Tube help

[Platypus]

Hey guys,

I have a Dual Rec and I was thinking about retubing it but I'm a little bit confused with all the different choices that are available.

I was more curious on opinions of replacing the Rectifier tubes with JJ GZ34's. Has anyone done this? Is it actually worth doing (since I don't need to retube the rectifiers)?

Also, the JJ tubes are much cheaper than the mesa ones, are they about similar in quality or is it worth paying more than double for the Mesa computer matched ones?

From my reading, it looks like I might prefer the sound of the EL34 tube instead of the 6L6's. I am looking for a nice punchy metal crunch with plenty of sag (the famous mesa sound) that I can use to pull off very vibrant and clear pinch harmonics with that sing and squeal instead of sounding offensive. Is something like an EL34 going to provide that over the 6L6? I am also looking for a very nice classic british/vintage sound when I'm not in the modern channel.

The powertube I was looking at was the JJ E34L ( 6CA7 ). Does anyone have experience with this tube? Is there a better choice that you might recommend?

Thanks for reading!

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

If you're looking for "lots of sag", you may not care for the GZ34 recto's. They are MUCH tighter than the 5U4's. That said, I find them to be outstanding for hard-rock/traditional metal where a punchy, almost percussive rhythm sound is called for, but the diode rec's sound a bit too harsh for soloing and clean sounds.
Heres what's in my Triple:
V1 GT12AX7-M (I am considering JJ ECC803 in this spot as well)
V2, V3 JJ ECC83S High-Gain
V4 JJ ECC83S standard gain
V5 JJ ECC83S High-Gain/balanced triodes
Power Tubes Mesa 6L6 str 454 (Svetlana)
Recto JJ GZ34

If you're looking for EL34 type sounds, The E34L is probably a good choice, as are the Ruby EL34 STR's.

 

[Platypus]

Thanks for the reply. As far as the sag goes, will the GZ34 provide enough sag to be worth it? I like the sag on the 5U4 but it sounds kind of mushy and I wanted to punch it up a bit. Also, can anyone address my q about the differences and whether I can get the sound I want (EL34-6L6) and how I can get some outrageous pinch harmonics that sing.

If you're looking for "lots of sag", you may not care for the GZ34 recto's. They are MUCH tighter than the 5U4's. That said, I find them to be outstanding for hard-rock/traditional metal where a punchy, almost percussive rhythm sound is called for, but the diode rec's sound a bit too harsh for soloing and clean sounds.
Heres what's in my Triple:
V1 GT12AX7-M (I am considering JJ ECC803 in this spot as well)
V2, V3 JJ ECC83S High-Gain
V4 JJ ECC83S standard gain
V5 JJ ECC83S High-Gain/balanced triodes
Power Tubes Mesa 6L6 str 454 (Svetlana)
Recto JJ GZ34

If you're looking for EL34 type sounds, The E34L is probably a good choice, as are the Ruby EL34 STR's.

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

Thanks for the reply. As far as the sag goes, will the GZ34 provide enough sag to be worth it? I like the sag on the 5U4 but it sounds kind of mushy and I wanted to punch it up a bit. Also, can anyone address my q about the differences and whether I can get the sound I want (EL34-6L6) and how I can get some outrageous pinch harmonics that sing.

I say try them. The GZ34's definately retain that "tube-rec" sound and are nearly as punchy as the diodes.

6L6 vs EL34...The EL's have more of the "British" vibe to them, with more upper mids. The 6L6's have a more even, full-range response with balanced mids and deeper lows. The E34L falls somewhere in between with more headroom and deeper bass than a regular EL34.

Before resorting to a tube change, try a couple easy (and low-buck) tweaks to your setup to make those pinches scream:
Use thick, pointed picks
Set bridge p'up as close to the strings as possible
Turn up your mids
If you have an EQ, run it into the amps front end and boost the 1K to 4K range
Volume is your friend...crank that baby up!

 

[Platypus]

Interesting, I will try the mid range boost. I use a very high output bridge pickup close to the strings, The Green .88 dunlop tortex (pretty hard, teardrop kind) already. I will try the mid boost out, thanks for the suggestion, i'll get back to you.

 

[Platypus]

The mid boost certainly helped a lot, thanks for the great tip! My only gripe is that it changes my sound a bit too much for my liking.....