fuzzyguitars
Active member
aeroic":3jlxxalv said:
where would a quad of tung sol 6550s fit in this list?
where would a quad of tung sol 6550s fit in this list?
aeroic
Active member
fuzzyguitars":2ahphnke said:
Depends on the amp. The above list....like I said...is SPECIFICALLY for the Mod50
Also would depend on the style too.Eric
R
richedie
New member
Like Eric said...it depends on thje amp. I think 6550s make Marshalls sound stiff and a bit too hi fi....kills the Marshall vibe. That was big reason Marshall had to switch back to EL34s back in te day. In the Mod 50, they work well.
aeroic
Active member
richedie":1ehdmb4h said:
Couldn't disagree more on Marshall's w/ 6550s
The JCM800 w/ 6550s was...uhm...LEGEN...wait for it...DARY!! 
Valtiel
New member
aeroic":3aw11jio said:richedie":3aw11jio said:
Couldn't disagree more on Marshall's w/ 6550s
aeroic
Active member
Valtiel":28y720sb said:aeroic":28y720sb said:richedie":28y720sb said:
Couldn't disagree more on Marshall's w/ 6550s
.gif "guitar :m17:")
I love that show!
R
richedie
New member
aeroic":3qjmkczo said:richedie":3qjmkczo said:
Couldn't disagree more on Marshall's w/ 6550s
Really? You tried it? I know back in the 70s I believe? I forget the year(s) but I know Marshall switched to 6550s and people complained for the above reasons and they switched back to EL34s. NOW, I tried older Marshalls with them but I must say Eric...I have not tried the 800 series with a 6550 set so I'll take your word....and maybe I should.
Right now I am in the middle of a little test.....bi-weekly practices and am going through each type of tube, first 6550s, next up are the 5881s and finally the EL34s.
aeroic
Active member
richedie":3fryz0ru said:aeroic":3fryz0ru said:richedie":3fryz0ru said:
Couldn't disagree more on Marshall's w/ 6550s
Really? You tried it? I know back in the 70s I believe? I forget the year(s) but I know Marshall switched to 6550s and people complained for the above reasons and they switched back to EL34s. NOW, I tried older Marshalls with them but I must say Eric...I have not tried the 800 series with a 6550 set so I'll take your word....and maybe I should.
Right now I am in the middle of a little test.....bi-weekly practices and am going through each type of tube, first 6550s, next up are the 5881s and finally the EL34s.
Oh yeah man. I've tried them on about every amp I've ever owned. The Plexi I had w/ 6550s was amazing...the JC800s were awesome...the JCM900 sounded way better...the Silver Jubilees were great!
All depends on how you have them biased...and which 6550 you are using. Some sound better than others.
Reason why they went to 6550s / 5881s was because EL34s were very hard to come by....and were very bad in terms of quality. Sounds an awful lot like today!
Eric
R
richedie
New member
Yea man, I know the story of why they switched.....sort of like today. However, a few of my friends use EL34s in their Marshalls, VHTs, etc and think I am crazy when I say there are reliability problems - so I do think certain amps are more susceptible. I have used EL34s for years, I only had issues when I got the Egnater. In fact I had a Hughes & Kettner at the same time for a while when I got the Egnater. I started going through EL34s in the EGgie, but never in the H&K.
That said, I....being the only guitarist in the band, like a wide tone with lots of girth, a big sound if you will. It appears 6550s are the best with that, thus far.
That said, I....being the only guitarist in the band, like a wide tone with lots of girth, a big sound if you will. It appears 6550s are the best with that, thus far.
R
richedie
New member
Are 6550s considered 6L6 type tubes?
aeroic
Active member
Noperichedie":32viz9lf said:
Resonant Alien
New member
richedie":1a39e70m said:
Below is some info on 6550s I found a while back, originally from a "Rivera Power Tube Guide", though I can't find this document on Rivera's website now.
Rivera Power Tube Guide
6550 & KT-88 Tube (high wattage
The beam tetrode 6550 tubes are tonally similar to the 6L6 with a scooped voiced crystal clean sound. The beam tetrode KT-88 is tonally similar to a KT-66 with a warmer, less crystal clear, sound then a 6550. In a Rivera, four 6550 or KT-88 tubes will produce about 150 to 160 watts. Two 6550 or KT-88 tubes will produce about 75 to 80 watts.
The most common use of 6550 and KT-88 tubes in Rivera amps are for guitarists that need a louder clean tone and do not require a full-bodied distortion tone. When pushed, these tubes do not produce the harmonically rich distortion like lower wattage tubes but tend to stay clean and just get louder. With any increase in wattage, the tone will become brighter, deeper lows, and have a lesser emphasis on the mids. The brightness can easily be compensated for by the use of darker preamp tubes.
In combination with an EVM-12L "Vintage" speaker, the Rivera can by turned into a modern Jazz amp. The distortion is sacrificed, becoming cold and clinical. However, a small Rivera combo will be capable of producing a quality clean tone loud enough for most small clubs without a PA system.
Two other reasons guitarists use high wattage tubes.
First, guitarists seeking to get a Jimi Hendrix sound out of their Marshall amp use 6550 tubes. Jimi switched out the British made Mullard EL34 tubes for American made Tung Sol 6550 tubes. He wanted the tone of a 6L6 to better fit his Fender Stratocaster yet as loud as possible. Jimi did turn up his Marshall amps to 10, but much of the distortion was derived from the preamp section or a fuzz pedal. For those not performing in stadium sized venues, a 6L6 is a better alternative.
Second, shredders like to use 6550 tubes in their high gain amps for the tight exactness to play a billion notes a second.
Here is a link to the full document, posted on gearpedia, which is where I found it... http://www.gearpedia.net/index.php?topic=970.0;topicseen