Heartbroken by Heartbreaker

[azernebur]

Need some help here on settings. I've had this Heartbreaker head for just over a year now. It came with 6L6s, I switched out to EL34s and just recently 6V6s set to the EL34 bias. I love the tones this amp produces but just cannot get it to tighten up on the low end - it's a bit too loose when overdrive and distortion are added from the amp and with external pedals. Is this just the character of the amp? I'm running it into a Mesa Rectifier 212 cab with the Mesa V30s.

I've exhausted just about every avenue. I don't want to sell it, but if I can't find my tone, then I need to move on. I would rather use the distortion the amp has to offer, so any help would be extremely appreciated. Ideas for dirt boxes in front of it clean as well would be great.

Thanks.

 

[thunda1216]

Try the Lust channel on the low gain setting with the gain set to about 3-4 o'clock or so. Bold voicing, solid state rectifier, bass set to 9 o'clock or less.

What speakers are you using?

 

[MrMarkIII]

I'm probably wrong, but off the top of my head, I'm not sure running 6V6's at EL-34 bias is a good thing.
In any case, 6V6's are going to give a looser bottom end than 6L6's, especially if driven hard, even more especially with a tube rectifier.

 

[azernebur]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I'm running it into a Mesa Rectifier 212 cab with the Mesa V30s. Even with the 6L6s and 34s, the bottom was very loose. Someone here on the forum tried the 6V6s set to the 34 bias and said no issues, so I tried it and it does sound better.

I guess coming from a Mk III for decades, I was expecting something tighter. Oh well, gonna try those recommended settings and see what happens. Will toss the 34s back in as well, to compare.