Back to 5881s...

  • Thread starter Thread starter EWSEthan
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EWSEthan

EWSEthan

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After getting my Bassman, I tried to do the EL34 thing since I was using the SL2 mostly and I figured I might as well go all British! I thought I liked it for a little while. Then at my last rehearsal, my bandmate and I noticed a definte lack of balls, punch, and "oomph" that we previously loved with my rig. I put back in the 5881s, biased at 34mV and WOW, its a huge difference. He's a EL34 die-hard but he even agrees that 5881s are the way to go with the MOD 50. Nothing can match the clarity, punch, balls, tightness, headroom etc you get with 5881s in this amp. Holy hell I cant wait to get some tonight and play!

FYI - Im also back to EG5 so my main setup is now BMan / EG5 with 5881s. DAMN what a combo!!!
 
Hey Bro -

so would you say that the EL34's break up faster - have more sag. Can you get a good clean sound out of your bassman channel A using the 5881's? I need a compressor in order to get the Bassman to go clean - but I am using El34's. Was thinking about switching to the 5881's.
 
spakuloid":e6aeb said:
Hey Bro -

so would you say that the EL34's break up faster - have more sag. Can you get a good clean sound out of your bassman channel A using the 5881's? I need a compressor in order to get the Bassman to go clean - but I am using El34's. Was thinking about switching to the 5881's.
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Spak,

Totally dude. I know what youre tallking about. With the EL34s there is definitely more sag and the cleans break up earlier. In addition, there is less overall volume on tap. I really had to crank my master to over 3 oclock to be heard over my drummer (who hits like Tommy Lee). I usually run it at 2 oclock at rehearsals with the 5881s. This makes sense because I think I remember reading somewhere that the head gets more wattage out of the 5881s.

Basically 5881s are the only way for me to go because I like a pretty clean clean and I use pretty hot pickups. With EL34s, I really have to crank the channel master for my cleans to match my high gain channels because I have to keep the clean channel's gain so low. This in turn makes my effects clip and its a total pain. I can get a pretty clean clean with the 5881s and not overpower my effects though.

Regardless, I find that the tone is much improved with the 5881s for the kind of hard rock/pop that Im playing in this band. If you like alot of sag maybe its not for you, but if you want alot of headroom, and a real thick, defined, crisp sound.... 5881 is the way to go (The Tung-Sols are great). it was a fun little experiement, but Im telling you, the 5881s are fantastic.
 
Now Jeff ... that wasn't very nice. :no: ??????????

Any way, back to our regular conversation ...

I hear that dude. I blew up a 5881 and drifted to the dark side temporarily. When I got my new set I noticed the same thing. Awesome tone returned! Bassman gets a killer clean tone on A with the 5881, way better than the with EL34's I thinks. I have a compressor on teh way to check that same thing out. I think it wil help a lot.
 
spakuloid":d1a8a said:
??? :confused:
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"Lickme" is my nickname at Egnater (and in junior high school 15 years ago)... Basically, if you say my last name really fast it could kinda sound like that. So, jeff was just saying he received a package I sent him. :lol: :LOL:
 
No worries. Thanks for the great info. I'm buying a quartet of 5881's right now. Sounds like it is just what I am looking for. I hate the sag. Like the snap.
 
3 Mile Stone":6446a said:
Now Jeff ... that wasn't very nice. :no: ??????????

Any way, back to our regular conversation ...

I hear that dude. I blew up a 5881 and drifted to the dark side temporarily. When I got my new set I noticed the same thing. Awesome tone returned! Bassman gets a killer clean tone on A with the 5881, way better than the with EL34's I thinks. I have a compressor on teh way to check that same thing out. I think it wil help a lot.
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I was surprised to see how much better I liked the Bassman with 5881s myself. I expected EL34s to be king with that mod but nope. I could probably benefit from a compressior on channel A still too, but with the 5881s I can get it clean enough while still not running the channel master too high that it overpowers my TimeFactor.
 
spakuloid":eecb2 said:
No worries. Thanks for the great info. I'm buying a quartet of 5881's right now. Sounds like it is just what I am looking for. I hate the sag. Like the snap.
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I think you're going to love them. Make sure you bias them on the higher end of the recommended values. Did you go for the Tung-Sols? I think they are way better than the Sovteks.
 
Honetly I am a nice guy! :no: Just freaked out since our packages arrived in Cali at 10:30 and no one knew where they were!
 
Cool stuff. I just popped a set of 34's in and am loving life! Even with the T/D and SL2. Ain't it fun just to play like this though?? :thumbsup: I think sometimes I just need a change up...pop in a new set of something and bingo! Fresh Rock and Roll :rock:

Matt, you ever try the JJE34L's? They have more headroom than the regular 34 so you get that louder punchy thing with them too. I have a set of those that are fun.

Too bad I don't like the Mod 50 very much........!! :lol: :LOL: :D
 
No mine are Groove Tubes and I dont know what they really are, but they aren't JJs. Ive tried JJ preamp tubes in my SLO at one point and found them a little abrasive. Id be willing to give it a shot, but I cant imagine anything sounding better than these Tung-Sol Reissue 5881s right now!

SL2 did sound bitchin with the 34s, I will concede that!
 
JJ has a regular EL34 and an E34L which has about 20% more headroom. They just give yet a different feel/tone. I've always liked the JJ power tubes but haven't been real fond of the pre's either. They are ok, but I prefer Tung Sol, Chinese and EH's.
 
Jeff Hilligan":5f18f said:
Honetly I am a nice guy! :no: Just freaked out since our packages arrived in Cali at 10:30 and no one knew where they were!
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Somebody probably saw that they said Egnater on them and stole them!
 
Jeff Hilligan":32066 said:
Honetly I am a nice guy! :no: Just freaked out since our packages arrived in Cali at 10:30 and no one knew where they were!
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I thought that only happened in Berkley MI. :D
 
They all have been found, thank god! Ya only packages going to Berkley get lost then found like 4 weeks later!
 
Jeff Hilligan":195dc said:
They all have been found, thank god! Ya only packages going to Berkley get lost then found like 4 weeks later!
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Unless they are from Lickme... Then they magically get found the day they arrive!
 
Yes, the TungSol 5881's are the bomb with the Bassman. As for the preamp tubes in this module, I use a Chinese 7025 and a JJ803, and I put a GE 5751 in the V1 spot of the M4 chassis. This combo gives me a great Bassman tone both in channel A and B, pure heaven. So I use these TungSol 5881's on one channel of my RT2/50 and EL34 tubes on the other channel.
 
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