Roadster Owners: Power tubes revisited?

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Hey guys!

Just curious on what you're doing in the power section of your Roadsters nowadays? We all know that with time, options, settings, and other factors change.

6L6s? EL-34s? Have you tried other things? Did you go back, or stick with the new venture?

I've been running EL-34s for quite some time...like them alot, but lately, at higher volume settings, I seem to be getting some extra breakup that I believe to be coming from the power section...I'm thinking about going back to 6L6s for a little more clean headroom .

I'd appreciate your input!

Eric

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

If you are going to use 6L6s, I'd recommend Winged C 6L6s. They are made for win IMO...

 

[Rydock]

I really like the idea of EL34s in the roadster. I'd say stick with them. I'm looking into getting a set of JJ 34Ls very soon. It's all about the sacrifice you decide to make imo. I'd rather have a better gain channel and sacrifice a bit of the clean channel rather than vice versa. From what I've read, the clean channel doesn't suffer as much as one would think with 34s. Besides I like having that slight breakup on the highs with my clean on tweed.

 

[TFridgen]

From what I've found running Tung Sol el34b's, the cleans didn't suffer at all once you redialed them in. I'm now running JJ kt77's and love love love them. There is no sacrifice in the clean tones and while the high gain tones are similar to winged c 6l6's, I find them to be quite a bit more aggressive sounding and not quite as boomy.

 

[budlovesaly]

Just made the switch to EL34s last week. Aside from the clear loss of my nice, "cut through the mix" cleans, the gain channels all improved by a large margin. The amp is a lot smoother now, and less bass heavy. Still a boomy as hell Roadster though.

 

[Rydock]

Just made the switch to EL34s last week. Aside from the clear loss of my nice, "cut through the mix" cleans, the gain channels all improved by a large margin. The amp is a lot smoother now, and less bass heavy. Still a boomy as hell Roadster though.

What tubes did you end up getting?

 

[budlovesaly]

I stayed with Mesa EL34s. I bought the amp last year, and barring any freakish turn of events, I'd rather just play it safe. Are other branded tubes so much better? Rydock, do you get a lot of hum and slight buzz from you Roadster with the loop engaged, master volumes on all channels low, and the output at about 2 o' clock?

Try it for me, and tell me what you get. I think my Roadster is acting funny.

 

[MusicManJP6]

If you are going to use 6L6s, I'd recommend Winged C 6L6s. They are made for win IMO...

I second this! When I had my Roadster I installed a quad of these tubes and loved the results.

FWIW, I'm using a quad of JJ E34Ls in my Mark V...

 

[budlovesaly]

Rydock, don't buy the hype that your cleans are not affected by the switch. Seriously, the Mesa manual is dead on accurate -- the Brit mode is 100 times better, but other aspects of the amp do sound thinner -- which isn't so bad in terms of gain. On channels 3 and 4 there is plenty of gain and lowend to maintain a rather thick sound. The clean channels are considerably worse now. Fat clean is about the only usable clean now. Clean mode barely cuts through the mix at all!

 

[cscotto]

I haven't tried EL34s in my Roadster. I have always used 6L6s because I love the sound I am getting with a set of TADs 6L6-STRs. Great low end thump, beautiful sparkling cleans, and they have a nice high mid crunch in the Brit and Tweed modes.

 

[jamme61]

I was a big 6L6 guy but, was shocked how much better my tremoverb sounded with EL34's. I found the same as other guys here, cleans didn't suffer and heavy stuff, sounded a lot better. Got rid of the over the top highs and over the top lows, sounds a lot better IMHO