Best curent available EL34 for Mesa Mark V

[Ascendance]

Whats the best current available EL34s for the Mesa Mark V

Lots of options dont wana break the bank trying 1-2k worth of tubes. Just wana grab a good set to try my mesa mark 5:35 was almost there but it was boxy sounding and never full enough. I just got a Mark V 90w. So my guess is EL34 is what I need here.

Heard good things about these. Will these just work in my Mark V 90w or will I have issues.

https://rubytubes.com/products/jj-e...WXvJnIPm70CivFUhiIoJvWlAl4ZdSP7xoCg9oQAvD_BwE

 

[Eevil]

Whats the best current available EL34s for the Mesa Mark V

Lots of options dont wana break the bank trying 1-2k worth of tubes. Just wana grab a good set to try my mesa mark 5:35 was almost there but it was boxy sounding and never full enough. So my guess is EL34 is what I need here.

Heard good things about these. Will these just work in my Mark V or will i have issues.

https://rubytubes.com/products/jj-e...WXvJnIPm70CivFUhiIoJvWlAl4ZdSP7xoCg9oQAvD_BwE

To clarify things:

You have a Mark V:35 amp? For that you’ll need EL84 tubes.

For Mark V 90W EL34 will be okay

 

[Ascendance]

To clarify things:

You have a Mark V:35 amp? For that you’ll need EL84 tubes.

For Mark V 90W EL34 will be okay

No I have a mark V 90w I just bought. I'm selling my my mark V:35.

I'm confused on all this bias stuff and wana know if a matched quad of most power amp tubes (El34/6L6) will work in my amp without issues or do I need to stick to just mesa tubes. Seems like they charging a premium on there tubes.

 

[Eevil]

No I have a mark V 90w I just bought. I'm selling my my mark V:35.

I'm confused on all this bias stuff and wana know if a matched quad of most power amp tubes (El34/6L6) will work in my amp without issues or do I need to stick to just mesa tubes. Seems like they charging a premium on there tubes.

Okay.

Then the EL34 will work. Some tube vendors can sell you a matched set with proper bias rating for Mesa amps so you don’t have to stick with Mesa tubes. But still would be good practice to check the bias after the new tubes are installed

 

[DECEMBER]

JJ tubes are fine and will be the most affordable. Get the matched quad. Mesa/Boogie amps don't need to be biased, but the Mark V 90W does have the 6L6/EL34 switch on back that must be set to match the tubes in use, AND the amp must be used in Variac power mode when EL34's are in it (flip the power switch down instead of up to turn it on in Variac mode).
I have JJ 6L6GC in mine. They sound the same as the Mesa-branded tubes it came with.

 

[Ascendance]

JJ tubes are fine and will be the most affordable. Get the matched quad. Mesa/Boogie amps don't need to be biased, but the Mark V 90W does have the 6L6/EL34 switch on back that must be set to match the tubes in use, AND the amp must be used in Variac power mode when EL34's are in it (flip the power switch down instead of up to turn it on in Variac mode).
I have JJ 6L6GC in mine. They sound the same as the Mesa-branded tubes it came with.

Wait variac is a requirement. Hmm. I must of missed that when I looked over the manual. I just have the pdf.

 

[rarebitusa]

Yes... see pg 9 of the manual

 

[Ascendance]

Yes... see pg 9 of the manual
View attachment 4538

Looks like I might not need EL34s i found it my tone! https://boogieforum.com/threads/i-f...rs-of-searching-my-mark-v-90w-settings.88019/

Im in the house with it now i just gotta polish it up haha.

 

[DECEMBER]

Wait variac is a requirement. Hmm. I must of missed that when I looked over the manual. I just have the pdf.

pg 9.
I tried EL34's in it for a day. Not much difference besides less bass and a shift in the midrange. I get all my gain from the preamp, no power tube distortion, and my clean tones are purely clean, and it sounds like the main difference between 6L6GC and EL34 is the harmonic content when pushed into overdrive.
Running ch1 on 10W seems like the only use-case where EL34 would make a significant difference. But that's useless to me because I need clean cleans.

 

[edge59AlnicoIV]

JJ tubes are fine and will be the most affordable. Get the matched quad. Mesa/Boogie amps don't need to be biased, but the Mark V 90W does have the 6L6/EL34 switch on back that must be set to match the tubes in use, AND the amp must be used in Variac power mode when EL34's are in it (flip the power switch down instead of up to turn it on in Variac mode).
I have JJ 6L6GC in mine. They sound the same as the Mesa-branded tubes it came with.

I wonder when they added the 6L6/EL-34 switch, mine did not have that, must have been an early model or a Prototype that John Petrucci had, as he signed the bottom of the head cab.

 

[bandit2013]

I believe the Bias switch was there since they came out with it in 2009. @edge59AlnicoIV I assume you have a one of a kind Mark V. Having a signature on it to boot. Cool.

Ran a quad of Gold Lion KT77 for a while, heavy abuse at full power. Was not aware of the variac power note. Did not see that in the original manual. It was in the downloaded version though.

 

[rarebitusa]

I tried EL34's in it for a day. Not much difference besides less bass and a shift in the midrange.

It was worth trying out just to satisfy the curiosity, but yea for me it wasn't enough of a major change to stay with them. Perhaps I heard more of the variac mode being impactful then the el34s themselves. Dunno... but TBH didn't spend a huge amount of time tweaking or playing with cabs. I know others really liked going to them.

 

[DECEMBER]

I wonder when they added the 6L6/EL-34 switch, mine did not have that, must have been an early model or a Prototype that John Petrucci had, as he signed the bottom of the head cab.

I think mine was made in 2012. It has the newer all-black footswitch. I did have another one for a minute with the older footswitch with aluminum edges, which also had the EL34 switch, but I had to return that one.

 

[DECEMBER]

Ran a quad of Gold Lion KT77 for a while, heavy abuse at full power. Was not aware of the variac power note.

Did you have the switch on 6L6 or EL34 for the KT77's?

 

[bandit2013]

Did you have the switch on 6L6 or EL34 for the KT77's?

KT77 run an EL34 bias as they fall into the EL34 variant category. Direct drop in, just a bit more heater current than a standard EL34 or 6CA7.

 

[DavidMenke]

Whats the best current available EL34s for the Mesa Mark V

Lots of options dont wana break the bank trying 1-2k worth of tubes. Just wana grab a good set to try my mesa mark 5:35 was almost there but it was boxy sounding and never full enough. I just got a Mark V 90w. So my guess is EL34 is what I need here.

Heard good things about these. Will these just work in my Mark V 90w or will I have issues.

https://rubytubes.com/products/jj-e...WXvJnIPm70CivFUhiIoJvWlAl4ZdSP7xoCg9oQAvD_BwE

Why not just get the tubes made for the amp Mesa Boogie.

• 
• 

Power Tubes - EL34 STR 446 - Matched Pair​

Price is just a bit more than other brands, but bias is set for Mesa amps.

 

[Eevil]

Price is just a bit more than other brands, but bias is set for Mesa amps.

At least in Europe Mesa tubes are totally unobtainable..

 

[Ascendance]

Why not just get the tubes made for the amp Mesa Boogie.

• 
• 

Power Tubes - EL34 STR 446 - Matched Pair​

Price is just a bit more than other brands, but bias is set for Mesa amps.

Double the price is why.

 

[swbo101]

I'm partial to the new production Tung-Sols.