EL34 tubes in a Mesa Dual Rec.

guitarded2

guitarded2

New member
Hello, was wondering if anyone had tried this before. I searched but couldn't find anything. I've had my amp a few weeks and I finally got a tone I like but I've always been a bigger fan of the el34 tubes sound. How they would change the sound of this amp. I know its not going to turn my dual rectifier into a jcm but I am curious. Thanks!
 
I have a Dual Rectifier RoadKing 1. It runs 6 power tubes, 4 6L6's and 2 EL34.

If your familier with the Road King, it has four channels and you can independently assign any combination of pairs of power tubes to any channel.

So I have tried it with 2 EL34 vs 2 6L6.

EL34 have this what I call dry tone that really jumps out at high volumes.

Using EL34 you will get more highs, it will tighten up a bit, you will lose a little bass and lose a little thickness, but it definately won't turn your dual rec into a JCM as you said. It will still sound like a recto. There will still be plenty of bass and it will be plenty thick enough, but it will sound a little different. Especially at loud volumes.

Try it. You might like it.

On the Road King there are two clean channels and two overdrive channels.

I use 6L6s on channels 1 (clean) and 4, and EL34 on 2 and 3.

It's pretty cool!
 
Without being a Rec owner, EL34's will generally compress quicker than 6L6's. Some will say 6L6's provide a more open sound, but I wouldn't label EL34 as "closed", I would say you will probably feel you had more definition to the sound with 6L6's, but that is not to say you won't like the EL34.

Coming from owning a BiValve and now a UniValve, I have tried a decent amount of tubes in the same amp, and under no circumstance has a tube ever changed the amp. They can change your playing dynamics however, because the way you strike a note might no longer be effective or pleasing.

For medium to higher gain, I prefer 34's. I am of the belief a 6L6 is best served clean.
 
I agree with above. If you play alot of clean, stick with the 6L6's in your recto. They are much cleaner than EL34's. EL34's also don't sound their best until they get to loud volumes.

EL34's sound okay clean, but they break up easier. To me, they sound like they have lots more mid to high-mid tones. <- This is good for cutting through the mix though. 6L6's will dish out more lows and cleaner highs.
 
EL34's and 6L6's are not equivalent tubes. I don't know specifically about these Mesa's, but unless the amp manufacturer specifically says that you can use either type tube in that amp, I wouldn't go changing from one to the other. Just because the tube fits a socket doesn't mean that it won't damage the amp.
 
ggunn said:
EL34's and 6L6's are not equivalent tubes. I don't know specifically about these Mesa's, but unless the amp manufacturer specifically says that you can use either type tube in that amp, I wouldn't go changing from one to the other. Just because the tube fits a socket doesn't mean that it won't damage the amp.
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ah thanks guys that cleared up a lot. Thanks for the response. I just didn't want to spend the money if there wasn't that much of a difference.
 
guitarded2 said:
ah thanks guys that cleared up a lot. Thanks for the response. I just didn't want to spend the money if there wasn't that much of a difference.
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I can try to record A/B clips for you with my Rectoverb if you want, as I've still got a set of EL34's lying around from when I used to own a TSL.

Basically, I like them, but it's not night and day difference. The bass tightens up a bit, there's maybe a touch more upper-mids, but the real change is the presence - they're noticably "crunchier" than 6L6's in Modern mode. I didn't spend much time in Vintage, but in Raw, with the volume wound way up with a bit of help from a hot plate, EL34's and my roommate's LP Studio totally NAILED the Clapton "woman tone." It's not a sound I've ever really wanted, but it was kind of cool. :D

Overall I'm actually kind of a fan of EL34's in a Rectifier, but I eventually went back since I felt the 6L6's were the more balanced, better "all around" tube.
 
I run two Dual Rec. stacks in stereo. One stack on 6L6's and one on EL34's. The EL34's give a little more dirt, and sustain. Almost like a Marshall JCM800 tone on steroids. The 34's also compression quicker, which I believe someone may have mentioned.
 
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