatts make them commit suicide.

[Gtr_tech]

Rebranded EH....

I had a set of EH EL34s in my Traynor Custom Special and I thought they sounded great and I didn't have any problems the few times I gigged the amp out for bass duty. I ended up robbing them to use in another amp and ended up subbing Ruby EL34s in place of the EH. They seem to work just fine but the sound ain't what it was with the EH. YMMV....

No major problems with JJs since I've been using them as my go-to output tube some years ago.

[big_teee]

Rebranded EH....

I had a set of EH EL34s in my Traynor Custom Special and I thought they sounded great and I didn't have any problems the few times I gigged the amp out for bass duty. I ended up robbing them to use in another amp and ended up subbing Ruby EL34s in place of the EH. They seem to work just fine but the sound ain't what it was with the EH. YMMV....

No major problems with JJs since I've been using them as my go-to output tube some years ago.

Hey Guitar Tech:
I have the Traynor YCS50 Combo with the Vintage 30 Speaker.
Will the EL34s go right in it also?
I have the Sovtek 6L6WXT+s in it now.
They sound pretty decent also.
I have the 2204 with the EL34Hs, They don't sound as good as the KT77s, but I thought I might try the 34Hs in the Traynor.
If they would drop in and bias ok?
Terry