E34L's & KT77 question

[jhguitar1]

I have a Roadster head. After doing some reading, I am thinking about trying either the E34l's or KT77's. I have never heard either of them. Do the KT77's work well for a high gain tone? Do both of them have a good low end thump to them?
Next, is it possible to just buy a pair instead of a quad and run them in my amp? I don't want to buy 4 of them in case I don't like them. I run my channels on 50 watts. If I am able to run only 2 of them, would they go in the 2 middle or 2 outside sockets?

Thanks

 

[fishyfishfish]

The KT77's sound to me like a cross between 6L6 and EL34. I liked the EL34 a little better in my Dual Rec, and if you wanted to just get a pair run them on the outside sockets and remove one rectifier tube like the manual states just to be on the safe side.

 

[camsna]

I REALLY dig the KT77. A lot.

Compared to EL34s - they're tighter and more aggressive with much better low-end.

Compared to 6L6GCs - they break up sooner, similar bass response, more midrange heavy. It's like an almost EL34. Like fishyfishfish said, kind of a cross between a 6L6 and EL34. Bass and extension of a 6L6. Crunch, saturation, and cutting punch of an EL34. Somewhere, on the British side, between an 'American' sound and a 'British' sound.

The EL34L compared to the EL34, according to Bob at Eurotubes:
"The E34L is tighter with slightly more headroom and power with a more aggressive crunch, a very articulate British tone"