Old BF Shred
Well-known member
Well, finally got my new SED =C= el 34’s for my Ace.
So here’s my evaluation: 8)
First the good:
Amazing detail. Probably the most of any tube tried to date. (These include the stock Mesa STR447, JJ’s, NewSensor “Mullard reissue” and the GrooveTube el34M “Mullard”).
If I breathe on the strings, I can hear it…OK that’s a little exaggeration, but I can hear if the hairs on my arm brush against the strings….really. :shock:
Probably could with the other tubes as well, but it really became noticeable with these SED’s.
Pick sensitivity is awesome…smooth and biting, but not harsh….Notes “jump” out of the speaker. Should help punch through the mix at a gig (I’ll find out in Feb at our next gig). :roll:
Now the bad:
Lower bass output than GT el34M…..This in fact may impart a perception of being a bit more ‘brittle’ than some of the other tubes (which the Ace does not need, frankly). So I find I have to keep the treble & presence as low as with the Mesa tubes.
But make no mistake, they sound much better overall than the Mesa’s.
And the ugly:
The bases are skinnier than any other el34 I’ve seen. So you have to really bend those retainer prongs in. They will take this abuse for a while, but I worry when they’ll finally break (assuming I keep switching tubes to experiment with tone changes…but isn’t that the idea?)
So now I know I have 2 favorites:
The bass response of the GT el34M’s is the best….Warm and round, not muddy.
Detail and frequency response is very, very good, but not quite up to the SED’s.
SED’s have best detail…almost scary good, but lack low end, IMO.
I like them both for their respective strengths. I will have to keep testing in order to tell which I will buy from now on. :wink:
The good news:
They will both be a significant improvement over stock Mesa 447’s (have not tried the 450’s).
The JJ and NewSensors were both better than Mesa as well.
Just my $.02….your mileage may vary!
Take care!
So here’s my evaluation: 8)
First the good:
Amazing detail. Probably the most of any tube tried to date. (These include the stock Mesa STR447, JJ’s, NewSensor “Mullard reissue” and the GrooveTube el34M “Mullard”).
If I breathe on the strings, I can hear it…OK that’s a little exaggeration, but I can hear if the hairs on my arm brush against the strings….really. :shock:
Probably could with the other tubes as well, but it really became noticeable with these SED’s.
Pick sensitivity is awesome…smooth and biting, but not harsh….Notes “jump” out of the speaker. Should help punch through the mix at a gig (I’ll find out in Feb at our next gig). :roll:
Now the bad:
Lower bass output than GT el34M…..This in fact may impart a perception of being a bit more ‘brittle’ than some of the other tubes (which the Ace does not need, frankly). So I find I have to keep the treble & presence as low as with the Mesa tubes.
But make no mistake, they sound much better overall than the Mesa’s.
And the ugly:
The bases are skinnier than any other el34 I’ve seen. So you have to really bend those retainer prongs in. They will take this abuse for a while, but I worry when they’ll finally break (assuming I keep switching tubes to experiment with tone changes…but isn’t that the idea?)
So now I know I have 2 favorites:
The bass response of the GT el34M’s is the best….Warm and round, not muddy.
Detail and frequency response is very, very good, but not quite up to the SED’s.
SED’s have best detail…almost scary good, but lack low end, IMO.
I like them both for their respective strengths. I will have to keep testing in order to tell which I will buy from now on. :wink:
The good news:
They will both be a significant improvement over stock Mesa 447’s (have not tried the 450’s).
The JJ and NewSensors were both better than Mesa as well.
Just my $.02….your mileage may vary!
Take care!
