What is the best sounding EL84 tube ?

[Dr_Tweedbucket]

I don't have my 18 watt yet but I do have two other amps with EL84s.

The first is a Mesa subway rocket. It has two JJ power tubes. The amp sounds pretty good overall. The clean channel is great !!

The other EL84 amp is an Orange AD30TC I have EI tubes in that one. It sounds ok. The clean channel is great too, but the distortion is kind of grainy.

What EL84s are the most musical / smoothest sounding?

[Dr_Tweedbucket]

whoops ..... i just now saw the tube talk forum

[Reason]

whoops ..... i just now saw the tube talk forum

I'll move this over there-

This is a pretty subjective question and it assumes a rather high degree of consistancy within a given make, so don't look for a single answer.

I have a bunch of NOS 84's from the Sarge; Russian mills (7189), Funkwerks & others. I have a pair of Funkwerks in my Gabriel Voxer right now that just sing! The general consensus is that a good NOS 84 is well worth the investment and frankly, you can gather a few good sets over time and decide for your self.

You'll find the JJ's getting knocked sometimes around here. I have a pair in a GDS S/C kit build that I actually love. It is one of my best sounding and most usuable amps. EI Goldies round out this amp (and you can't forget the role of pre's in the sonic equation.)

Bottom line, let your ears decide. Good luck!

[Trout]

Wow Loaded Question,

New production or Genuine NOS?

Personal taste has alot to do with it also.

My younger brother insists on Mullards for EVERYTHING, He likes that Dull muddy sound. When ever he comes buy I put in my ultra crisp Amperex sets in the amps. 1 cord and he starts B****in to switch them.

As for New production, I use alot of J & J's for an on the average good sound, I have found them more reliable than other current brands.
Trout

[Reason]

...I have a pair of Funkwerks in my Gabriel Voxer right now that just sing! ...

Oops, I mean Telams. I haven't actually tried the Funks yet.

In anycase, you would do well to ask the Sarge for a recommendation. He has alot more experience than most of us in this area and (to my knowledge) has a 100% customer satisfaction rating. Just look in the private classifieds.

[rjgtr]

OF course in a Marshall, Mullards are the standard. I've used NOS GE's and Sylvanias and they both sound great. The telams are also very nice.

In new production, I'm not a fan of Sovteks, but JJs and EIs are very nice sounding.

[phsyconoodler]

I have had tremendous luck with two different EL-84's.Ruby Tubes and EI Gold pins.Both are musical and sweet distorted.They have been in use for several months now by gigging musicians with no problems or failures.
I want to get some of sarge's tubes as soon as I have a chance.

[str82hvn]

Dr_Tweedbucket,

Drop Sargent Overdrive and e-mail and He'll set you right up!


str82hvn

[sgtoverdrive]

thanks for the kudos gents,you are the ones that made the decision on these,its great when some tube you didnt know exsisted comes out of the woodwork is farily expensive and murders ever other one you have or hear in such versitale terms .we all have different ears but its funny how we seem to be pretty much universal on certain things. .ive heard them in about 20 different circuits and the polish factorys engineers whoever they were.perfected what was left of the k4 amperex plate.come on ! look at jj nothing more then shabby cockeyed version of the amperex plate.ei as well and even sovtek these guys are not stupid they did try to copy the best plate design german tubes of different styles like the funkwerks and rft munichs halske etc run very close to polam.i automatically thought that mullard was the best before these came along.but even mullards attempt at el 84 does not compare in such a wide array of circuits.phillips was the owner of amperex and mullard, they shared secrets and materials 30 years prior to there dissolution.as a parent company youll see more philips tubes with amperex plates then you will with single portholes in em.the plate designers may have been a bit arrogant,due to the extreme success of there 12ax7 el34 and gz 34 they might have been a bit to pleased with themselves at that time to follow .i shudder to think if solid state hadnt of turned telecommunications on its ear they would have continued to advance their plate technology .unfortunatly i firmly believe that the polam telam type design was the closest they ever got.just like the el 34 every thing you see in one way or the other new or old will beare the xf plate design..i saw a price on gec el 84 military tubes last night at tube depots sight that made me laugh and reflect of what bozo would fork over 2000 dollars for two duets of these haha.when the little polish tube for 110 would wax it . well im grabbin up my weapons and goin out a huntin for them peskys polish sausages! sgt od.

[zaphod_phil]

FYI, here's a handy review of various EL84s published by Watford Valves
http://www.watfordvalves.com/cgi-bin/do ... ort_47.pdf