Recto w/ E-34Ls!!!....the HOLY GRAIL?!?!

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Hey guys!

Well, after a few months of them sitting around after coming from eurotubes, I decided to finally pop in my quad of JJ E-34L tubes.

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

I FOUND IT!

First, I would like to thank Platypus for originally sending me to these tubes. I only wish I had stopped worrying about "wasting good tubes" and put them in earlier.

What a tone, especially with my new Singlecut.

First thing I noticed.....the low end is not nearly as low, frequency wise, as the 6L6s. My bottom string especially, punches, instead of being woofy and muddy now. Verdict: On the recto, the 6L6s bring the bottom end too low.

Next, the gain seems to be much cleaner. All fizz and buzz is gone! YES!

My clean channel isn't as clean....a bit crunchier, but I like it!

Channel 2 vintage still smokes for leads! And Channel 3 Modern has never been so mean.

Overall, AMAZING! Seems to be much fatter than the 6L6s too! Sooo huge! I can dial in bass without mud, as much of it as I want. It really opens up the EQ much more. I highly recommend all recto users try this! I'm running JJ E-34Ls and JJ GZ-34 rectifier tubes.

I was happy with the Tremonti pickups and my 6L6 recto. Now, my Singlecut and E-34L recto just smokes it! Blows it out of the water!

Btw....I'm going to be selling the JJ 6L6s that were in the amp, so if anyone is interested, give me a hollar. They've been in there about a month....not many ours on them at all. I'd like to get $45(obo) shipped out of them, so get a hold of me with any interest or offers!

 

[Platypus]

I've been waiting weeks to say 'I told you so!!'

congrats, knew you'd dig it!

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Well, you get all props! Thanks Plat!

 

[redmax61]

Welcome to the fold! I really feel like my DR opens up and breathes so much more with EL-34's in it. I don't see myself ever going back to 6L6's.

 

[jackieTHEjokeman]

Glad you found what you were looking for. I tried the JJ E34L's last weekend in my Roadster. Didn't like them. 6L6's are the way to go IMO.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

That's a very good way of putting it! It's more alive! More open! I love it!!!!!

The recto is still a beast with 6L6s, by all means, but I really think that the E-34Ls finish it off perfectly!

 

[dennq45]

I'm an EL-34 guy all the way. Instead of the JJ's, try the SED =C= EL34's

 

[tele_jas]

I like EL34's in recto's too. If I ever move away from my Road King to a different recto, I plan on running EL34's only. Right now I'm running 6L6's and EL34s in my RK and have the best of both worlds. I remember doing a comparison last year with my Tremoverb and the EL34's won hands down, but there's still something about the 6L6 tone that I like sometimes too??

Congrats on your tone man and you gotta love Plat..... he's a big help to a lot of us!

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

True! Very true!

Loving the Recto!

I'll definitely be trying different EL-34s in the future also.

 

[jbird]

Don't sell your 6L6's! Keep em! At least for spares, you may miss the sizzle and bottom of the 6L6's, like I did, and want to go back! :wink:

 

[macmax]

Hey guys!

Well, after a few months of them sitting around after coming from eurotubes, I decided to finally pop in my quad of JJ E-34L tubes.

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

I FOUND IT!

First, I would like to thank Platypus for originally sending me to these tubes. I only wish I had stopped worrying about "wasting good tubes" and put them in earlier.

What a tone, especially with my new Singlecut.

First thing I noticed.....the low end is not nearly as low, frequency wise, as the 6L6s. My bottom string especially, punches, instead of being woofy and muddy now. Verdict: On the recto, the 6L6s bring the bottom end too low.

Next, the gain seems to be much cleaner. All fizz and buzz is gone! YES!

My clean channel isn't as clean....a bit crunchier, but I like it!

Channel 2 vintage still smokes for leads! And Channel 3 Modern has never been so mean.

Overall, AMAZING! Seems to be much fatter than the 6L6s too! Sooo huge! I can dial in bass without mud, as much of it as I want. It really opens up the EQ much more. I highly recommend all recto users try this! I'm running JJ E-34Ls and JJ GZ-34 rectifier tubes.

I was happy with the Tremonti pickups and my 6L6 recto. Now, my Singlecut and E-34L recto just smokes it! Blows it out of the water!

Btw....I'm going to be selling the JJ 6L6s that were in the amp, so if anyone is interested, give me a hollar. They've been in there about a month....not many ours on them at all. I'd like to get $45(obo) shipped out of them, so get a hold of me with any interest or offers!

i've been using them for 2 or 3 years now.

 

[turmoil]

this sounds pretty interesting. i think i might like to try some EL-34's in my triple recto.

can you still get a good "metal" tone on the 3rd channel?
could you maybe post some clips of your recto with the new tubes, ibanez4life SZ

 

[alejandro]

from: http://www.jacmusic.com/KT88/kt88.htm

``Between USA and Europe, the competition was not in both trying to make the best tube of one type. The competition was: each tries to make a different tube that the other side of the ocean didn't have. Like this each side thought to be more clever. In Europe, the EL34 was "the" big pentode, which was the result of a long evaluation, starting with the AL1, a radio speaker-output tube for class A. After that AL4 was developed. Then with 6.3Volts EL3 came, and with the coming of the octal sockets, EL34 was born. In the USA it was the more sloppy 6L6 that won the race. The EL34 is a real penthode, and the 6L6 a less-precise beam tetrode. EL34 was the better tube, 6L6 the cheaper tube. In the UK there was the KT66 invented, which was a better quality 6L6.

After this, in the USA from the 6L6 the larger 6550 was derived and in Europe from the KT66 the larger KT88 was derived. Saying that KT66 and 6L6 are almost the same, that leaves us with four very popular power penthodes. Any other differences are just playing with numbers and pin-connections. The end of the evaluation is the KT88 and if you want the EL156. The EL156 never had a break through because of the socket being not octal.

6L6 - Cheap, reliable, but never won a prize for low distortion.
KT66 - Better construction 6L6
EL34 - Real penthode. Can do higher voltage. Works very nice in Class A also.
6550 - larger 6L6
KT88 - Real Penthode. Can be seen as a big EL34."

A summary of tube evolution. Hence, Bob at Eurotubes talking up the KT88s in a Mesa Rectifier.

 

[Storm]

So that means you can use KT88's? If so has anyone tried it out here?

Ciao ...

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

I think I'm going to try the 88's next!

And yes! Channel 3 modern still gets a brutal metal tone. IMO, it's even more brutal, as it punches MUCH more. The tightness gives it much more authority. IMO, it does metal better than the 6L6s.

I would agree with the article though. The EL-34 seems like a superior tube so far!

And clips more than likely tonight!

 

[jbird]

6L6's are more reliable! :idea:

 

[macmax]

in my experience the e34l's do retain some of the characteristics of the 6l6's, like a very good bottom end, more headroom, making this a good tube for cleans at least when you compare it to other 34's.

But it also gives you balanced mids and gives the bite and growl of the 34's.

So it is like the best of both worlds

 

[turmoil]

And clips more than likely tonight!

yes!!! i'll be awaiting them with anticipation!

also, was it hard to get the EL-34's in your amp? I mean, did you have to have it baised differently or was it just a direct swap? I know, or at least have read, that if you swap mesa boogie tubes into a recto you can just do a direct swap, but what about the other brands like JJ? and different tubes?

 

[Platypus]

I've got plenty of clips using my JJ EL34L's in the rigs/tones section and I'd be happy to cover any ground not in those tone wise.

 

[Micah]

This is good information--I plan on ordering a sextet from EuroTubes for my triple in about 2 weeks! I had the chance to try these tubes out in a Road-King in a store and it was absoloutly the money! It was exactly what Ive been missing--growl and harmonics and tightness to hold all of that gain together. Now in a RK I was only hearing 50 watts--I can only imagine the better difference with 150 watts!! :wink: I'll let you know in about 3 weeks after Ive recieved them!