JJ E34Ls in my 3ch DR - YES!

[Resonant Alien]

I decided to try JJ E34Ls (actually Groove Tubes relabeled JJs since my guy was out of branded JJs) in my 3ch (not born again) DR, and WOW - I absolutely love the result. I've seen other posts for and against these tubes in the DR, but I'm a believer. To be clear, I was not trying to make my DR sound like a Marshall, like I've seen some people attempting to do. But I was trying to get my DR closer to the middle of the Rectifier <<--->> Marshall spectrum - I'm not a huge fan of either extreme, and the DR definitely has the flexibility to get into the middle really well, but I think the real key to getting it there (IMO) are E34Ls. I still have plenty of low end, and my clean channel still sounds good. But now I have this awesome chewy midrange grind that I could never get before with 6L6s, and there are none of those high-end-presence-ear-fatigue-mids that I so often hear in Marshalls with EL34s that I hate. The 6L6s sounded good in their own way, but it was more lows/scooped mids/and high end sparkle, less mid grind. I haven't tried EL34s - only the E34Ls - but I don't think I care to. The E34Ls seem to have the best of both worlds...Especially in the band mix...our bass player has a pretty scooped sound, so getting the mids up and out on the guitar was key and these tubes really helped get it there.

If you're using a DR for rock more than metal, I highly recommend these tubes. I could see how they may not cut it for metal guys, but for rock they are awesome.

 

[espexp]

I totally agree.
I put the JJ E34L's in my Roadster and couldn't be happier. Plenty of low end with a huge midrange. I wasn't going for a Marshall sound at all. I wanted to tame the low end a little and make the mids nastier. These tubes did the trick for sure. I also put a Tungsol in V1 and a Mullard 12at7 in the phase inverter. I play mostly hard rock and a little metal.

 

[ryjan]

If those JJ EL34L's are the only ones you've ever tried then you'll sh!t when you hear what GOOD ones sound like.
Try Ruby BHT's or SED =C=.
Your amp will tighten up, sound thicker, and will be more musical.

 

[JCDenton6]

A little OT:

What do you guys think of Svetlana EL34's?

 

[Seanthesheep]

If those JJ EL34L's are the only ones you've ever tried then you'll sh!t when you hear what GOOD ones sound like.
Try Ruby BHT's or SED =C=.
Your amp will tighten up, sound thicker, and will be more musical.

BHT rubys are garbage :? Got them in one of my amps stock, JJs are much better IMHO

 

[ryjan]

If those JJ EL34L's are the only ones you've ever tried then you'll sh!t when you hear what GOOD ones sound like.
Try Ruby BHT's or SED =C=.
Your amp will tighten up, sound thicker, and will be more musical.

BHT rubys are garbage :? Got them in one of my amps stock, JJs are much better IMHO

I'm sure you will be the minority.

 

[boah78]

Put these in my roadster a couple weeks ago... LOVE them... It was my first try of an EL34 type tube in a Mesa, so I went cheap in case I hated it. Figured if it showed some promise, I'd "upgrade"... Not sure I will do that now. Before the switch, I pretty much used channels 1 on fat and 3 on vintage as 'my sounds' and then had a modern setting on channel 4 that was pretty much just for... I don't know what it was for... It wasn't what I'd call a "good tone"... but I used it on occasion to add something different, almost just for background noise while the other guitarist in my band was rockin out. After the tube change, I noticed it sounded almost like a decent tone., Turned some knobs and WOW... That's how this amp should come stock. I now use all 4 channels (could never find a use for channel 2 before either. Didn't need 2 cleans, and couldn't quite get either 1 or 2 to break up in a way I liked.) I have spent tons of money and time on a bunch of 6L6s (including SEDs) still always had a bit of envy of my friend who has a Diezel VH4... That is gone.

As happy as I am with it, I'm sure I'll still end up experimenting with some tubes, but it will be EL34 type tubes from here on out. The SED 6L6s were my 1st or 2nd favorite(depending on my mood i guess) before, so I don't see being able to resist trying the EL34s... Or maybe some JJ KT77s...

Bottom line, so far this is the best $60 I ever spent on tubes so far.

 

[JW123]

Boah, I like your post, I used EL34s in my roadster when I had it and loved them too.

The thing about tone is its subjective, as long as you are happy with it, it doesnt matter what anyone else thinks!

Keep Rockin

 

[R_ADKINS80]

I got ALOT of EL34 tubes and the JJ EL34L is a big favorite followed closely by the Electro Harmonix EL34.

 

[boah78]

Boah, I like your post, I used EL34s in my roadster when I had it and loved them too.

The thing about tone is its subjective, as long as you are happy with it, it doesnt matter what anyone else thinks!

Keep Rockin

Agree 100%... Just noticed I didn't make the main point that I intended to when I started my last post. I had a bit of a bias against the EL34s to start with due to the fact that I listened to a lot of the "If they were designed around 6L6s, they should have 6L6s in them" that a good number of people seem to believe. Nothing wrong with that either... I was quite satisfied with the amp with 6L6s, and I'm sure there are sounds that the 6L6s are better for, but none of them are my sounds (I even like the cleans a bit better with the JJs)

So, basically, I just wanted to point out that sticking with 6L6s just because it's what "belongs" in a dual rectifier is nonsense, and if your tone is not quite there yet, something else may be exactly what you need.

 

[radioradio]

I have Svetlanas in my 2 ch Recto and it sounds amazing. Perfect Marshall/Mesa mix for me.

 

[Resonant Alien]

Agree. If Mesa intended for the amp to be "designed only for 6L6s", then why did they put the bias switch in that lets you run EL34s? The amp was obviously designed to be run with either. And even if it wasn't overtly designed to work with EL34s, it doesn't change the fact that it sounds **** amazing with them. Again, it all comes down to what sound you want, and contrary to myth, or what people want to believe, the Recto is an extremely versatile amp and is usable in many different contexts. In some of those contexts, EL34s kick 6L6s *** all over the place. In other contexts, it is just the opposite. The point is making the amp sound the way you want it to, not restricting yourself to having it sound the way some people think it is supposed to.


[/quote]

Agree 100%... Just noticed I didn't make the main point that I intended to when I started my last post. I had a bit of a bias against the EL34s to start with due to the fact that I listened to a lot of the "If they were designed around 6L6s, they should have 6L6s in them" that a good number of people seem to believe. Nothing wrong with that either... I was quite satisfied with the amp with 6L6s, and I'm sure there are sounds that the 6L6s are better for, but none of them are my sounds (I even like the cleans a bit better with the JJs)

So, basically, I just wanted to point out that sticking with 6L6s just because it's what "belongs" in a dual rectifier is nonsense, and if your tone is not quite there yet, something else may be exactly what you need.[/quote]

 

[boah78]

the Recto is an extremely versatile amp and is usable in many different contexts

Yep... I've known so many people who overlook anything that says "Dual Rectifier" on it because they don't play metal. I don't know what it is... I don't even think metal is what it does best. I'm gonna blame Metallica.

 

[Resonant Alien]

the Recto is an extremely versatile amp and is usable in many different contexts

Yep... I've known so many people who overlook anything that says "Dual Rectifier" on it because they don't play metal. I don't know what it is... I don't even think metal is what it does best. I'm gonna blame Metallica.

...but ironically the huge Metallica sound was actually Mark series, not DRs.....go figure....

 

[screamingdaisy]

I don't like the way a Recto sounds with proper EL34s, but I do like the way they sound with JJ E34Ls. It's a good middle ground between 6L6s and true EL34s.

 

[boah78]

...but ironically the huge Metallica sound was actually Mark series, not DRs.....go figure....

Could be... I'm not a fan (not knocking their fans, just not really into metal), but knew there was some Mark stuff in the 80s, and at least some rack mount DRs in the 90s... Maybe that was short lived?


edit: and now that I think about it, when I first got my roadster my drummer said "Why'd you get the Kirk Hammett one?" referring to the black diamond plate... Don't know if there really is any association between kirk hammett and the black plate, but at least goes to show I'm not the only one who, right or wrong, associates Metallica with DRs.

 

[screamingdaisy]

edit: and now that I think about it, when I first got my roadster my drummer said "Why'd you get the Kirk Hammett one?" referring to the black diamond plate... Don't know if there really is any association between kirk hammett and the black plate, but at least goes to show I'm not the only one who, right or wrong, associates Metallica with DRs.

Honestly, I find it easier to dial in Metallica's black album sound with a Recto than I do with a Mark... which is funny because the main amps used on that album were a Mark IIC+, Mark IV and some modified Marshall.

 

[joe web]

I got ALOT of EL34 tubes and the JJ EL34L is a big favorite followed closely by the Electro Harmonix EL34.

i put in some EH EL34s in my roadster two years ago and i couldn´t be happier with the sound.
with my marshalls i used JJ EL34s, which have done a great job with the marshall, maybe i try out some JJs in my roadster as well.

 

[backyardburial]

Another convert to EL34L's here, and for the record as regards to the OP I play grindy, low tuned death metal, and the 34's sounded much better for this to me! So they're not just for rock! I'm the first toadmit I'm pretty blind to hearing the differences between amps, I even AB'd a 2ch DR vs a newer Roadster, and really was underwhelmed by the difference, it's very subtle to my ears. But as soon as I replaced my power tubes I was amazed. Just sounds like the amp has now woken up after a 3 year nap or something!

 

[RectoStudioGuy]

=C='s are all I've used for longer than I can remember. The tome and richness defy the super high gain power tubes out there. I do enjoy JJ's but not as much as winged C's.