sylvania el-84

[olehoot]

Got a chance to get some NOS Sylvania el 84 for $19.00 each. Wondered if that was a good tube to try in my Valve Jr. Thanks.

[chris_deveau]

I have some Sylvania EL84s in my Lite IIB. I also have some JJs to compare them with. The Sylvania win big time for me:

1. I am giving the tubes much hotter biasing/voltage than i should. The JJs redplate in about 15-30 minutes. The Sylvania i have *never* do. I have played for 8-10 hours at a stretch with the amp cranked all the way most of the time, and nothing. Brilliant.

2. The Sylvania tubes sound SOOOOO much better than the JJs it is not funny. I was a serious NOS skeptic until i swapped them out. Partly this has to do with the JJs not being able to handle the voltage and operate correctly, i am sure, but the Sylvanias i have are just so nice compared. The JJs sound oddly harsh by comparison, chords have an almost solidstate sort of muddiness. The Sylvania tubes sound really clear and almost sparkly, with way smoother distortion. I wish i had the money to get a whole pile more!

If you have the $19/per try them out. There are a few different kinds out there, i believe, military, and non-... I have no idea what the ones i have are, but i feel very lucky to have had them come in the donor amp.

-chris

[ajkimba]

I'll second what Chris said.

My Sylvania's were brand new when I got them. Came in a yellow NOS box, writing is yellow on the tube. Boxes weren't faded so I'm guessing the eighties.

[chris_deveau]

You know, i just looked more closely at my tubes and actually, they aren't "EL84"s technically, but "7189"s, the "industrial" version, apparently good for 400v to the plates, no wonder they worked in my amp so admirably. Definitely worth it if that is what you are looking at for $19! Mine are printed in yellow ink "Sylvania" and "7189 USA" in white. Great tubes.

-chris

[olehoot]

The ones I can get are in the yellow & black box with 6BQ5 EL84 on the box top. I think the tube has yellow printing on it. Guess I will get a couple and try them out. Thanks again!!

[Smokin-Tone]

Yes odds are good that they will sound better to you but you should still make sure that your voltages are under control. Look through the Valve Jr. thread if you havent yet and see how to do this. Some NOS tubes are not as forgiving with higher voltages. Watch them closely for red plating if you put them in without checking your plate voltage. You dont want to burn up 19.00 tubes.

[olehoot]

I orderd every thing over the weekend to mod the jr.head with. This will be my first try at moding any amp. I have the sovteks to use when i start her up the first time. I have also got a Univalve with Yellow Jackets, so I will be able to use the tubes for that also. the valve jr. thread 4 or 5 times. Am excited to try the amp mods. If all goes well maybe a amp kit will be in my future

[justinm]

7189s are my favorite output tube.
A few years ago I found an old Danelectro amp called a DM-25- it's set up much like a Silvertone twin twelve but has 7189s in the output section and a single Jensen C12Q. It's basically Nathan Daniels version of an 18Watt. It sounds phenominal- one of my favorite amps- hands down. The best part is that the two 12AX7s and the two 7189s that it came with were Amprex Bugle Boys.

[59Vampire]

lol i have the dm25 and i got it used in 1980 it too has bugle boy 7189s!!

[mattbrew0]

got some nice syvanias in my tmb . definetly digging them, i'm going to compare to some g.e.'s i got recently, mattbrew0