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Hey,I hope someone out there has built an 18 watt with both 6v6's and EL-84's and can explain the differences in tone between them.thanks Spyder

i think 6v6's are generally rounder and have more emphisis in the lows or maybe just low mids. i read a long time ago that you can get 6v6's to sound like el84's but you will never get a el84 to sound like a 6v6. i believe that now.

i built and rebuilt my 18 watt so many times trying to get a sound i LOVE and it didn't happen till i put 6v6's in it. I am big fan as i think they can cover alot of ground from smallish amps to have a pretty big amp sound.

johnny5 wrote:i built and rebuilt my 18 watt so many times trying to get a sound i LOVE and it didn't happen till i put 6v6's in it. I am big fan as i think they can cover alot of ground from smallish amps to have a pretty big amp sound.

So what did you end up with as far as the schematic for a 6V6 18 watter goes??

I've build the same amp with both, and close variants with EL34s and 6L6s too. I happen to have swapped OTs between a couple of my EL84 and 6V6s amps, so part of my experience is from using the same OT.

My take is that the EL84s have a great distortion tone with a lot of bark. The low end is controlled and the harmonic content is very high with a lot of edge. It is a very fun lead tone. Clean tones can be a bit bright and edgy. It works in a Brit-pop sense, but can be a little small.

6V6s are a very fat sounding tube. Using the right coupling caps (I like .022) keep from getting the flabbiness some Deluxe Reverbs can have. Clean sounds are more like a big amp, with warmth and clarity. Distorted tones can be smooth and creamy but aren't quite as thick in mids as the EL84. It's a really good blues tone.

Of course these are generalities. Which is better? Gee, I don't know. I like both!

And 6EZ5s sound like something half way between a 6V6 and EL84.

The short answer to the valve with the best sound is the 6BW6. This looks like a slightly shortened EL84 and performs like a 6V6 in a noval envelope - it has a unique sound, but it does not have a long operating life. Even the CV versions don't last long in guitar amps, although buffer rings and a cooling fan can improve the lifetime. Used in a couple of Selmer amps from the time when music was live! Another Brimar special ...