Valves

[Jarhead]

Just wondering what valves would go in place of El34's, because I might be buying a valve head soon, and was wondering what valves I could use in place of the 6 El34's the power section needs, because I'm having trouble finding enough valves cheap enough.

Zach

[escholl]

you could re-bias and use 6L6's, but that will just end up costing you the same or more. i should add, that only works with some amps.

sadly, there's no way around the expense -- but it's worth it!

Edited April 9, 2009 by escholl

[Kiwi]

KT77s are considered the best upgrade for EL34's. Cleaner sound and better balanced tonally but EL34's are quite warm sounding nonetheless.

[joegarcia]

Don't think there's really a cheaper alternative to just buying the cheapest EL34's you can find really. I've just put some Genelex KT77's in my old Laney though and they really are special. Can't wait to burn them in a bit more. Worth the extra. That was just for two though, not sure if I could have afforded six of them.

[umph]

[quote name='escholl' post='458885' date='Apr 9 2009, 10:21 PM']you could re-bias and use 6L6's, but that will just end up costing you the same or more. i should add, that only works with some amps.

sadly, there's no way around the expense -- but it's worth it![/quote]
its a different pinout so i wouldn't try and do that ;p

unfortunatly most things use a 6l6 style base so it's a bit harder to find an unused rare type of valve to replace a el34

[Hamster]

[quote name='Jarhead' post='458839' date='Apr 9 2009, 09:31 PM']Just wondering what valves would go in place of El34's, because I might be buying a valve head soon, and was wondering what valves I could use in place of the 6 El34's the power section needs, because I'm having trouble finding enough valves cheap enough.

Zach[/quote]

What price do you consider 'cheap enough' ?

[escholl]

[quote name='umph' post='459199' date='Apr 10 2009, 12:27 PM']its a different pinout so i wouldn't try and do that ;p

unfortunatly most things use a 6l6 style base so it's a bit harder to find an unused rare type of valve to replace a el34[/quote]

whoops.

i know some guitar amps can do that so i just assumed it was a standard sort of thing.

[Telebass]

6L6, KT66, KT77, KT88, EL34 are physically interchangeable (standard octal base), but depends very much on the amp design as to whether you can actually do it. The 6L6 and KT66/77/88 are beam-power tetrodes. The EL34 is a pentode. The KT designation means 'kinkless tetrode', and the 6L6 is a tetrode with a kink!

My view on valve amps for bass? A waste of back muscles. I'd happily have an old silverface Bassman head and 2x15, but only for home use. Even that little amp head weighs around the same as my entire Markbass combo plus cab. No tone difference is worth that sort of physical hassle, IMHO, natch!

Edited April 13, 2009 by Telebass

[Kiwi]

[quote name='joegarcia' post='458964' date='Apr 10 2009, 12:18 AM']Don't think there's really a cheaper alternative to just buying the cheapest EL34's you can find really. I've just put some Genelex KT77's in my old Laney though and they really are special. Can't wait to burn them in a bit more. Worth the extra. That was just for two though, not sure if I could have afforded six of them.[/quote]
+1, I tried a pair of the Gold Lion KT77's instead of EL34's in my recently acquired Burman guitar combo this afternoon and it absolutely nailed the sound I've been looking for. Fat, punchy and sparkly like a Fender combo but with more mids. The EL34's were muffled and tonally inadequate by comparison.

[escholl]

[quote name='Telebass' post='461341' date='Apr 13 2009, 05:21 PM']6L6, KT66, KT77, KT88, EL34 are physically interchangeable (standard octal base), but depends very much on the amp design as to whether you can actually do it.[/quote]

haha, i [i]was[/i] right then. was beginning to doubt myself.