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Hi, looking to upgrade my Fender blues Jnr. Came across this clip on youtube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHdaCcRZDnQ Absolutely love the tone and chops of this Guy. This is an interesting demo because the first half is the amp ( Divided by 13 9/15 ) using it's 6v6's and the second half it's using it's el84 outputs. To me the 6v6's smoke the el84 sound. I think it's convinced me to get an amp with 6v6's. Anyone have any thoughts on the 6v6 vs el84 in a guitar amp ?.
Follow Ups:
I've offered to convert Blooze Jr's to 6V6 for an increase in reliability never mind tone. So far dozens of cheap-a55 customers have turned down that idea preferring to replace their EL84 every couple of months. Go figure.
My fave guitar/bass tube is KT88. Why mess around? Go for the gusto. Lots of power and all the chunkin' throbbin' bass you could ever want. So much you have to cut it down rather than twist up your bass control and hear a weak blatttt...
KT88 not recommended for install in a Blooze Jr. Your PT will melt.
And yes, woodshed. How do you get to Sydney Opera House? Practice, practice.
I think a lot of issues with the BJr is cramming that 12-inch speaker into a rather small cab. I don't know the dimensions of the grid spacing in a 6V6GT versus an EL84 --- but you can see how close the speaker sits next to the OEM EL84. Where do you put the larger diameter 6V6GTs?
This amp needs the mil spec EL84M (6N14P-EV).
The speaker magnet may be just about slap up to the chassis, but those holes the EL84's fit thru look awful inviting. No 6V6 shoulder tubes of course.
I use JJ el84 in blooze juniors, put in a bias adjust trimpot, and dial Ip down to the high 20's. So far so good. Customers not complaining either about tone or tube lifetime.
ALSO put a rubber grommet in each of the holes in the tube sling, a stretch of heat shrink on the springs, and a dab of JB Kwik epoxy at each end of the sling springs. If one works loose it can go inside and zzzzappp! Little things that add up to better reliability & not having to hear those dinky springs broadcast their racket into the output tubes. Twannngg, doink doink doink, we can do without that. Sounds like ME on guitar.
FWIW there was a Jeff Beck concert @ 40 miles north, a couple years ago. Had his Marshall rig on stage & effects rack too. What was he ACTUALLY playing through? A miami vice aqua Blues Jr. Souped up? Don't know. Dozens of my customers were there and that's the report I got. Me - I had to stay home and grease Wheezer - oops I mean fix amps. One of these days I'll catch Jeff. He's doing shows now with - Brian Wilson ?!? Soon come in Albany NY.
One thing I did learn 40 years ago learning guitar-Its not the guitar or amp that gonna make you sound better.
Buddy,Chuck,Jimi,Jimmy,Pete,Jeff,Keef etc all would sound like themselves thru a Sears transistor amp.
WOODSHED
While I did find the BJR a nice amp when introduced, I went back to a beat up noisy BFDR.
I did over the years put period USA tubes incl(6v6) which added to the cool factor of the amp.
It does seem to inspire more playing.
No...it's not the "best". There is no "best" power tube when it comes to guitar amps. All the common and many uncommon power tubes can be made to sound spectacular in a well thought out circuit design. Try to hear as many as you can and ...let your ears decide.....not the marketing!
jstrm
I built a Fender 5F1 Champ - 12AX7 and 6V6. I wanted to try to get the old Fender sound so I used; cotton coated wire, a 40 year old Australian made 6V6 black glass and 40 year old Australian made 12AX7 and and 5Y3 rec tube. I used a 5H choke (the amp is dead quiet). Also I used hand made beeswax caps (Jupiter's originals no longer made), carbon resistors and even solder from the 60's.I got a very old Jensen 12" guitar speaker with the Alnico magnet.
Play the amp quiet and it is sweet as but wind it up and it growls. It does appear to be the fav. tube (6V6) of a lot of big guitar makers. It does have a special sound. The other I think is a good guitar tube is an EL34.
retro-thermionic
http://www.retro-thermionic.blogspot.com.au/
Mongrel Dog Audio
http://mongreldogaudio.blogspot.com.au/
Sounds nice, is it for sale ?. I live inSydney.
Duffman has asked if my DIY Fender 5F1 Champ is for sale. Yes it is for sale please email me direct. It is at chassis stage but is completely self contained. There are two inputs and an effects loop. The amp can be switched from UL mode to triode mode on the fly.
retro-thermionic
http://www.retro-thermionic.blogspot.com.au/
Mongrel Dog Audio
http://mongreldogaudio.blogspot.com.au/
A little amp porn... Sorry... 8^)
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I have been wanting to try that tweed finish for a while.
retro-thermionic
http://www.retro-thermionic.blogspot.com.au/
Mongrel Dog Audio
http://mongreldogaudio.blogspot.com.au/
OK, This link might be more accessible.
You can really tell how compressed the EL84 sounds at volume, compared to the 6V6GT. Both have a nice unique tone in the right amp setup. Both are great bottles to build an amp around.
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In general, I like the 6V6GT over the EL84 for guitar use. The EL84 does give you a more compressed tone. Really, it depends on the circuitry and iron used. My Matchless Hurricane uses two EL84 in Class "A" -- it has a very big sound. Lot of headroom. As loud as many of my dual 6L6GC Fender amps.The blackface Princeton Reverb that uses the GZ34 rectifier (AA764) has the sweetest tone. Best bass of the 6V6GT amps I own. I sold my BF Deluxe Reverb lone ago... 8^(
Edits: 08/06/13
Yes, I have considered an old Princeton reverb but vintage gear normally requires a bit of refurbishment. I should know I own Quad 57's and a Leak stereo 20 !. However, after saying that, there is a nice looking silverface 70's Princeton at my local guitar shop that might be worth checking out.
Amen to that!
A good Princeton Reverb is hard to beat...and a Silverface can be set up just as good as a Blackface. Great amps with great tone!!!
jstrm
+1This is one amp (along with the Vibro-Champ and Champ) that CBS didn't mess around with the circuitry. Most SF PR's use the original AA1164 circuit. Until late 1970's when they went to the slightly modified "pull-boost" models, with the retro blackface look.
Like I stated before the Princeton makes a great head unit. Sitting on top of a nice 2 X 12 or 2 x 15 cab. Makes the amp much more flexible.
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Edits: 08/06/13 08/06/13
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