Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
Honestly the 5150 had some Soldano to it but not much else imo
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Bxlxaxkxe
Amp ho
It does but pretty removed at the same time. More low end, mids sit different. Sort of metallic clank to it - not as bougie sounding as the SLO. It’s cool too I dig it
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
The EVH has way more of that klank fr
shar-vell Dan
Well-known member
Fair enough. Id say the sweet spot for a JMP or SLO is between 4 & 6 on the master depending on venue unless yer gig has the Nazi FOH guy on the board.
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pipboy90
Well-known member
Amps sound the way they do because of the the way the circuit is designed, not the tubes.
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Bxlxaxkxe
Amp ho
Well to be fair, amps that can take different power tubes do show the sonic influence power tubes make. Most common example being rectifiers.
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
Man tell my ears that . My fucking diezels come with those kt77s that sound so dead . Once I got other tubes on it’s drastic and I love what happens . Tubes still matter to my ears
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pipboy90
Well-known member
It has more to do with pot tolerance than the tubes themselves. Meaning: if you have two of the same amp and each has different power tube types, you will be able dial them in to sound almost exactly the same with different knob settings. Give it a try sometime. Dave Friedman has said this on Tonetalk previously.
This is assuming you're not driving the power tubes into distortion, which most people try to avoid nowadays. If you are, then you will hear more of a difference.
It's not as simple as "if I put EL34s in my amp it will sound like a Marshall" or "if I put 6L6s in my amp it will sound like a Fender." You could absolutely make a JCM 800 with 6L6s and have it sound identical to a stock EL34 one. It's how the circuit is designed that matters (and the correct transformers to match the tube type).
In regards to KT77s, I don't like them either for some reason. But I was able to get extremely close in sound by lowering the mids more than I would on my VH4 vs 6L6s. It ended up being a minute difference, imo.
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Racerxrated
Well-known member
Yes and no. The example I'd give would be the 2555x Jubilee reissue. It can take any quad, or combination of 2 different octal tube types. I noticed some pretty clear changes when I ran 6L6, vs 6550s vs 2EL34/2KT90s. It didn't turn it into a completely different amp but you could definitely tell the differences between tube types.
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
6l6s in my diezels are the main thing. They makes all my diezels sound more agressive and tight . Imo
GJgo
Well-known member
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braintheory
Well-known member
It's voiced heavier/more metal, but I wouldn't say necessarily more aggressive, but it depends what kind of aggression you mean. The SLO has more clarity, 3D detail, less compression, more cut, imo definitely the better quality amp when compared side by side, but not as suited for heavier styles of metal beyond the '80's imo, but even if one prefers the Avenger because of that I'd choose other amps if you want something more metal or modern leaning
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braintheory
Well-known member
I have not found that to be the case in my experience. Not that different powertubes radically transformed my amps into something else, but for example, the EL34's seem to consistently bring out a more growly/aggressive quality thought the mid and uppermidrage that I could never match with 6L6's or KT88's in the same amp regardless of bias or settings (those tubes just had an inherently smoother/rounder quality throughout the mids no matter where the eq knobs got set), while 6L6's and 6550's get a nice sparkly/glassy quality in the highs I couldn't achieve with EL34's or KT88's and the KT88's and 6550's just put out sound with noticeably less effort/more efficiency/more muscle. It's for me these inherent timbral qualities that don't get changed with eq settings, at best they can just somewhat approximate, but you may as well just get the right tubes for the sound you want for best results IME
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Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
I love the avenger
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
I used the Avenger on this . On 8 string .
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pipboy90
Well-known member
Bear with me, because now we're getting more technical and I'm not a electronics expert. What you’re most likely hearing in this situation is the power tubes running at different, sub-optimal voltages that lead to significant changes in tone. The 2555x runs a quad of EL34s stock and has a power transformer that is designed to supply those EL34s the voltages required to deliver the feel and sound Marshall wants for those tubes. AFAIK, there are no switches or dials to reduce or increase the voltages supplied to the power tubes in the amp. So in this case, if you put 6550s in, they will operate, but at a sub-optimal level, because they are being fed the same level of voltage that would typically be ideal for 4x EL34s, but not for 4x 6550s to deliver the same sound and output the amp designer had in mind. If the tubes are similar in operating spec then there will be less significant differences in tone.
If anyone has more knowledge in this area, please correct me if I'm wrong.
I feel like this is a good example. I can't hear a difference between the 6L6 or EL34 tubes in this clip.
shar-vell Dan
Well-known member
Guess you've never played a quad of 60's Blackburn Amperex XF2's [that test new] or Phillips 6CA7's.
Yes id agree that there isnt much diference in the average mediocre JJ our Chinx toob.
And yes circuitry is a big part but once you've heard the harmonic overtones of a Matsushita 6CA7 in a JMP or DSL you'll say Ho-Lee-Fuc.
NOS can make a big diference in the preamp as well.
Don't ever say you "wont do something" cuz sooner or later you may find yourself doing it.
Ask Psychodave about the virtues of NOS Phillips 6CA7's he'll tell you.
I can remember when every drugstore in every small town in the USA had a tube tester w/a fresh supply of Phillips / Mullard / Amperex and
other tube goodness was there for the taking.
And what we got now ? Communist & Eastern block countries pandering to USA guitar players with substandard dull lifeless average at best
vacuum tubes with an average life of 1-3 yrs.
Id submit the average JJ or Chinese tube would never pass Mullard or Phillips QC is they were still around.
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SpiderWars
Well-known member
Both amps and both channels of the SLO sound great. There is a certain very slight hollow character with the SLO Crunch that comes out more/less depending on what you're playing and where you are on the fretboard. I'd probably pick the one with the best/most useable loop.
Simon Dorn
Well-known member
That's why i did not keep the SLO. Boosted Crunch is an americanised 2203 and the Lead channel was useless for me, cause it didn't like boosts - at least how i set it up.
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Bxlxaxkxe
Amp ho
I get it. I think that’s what I enjoy about the SLO. I’ve been playing 800s for a while now. Nice change of pace - little more low end and thicker overall. But still very clear while being meaty.