6L6? 6L6 & EL34?

[Stonge]

I am mainly an EL34 guy. I love the high gain EL34 marshall sound. So I know which EL34s I like best. But when it comes to simulclass..I can't figure out which 6L6s sound best to my ears and I don't know if I like the 6L6 sound. I've heard they're good for your clean tones, but which do most prefer? And in what situations(34/6l6 or straight 6l6)?

 

[JOEY B.]

In which simulclass MESA amp?

 

[dodger916]

I'm guessing a C+. I prefer all 6L6s in my simul amps. I've had good results with Mesa 430's, 440's, and SED Winged C's (which are supposed to be 440's?).

 

[JOEY B.]

SED Winged C's (which are supposed to be 440's?).

Mesa STR-454's are their re-branded SED Winged =C= 6L6's.

 

[edward]

SED Winged C's (which are supposed to be 440's?).

Mesa STR-454's are their re-branded SED Winged =C= 6L6's.

Interesting ...I never heard that! You sure about this? If I can get *real* Winged-C (i.e. NOS Svets, not reissue) from Mesa, I just may do that since they carry a better warranty than from a tube vendor.

BTW, I love my SED Winged-Cs in my DC5 and want another pair for my MKIII. How would you compare them to the Mesa 440s?

Edward

 

[JOEY B.]

Here are MESA's descriptions of the STR-440, 442, and 454. The 440's are rebranded RUBY tubes, with the 454 and 442 being NOS Svetlana now known as SED winged =C= . Good luck finding any 442 or 454 tubes as Boogie hasn't sold them for a few years.


6L6 STR-440 Chinese - The 440 is our very best overall 6L6 - It is a premium grade, US equivalent and our tube of choice in the production of all new Mesa 6L6
powered models - Remarkable bass definition, articulate mids and shimmering highs keep every note amazingly intelligible, with a smooth, creamy
character - Premium structural quality provides exceptional consistency and reliability - Rivals NOS (New Old Stock) durability and sonic character -
Amazing for all styles of music


6L6 STR-454 Russia - Svetlana The 454 is a premium quality, US equivalent 6L6 power tube, comparable to the legendary Sylvania 415 - Remarkable bass definition, articulate mids and simmering highs keeps every note amazingly intelligible - Smooth, creamy and punchy - Premium structural quality, provides exceptional consistency and reliability - Recommended for higher voltage requirements

EL34 STR-442 Russia - Svetlana An incredibly warm and rich sounding EL-34 that is reminiscent of the US 6CA7 - Thick rich low end that is still defined and tight, with a Euro-voiced mid range edge and sparkling highs that are incredibly smooth and musical - Its tonal character falls between and EL-34 and a 6L6, striking a perfect balance of the best attributes from both - Excellent build quality provides exceptional consistency and reliability - Capable of handling higher voltage requirements

 

[HalfDeaf]

As far as my mark iv is concerned, I prefer EL34s in class A, but the simul-class option is pretty cool for a "richer" tone.

I have tried the following 6L6s in the simul-class sockets: JJ, Mesa STR-440, Groove Tubes branded, and SED winged C. Of those, I prefer the Mesa STR-440s for complimenting the EL34 sound because they seem to reinforce the bottom end without swamping the harmonic quality of the EL34s.

I think the simul-class clean tone is definitely "better" in terms of bottom end power and high end shimmer. I've read many posts where others have said the same thing.

What I found surprising is the huge high-gain tone you can get when you set up your preamp section for EL34s (in terms of gain levels, knob EQ and GEQ), then engage the simul-class 6L6s. This sound is so huge I don't usually use it because it can swamp out the other musicians. But if you play in a really loud band, the power of the simul-class option is quite amazing.

 

[Stonge]

6L6 STR-440 Chinese - The 440 is our very best overall 6L6 - It is a premium grade, US equivalent and our tube of choice in the production of all new Mesa 6L6

That's funny I've never read that..but so far the 440s have been the best sound to me. BTW it is a c+

 

[Nomad]

OK so what were the Mesa STR-430's?