If you where to bild an SE amp and the power was of no concern.
Wich would you chose of 6v6,6l6 or 807 if only the sound mattered?
Wich would you chose of 6v6,6l6 or 807 if only the sound mattered?
I have observed that the some other things than the output tube has much effect to amplifier sound:
- topology; triode, UL or pentode
- bias
- output transformer/anode load of the tube
- features of driving stage
- the mental feeling of the day of listening test
- topology; triode, UL or pentode
- bias
- output transformer/anode load of the tube
- features of driving stage
- the mental feeling of the day of listening test
Go for a SE EL34B you wont be disappointed, I have posted mine on here I just finished as I built 2 amps 1@EL34B/6SJ7 and 1@6L6/6SJ7 and the EL34B is the best in my books
my latest pp amp, 12W6/12EN6, g2 screen regulated has a punchy bass, clear mids and crispy highs, better than a 6V6, 6L6, EL34 to my ears....
I prefer 6V6, IMO, 6L6, EL34 are for guitar amps with their more sharp sound.
I think the best pentodes in my skill are Sp Quality E130L /with 10 Wt without distortions/, SQ E236L /about 5-6 Wt/.
I think the best pentodes in my skill are Sp Quality E130L /with 10 Wt without distortions/, SQ E236L /about 5-6 Wt/.
I disagree completely, there is no such a thing as a "tube for guitar amps", 6l6 and EL34 where not designed originally for THAT service specifically.
if the specs are correct you can use a tube in wherever service you want.
Guitar amps Marshall, Fender and a lot of guitar amps have EL34, EL84 and 6L6, that have metal, sharp and more agresive sounding, suitable for distortion sounds of el.guitar.. And I mean "guitar tube", acc. my sense. These brands never used for guitar amps 2A3, 300B, 45, 6AS7, 6S33S, GM70, GU81......./that really are for HiEnd....more in SE, IMO/.....
Soyuz, Your choice is be agree or not...
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I've only built so far with SE 6AS7 and it is not hiEnd as far as I can tell although it can sound good - it just doesn't have the linearity. What it does have is low rp and an ability to generate a lot of heat, including the cathode resistor !
I've been reading about the 6V6 as this is the tube I am considering for a SE amplifier. I have read a lot of very promising reports about the 6V6 and I like that it is a current-production tube with lots of tube rolling options using older tubes.
However, if I didn't mind the safety related aspects of a top-cap, I'd seriously consider using a 6P13s or 6p31s as I've heard them operated SE triode-wired and was very impressed. Alas I'm not sure I want to have a top-cap based amp in my house (I don't want to cage it).
I've been reading about the 6V6 as this is the tube I am considering for a SE amplifier. I have read a lot of very promising reports about the 6V6 and I like that it is a current-production tube with lots of tube rolling options using older tubes.
However, if I didn't mind the safety related aspects of a top-cap, I'd seriously consider using a 6P13s or 6p31s as I've heard them operated SE triode-wired and was very impressed. Alas I'm not sure I want to have a top-cap based amp in my house (I don't want to cage it).
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Quite a nice looking amplifier (following your link). But it's certainly going to generate a lot of heat with all that glass on top (and it says balanced differential but the photo shows 5 output tubes per channel - must be 2 + 2 tubes for balanced output and the other tube is a rectifier perhaps).
I have been looking at the 6V6 because of my 6AS7 amp is making the power trafo quite hot too - not the fault of the 6AS7 but just mentioning it - the 6AS7 does need 2.5A of heater current whereas I can get similar power from 6V6 with less than 1A of heater current for a pair of tubes total. And that's before accounting for the cathode resistor. The 6V6 appears to be very efficient in it's use of heater power, more so than any of the other candidates.
I have been looking at the 6V6 because of my 6AS7 amp is making the power trafo quite hot too - not the fault of the 6AS7 but just mentioning it - the 6AS7 does need 2.5A of heater current whereas I can get similar power from 6V6 with less than 1A of heater current for a pair of tubes total. And that's before accounting for the cathode resistor. The 6V6 appears to be very efficient in it's use of heater power, more so than any of the other candidates.
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Probably has more to do with designers stucking to use the "usual" tube choices and circuits using such than other tubes being unfitted or too high end for the task.
Take 300B for example: Today it's the audiophile choice but originally the tube was developed for telephone applications. Not much HiFi required in that... especially because we are talking about telephone technology of late 1930's. It took some 40+ years for audiophiles to even discover these tubes.
The overall design will affect "Hi-Fi-ness" more than the tube choice ever will.
And IMO, you ain't going to have much success selling amps to brokeass guitarists when they find out what retubing those 300B's will cost in comparison to those tubes usually found from guitar amps. ...Although I do know that someone did try it. ~$900 for a matched pair... thanks, I'd rather buy myself a whole new amp.
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Tubes date from 20-30s for several cases. People discover HiEnd later for really natural sound. 300B, 2A3.... for voice, GU, GM.... for generators and ...., but main their property is natural voices, instruments unlike a lot of other and more of them cheap....
Don't forget the type Jim Marshall started with and still is favored by many guitar players for both its clean and overdriven sound: the KT66. It was replaced by the EL34 not because the way it performed, but because the EL34 was cheaper. In the US the distributor changed the EL34s to 6550s so the amps would survive the warranty period. It has always been a money game.
As for the 'HiEnd' types you mention: DHTs can make excellent sounding guitar outputs. Just read Tubelabs experiments: didn't he write that his experimental SE 833 setup probably was the best sounding guitar amp he ever build? DHTs are just not physically suitable for musical instrument amps. They won't survive long in a setup on top or inside a cabinet with several 100dB+ speakers running full power and more. Never mind being tossed around on the road all the time.
The 6V6 strapped as a triode is very linear, not much power though. 6L6/807, less linear as triode (best used in p-p if triode strapped), but could work OK as pentode SE with cathode feedback maybe.
6v6 has a reputation for thick, heavy, muddy bass. The mids and highs are worth it
though for many.
though for many.
IMO, I have high criteria for HiEnd and I think "guitar tube" doesn't cover it criteria...I made SEs with the same prestages, caps, OTs and I sensed that these 2 kind of tubes sound very different in my fullrange speakers. 5-10% sounding down for me is far from HiEnd. Sorry, IMO.
/We have proverb.....can not be made whistle from any wood 🙂/
That's all from me....
/We have proverb.....can not be made whistle from any wood 🙂/
That's all from me....
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if only the sound mattered, I'd build pp not se.
The majority of posts in this thread are unsubstantiated claims based on superstition and fashion. Hardly surprising given the nature of the op's first question.
My apologies to the obvious exceptions.
The majority of posts in this thread are unsubstantiated claims based on superstition and fashion. Hardly surprising given the nature of the op's first question.
My apologies to the obvious exceptions.
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