DetroitBlues Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Sounds like I should avoid the JJ's then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbp810 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Thought I'd just chime in and give another thumbs up for the winged =C= power tubes - excellent 6L6's and EL34's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golferwave Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Thought I'd just chime in and give another thumbs up for the winged =C= power tubes - excellent 6L6's and EL34's I wish they would make EL-84's as well. I'm using EH tubes now for my amps with EL-84 power tubes. I see on the Tube Depot website that the Genalex EL-84's aren't recommended for cathode biased amps. Those are high priced tubes and you would think they'd make them strong enough to handle the electrical current demands. Any comments on those tubes? I use Genalex KT-88 tubes in my 65 Amps Rocket 88 head and they sound great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbp810 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I wish they would make EL-84's as well. I'm using EH tubes now for my amps with EL-84 power tubes. I see on the Tube Depot website that the Genalex EL-84's aren't recommended for cathode biased amps. Those are high priced tubes and you would think they'd make them strong enough to handle the electrical current demands. Any comments on those tubes? I use Genalex KT-88 tubes in my 65 Amps Rocket 88 head and they sound great. The only Genalex tube I've ever used was also a KT-88, in a little home brewed single ended high gain monster... all I can say is that it sounds excellent in that amp; but aside from that, my knowledge or experience with them is rather limited.... it does sound like their EL84 was not built to withstand higher plate voltages, which does indeed seem odd for a high price "high end" tube. Also strange that the Mullard EL84 re-issue comes in at a much lower price, and does not carry the same caveat (of course I realize they are constructed differently, just making note of that as they are both made by New Sensor). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
212Mavguy Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 The most badass el84 ever made is the 6p14p-ev Russian military unit. They are rated for 7189 type voltages, (400 plate volts versus el84's 300) and are rated for 5,000 hours. Same pinout as el84. Their original use was for being a "low frequency pentode," probably used in military pulse type amps used to drive servos in aircraft. They have a massive cathode that takes a full 45 seconds to warm up. The bottle is slightly larger in diameter, is made of leaded glass, and thicker walls to boot. One of those weighs much more held in your hand than any other el84, period. They have a lot of headroom, more bottom and lower mid girth in their sound, especially when doing dirty tones. Plenty of upper mids, harmonic content, and top end, though. They bias fairly similar to el84's, have the same pinout, but IMHO are best used in an amp with a bias pot in it. The only other el84 that approaches their badassity is the RFT el84, period. The best part is that on eBay the 6p14p-ev is surprisingly affordable. The Watford Valves' top of the line "Harma" el84 is this Russian 6p14p-ev. Absolute fave el84 type of mine is the Bendix Red Bank 6094, but the pinout is different and another story to boot... cold war relic, that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbp810 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 The most badass el84 ever made is the 6p14p-ev Russian military unit. They are rated for 7189 type voltages, (400 plate volts versus el84's 300) and are rated for 5,000 hours. Same pinout as el84. Their original use was for being a "low frequency pentode," probably used in military pulse type amps used to drive servos in aircraft. They have a massive cathode that takes a full 45 seconds to warm up. The bottle is slightly larger in diameter, is made of leaded glass, and thicker walls to boot. One of those weighs much more held in your hand than any other el84, period. They have a lot of headroom, more bottom and lower mid girth in their sound, especially when doing dirty tones. Plenty of upper mids, harmonic content, and top end, though. They bias fairly similar to el84's, have the same pinout, but IMHO are best used in an amp with a bias pot in it. The only other el84 that approaches their badassity is the RFT el84, period. The best part is that on eBay the 6p14p-ev is surprisingly affordable. The Watford Valves' top of the line "Harma" el84 is this Russian 6p14p-ev. Absolute fave el84 type of mine is the Bendix Red Bank 6094, but the pinout is different and another story to boot... cold war relic, that one. Thanks Mavguy... now I have this irresistible urge to build myself another "EL84" amp just to hear this tube in action Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
212Mavguy Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Great! How about a bastardized high gain Champ style SE with a tweaked front end using grid stoppers and snubber cap(s)? You could use cathode bias but you might need to tweak that resistor value slightly different from el84... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbp810 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Great! How about a bastardized high gain Champ style SE with a tweaked front end using grid stoppers and snubber cap(s)? You could use cathode bias but you might need to tweak that resistor value slightly different from el84... I like the way you think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Ok, let's used the king's language here fellas... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
212Mavguy Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 SE=single ended. Single preamp tube, single power tube. Simple circuit, easy to build. Champ has one rectifier tube, one pre, one power tube. Other terms have to do with features of circuit design, gridstopper and snubbers found in preamp, cathode bias in power section, generally non adjustable by user. There ya go. For more info buy Merlin's book. Great toilet seat reading... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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