EL34 in A Mesa Rectoverb

Travisthedog

Love this amp, but being the constant fiddler I'm wondering what differences to the tone swapping the 6L6 valves for EL34s will make. I love the "pushed" clean channel but cant get anything useable from the drive channel. Just sounds mushy and saggy.

Would swapping tight this up a bit? It's got a bias switch so should be easy to just switch 

webrthomson

Travisthedog said:

Love this amp, but being the constant fiddler I'm wondering what differences to the tone swapping the 6L6 valves for EL34s will make. I love the "pushed" clean channel but cant get anything useable from the drive channel. Just sounds mushy and saggy.

Would swapping tight this up a bit? It's got a bias switch so should be easy to just switch 

Have you tried running an OD before the amp - that is the usual way of tightening up a recto type amp - normally a tube screamer is used but I like the Boss sd1 in front of mine

I'm sure the EL34's would reduce the flubb on the bottom end, I've not tried it personally.

professorben

Have you tried the ‘magic 6’ settings on the time stack? 

ICBM

EL34s will tighten up the red channel a bit, yes. I assume you're already using the Vintage mode rather than Modern.

Travisthedog

professorben said:

Have you tried the ‘magic 6’ settings on the time stack? 

Er, what?

Travisthedog

ICBM said:

EL34s will tighten up the red channel a bit, yes. I assume you're already using the Vintage mode rather than Modern.

Yes. Definitely!!

Hootsmon

Owweeeeee did not know this was possible!

Q1  what does the 6L6 swap do for the wattage

Q2  I like what some folk here have called the HONK on this amp....does a toob swap change the tone up too?

ICBM

Travisthedog said:

professorben said:

Have you tried the ‘magic 6’ settings on the time stack?

Er, what?

Magic bollocks ... even if true for Fender Blackface amps (it isn't, in my opinion - too little bass and mid relative to treble).

The method of turning each control until you find the most sensitive spot does actually work though.

Hootsmon said:

Owweeeeee did not know this was possible!

Q1  what does the 6L6 swap do for the wattage

Q2  I like what some folk here have called the HONK on this amp....does a toob swap change the tone up too?

It doesn't change the power output, but the EL34 does actually have slightly more gain than the 6L6 - so it increases the volume and reduces the apparent headroom at a given volume control setting. It has a slightly tighter, crunchier sound - although it doesn't make the amp sound like a Marshall, it makes it easier to push it in that direction if you want to.

Travisthedog

So @ICBM I can just whip out the old valves, flick the bias switch, pop in the 34's and fire it up?

ICBM

Travisthedog said:

So @ICBM I can just whip out the old valves, flick the bias switch, pop in the 34's and fire it up?

Yes .

Travisthedog

Thank you

webrthomson

@Travisthedog - report back and let us know your thoughts, interested in how much difference there is

Travisthedog

Ok  @webrthomson ; have a gig on Saturday so will see. Low level lounge playing seemed to indicate the clean channel wasnt as good but the dirt was far better. Cant bloody win

webrthomson

Travisthedog said:

Ok  @webrthomson ; have a gig on Saturday so will see. Low level lounge playing seemed to indicate the clean channel wasnt as good but the dirt was far better. Cant bloody win

Sods law I wonder if some volume will help - let us know!