Best tubes to tighten up a 2 Channel Dual Rec?

[Botch]

I'm looking to replace my JJ 6L6 tubes for a tube that will provide me with the tightest possible low end for my Rev C Recto. After some initial research I'm leaning towards the JJ E34L. Is this a good choice?! Thanks in advance!

 

[fluff191]

For tightness, I would go with either the Winged C EL34's or the Tung-Sol EL34's.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

The Tung Sols EL34Bs are tighter

 

[YellowJacket]

Just reading your equipment list, I LOVE Bare Knuckle Pickups. I put some in my Les Paul (Rebel Yells) on a whim. It seriously kicks ass now!

So you find a Dual Rectifier Rev C to be loose? Tubes will make a difference but in my experience, modifying the cab can help too. I'm not sure how tight Orange 4 x 12s are but I understand they are tighter than a boogie cab? The thing I did with my dyi oversized 2 x 12 was to install a ported centre baffle to cut some of the resonance frequencies and add clarity to the tone. Excellent for high gain applications aka TEH BRUTALZ. You can acquire a piece of high quality plywood and fashion such a baffle along with the necessary bracing to hold it in place. It will join the speaker baffle to the back panel which will stiffen the cab and add tightness this way as well. Less WHUMF in the sound but I'm sure it will pound just the same. Just be aware that such a modification might make the cab 'less' suitable for lighter styles, assuming you require some degree of versatility. Just a thought.

 

[MrPolatis3]

Hi,
mine is not a Dual Rec V1, but a Single Rec V1
nevertheless, here is an interesting set up i found.
Preamps are RCA , tungsol , sovtek LPS, electro harmonix and EI .

for power tubes, i tried, 6L6 TungSol GC big bulb (as everyone knows big bulb doesnt bring any particular feature to the sound)
tone is tight, not flubby,without agressive treble and well balanced medium.
I also tried STR 425, interesting too; in both cases, with the previous described preamps set, the tone was more accurate and tighter than using "regular" STR 440.

 

[droptrd]

stick with the chinese preamp tubes. for power tubes id go with the JJ EL34 not the E34L. Then if you need to tighten up more, get yourself a nice 808 tubescreamer

 

[Botch]

Thanks for the replies so far! Very interesting that Tung Sol have been recommended twice for their tightness. I knew they were highly regarded for their tone but I didn't know they'd be tighter than a JJ E34L which, from my research, seemed to be the most talked about in terms of tightness.

 

[Botch]

stick with the chinese preamp tubes. for power tubes id go with the JJ EL34 not the E34L. Then if you need to tighten up more, get yourself a nice 808 tubescreamer

Why the EL34 over the E34L? Already running a Maxon OD808 up front!

 

[Botch]

Just reading your equipment list, I LOVE Bare Knuckle Pickups. I put some in my Les Paul (Rebel Yells) on a whim. It seriously kicks ass now!

So you find a Dual Rectifier Rev C to be loose? Tubes will make a difference but in my experience, modifying the cab can help too. I'm not sure how tight Orange 4 x 12s are but I understand they are tighter than a boogie cab?

Yeah man Bare Knuckles sounds awesome! Although the Warpig in my Tokai has gone bad so I'm not too happy with them at the moment!

Yeah, I'm afraid I do find the Rev C a little loose. People bang on about how they're one of the tightest Rectos but that doesn't mean they're very tight. Even with my Maxon OD808 boosting it, it's a little loose. I do remember tryintg EL34s in there and finding myself not only enjoying the tone but thinking the amp was significantly tighter.

I don't want to give up on my Rev C just yet and really do not want to sell the 50th ever Recto made so I'm hoping a change of power tubes will do the trick. I love the tone of the amp, it's just feels a little loose.

PS - correct, the Orange cabs are tight!

 

[LesPaul70]

Yeah man Bare Knuckles sounds awesome! Although the Warpig in my Tokai has gone bad so I'm not too happy with them at the moment!

(OT) Did you install it yourself? Could be a cold joint - maybe works for a while, then doesn't. Relatively easy to fix. (Based on my experience with BKP products, I'd suspect that is more likely than a bad pickup.)

In any case, the PU has a lifetime guarantee, doesn't it? So if worst comes to worst and it actually is broken, just send it over to BKP and they'll fix it for you.

I haven't had any problems with BKP pickups so far. Currently I too have a BKP Warpig (A5, in a Gibson SG - the neck pickup is a Gibson Iommi) and a Crawler set in a Gibson LP (vintage-voiced, dark and pretty powerful; it's like '57 Classic on steroids and then some - the best neck PU I've ever heard btw).

 

[normape003]

Interesting thread as I have recto #49. Currently using either an old Marshall cab or recently aquired smaller line6 one. I've also got a fulldrive 2 in front and am pretty happy with the results. Loads of bottom end, though probably not the tightest. The one thing I really dont like is the loop.

 

[droptrd]

the OD808 is the way to go with a recto. I love it.

The JJ EL34 has less lowend than the E34L and a bit more breakup.

stick with the chinese preamp tubes. for power tubes id go with the JJ EL34 not the E34L. Then if you need to tighten up more, get yourself a nice 808 tubescreamer

Why the EL34 over the E34L? Already running a Maxon OD808 up front!

 

[Botch]

Thanks again for the replies. Basically from all the tubes mentioned so far is there one that matches this description: 'very tight, regains a decent amount of bottom end, fairly dark'? If so I'm pretty sure that one would be the way to go! Should I throw KT77's into the equation? Thanks again!

 

[Botch]

Interesting thread as I have recto #49. Currently using either an old Marshall cab or recently aquired smaller line6 one. I've also got a fulldrive 2 in front and am pretty happy with the results. Loads of bottom end, though probably not the tightest. The one thing I really dont like is the loop.

That's cool that 49 & 50 are both in England! I wonder if Mesa sent a batch of European versions over to the UK in the early 90's? Is yours one without the ground switch like mine?

I don't use the effects loop so I can't comment I'm afraid.

 

[Botch]

Yeah man Bare Knuckles sounds awesome! Although the Warpig in my Tokai has gone bad so I'm not too happy with them at the moment!

(OT) Did you install it yourself? Could be a cold joint - maybe works for a while, then doesn't. Relatively easy to fix. (Based on my experience with BKP products, I'd suspect that is more likely than a bad pickup.)

In any case, the PU has a lifetime guarantee, doesn't it? So if worst comes to worst and it actually is broken, just send it over to BKP and they'll fix it for you.

I haven't had any problems with BKP pickups so far. Currently I too have a BKP Warpig (A5, in a Gibson SG - the neck pickup is a Gibson Iommi) and a Crawler set in a Gibson LP (vintage-voiced, dark and pretty powerful; it's like '57 Classic on steroids and then some - the best neck PU I've ever heard btw).

Luckily I work somewhere where we have 4 guitar techs so I've had it looked over, electronics changed etc and it's been narrowed down to the BKP I'm afraid...so it'll be getting sent back shortly. For now I have to slum it with a DiMarzio in bridge. :lol:

 

[normape003]

Hi Botch. They must have come over at the same time. Mine is an all black with crome knobs blue light and no ground lift switch. I got it after reading about the early rectos on here about two and half years ago. Before that I had a three channel recto. I dont think the "pre 500" thing is too well known about over here.

 

[LithiumZero]

Does the Single Rec V1 have a switch for 6L6/EL34? I may be completely off but I think that they don't so you would at least have to bias mod the amp to run EL34's Anyone know?

 

[Captain Crunch]

Hey norm, I was wandering what the serial number on yer head was? Is it a pre 500?

 

[MikeyV311]

Series 1 Recto's do not have a built in Bias switch to use EL34s on the fly. To do achieve this in a Series 1 you would have to open up the amp and modify the BIAS supply to use the EL34 tubes. Introduced in the Series 2 recto's is a very convenient BIAS select switch on the rear panel of the amp to switch between 6L6 and EL34s. I've only had my Rectoverb (series 2) since about February of this year and so far, for power tubes, have used the stock Mesa 6L6's (STR440), TAD 6L6GC-STR, and RUBY EL34BSTR. IMHO The EL34's just sound better. They sound more harmonically rich to my ears, have more crunch, and just sound more "alive" in general. The 6L6's have a much darker sound, but that's just to my ears. =) Oh yeah for my speaker cab I use a custom built Lamar cabinet that has pretty much the same exact dimensions as my Rectoverb. (except for height) I have my combo sitting atop it, and it fits perfectly. (Just to give you an idea of the size of the cabinet... it is NOT oversized, and NOT ported) For speakers I have loaded the cabinet with the Celestion Black Shadow C90 that came stock with the Rectoverb, and added a Celestion GTK-100 (that's the right model # I believe.. it's the 100w GT). But anyways back to the tone. The EL34's also seem to have a much tighter bottom end, and a much less "fizzy" top-end also. Hope I've helped out a bit!

 

[normape003]

In reply to Captain its R0049. Mine does have the bias switch and I have a set of winged c el34 lying around that I may get round to trying sometime. No idea about the pre amp tubes as in the two and a half years I've had it i've never had it opened up. It currently has the mesa str430 6l6s.