So Peter, you did finally switch to 6550 ???

[Joeytpg]

Next time I buy tubes I'll try the 6550, but I believe I'm a 6L6 guy at the end.

 

[GloryHog]

I thought I saw, not too long ago, that Peter had switched to putting KT77's in his amps, or was leaning that way. That was certainly short lived. Was there a problem with the KT77's? I was just thinking of buying and trying a set in my Einstein. Now, I'm scratching my head, as to what would be best. This time a year ago, everyone swore by the Svetlana winged "C" EL34. Now, no one's talking about them. All I do know for sure, is that I hate 6L6's. They (to me) have a real "honk" sound to the individual note articulation, and who buys a Diezel for playing clean now, really? O.K, maybe a Shmidt, now, but these other high gain monsters deserve to be driven hard, not held back.
I must say, I'm a bit surprised that Diezel is going with 6550's now, as I don't hear of many manufacturers using these. We just pulled a set of six out of our Ampeg SVT pro2 bass head. I might have to pop them in the Einstein to give them a test drive. Maybe even a pair of EL34's with a pair of 6550's. Hmmmmmm.

 

[PaulyPanacea]

I recently put the SED 6550's in my Herbert...as Peters recommendation. It was definatly a great move to do so. Tons of headroom. Great tone. Very clear. Not that the EL34/6L6 combo i had in it didnt sound good..these just put some real wind in your sails..if ya catch me. Were a lil bit pricier..but def worth the extra dough. I also biased to 100ma/pr. Nice & spicey!! Think about it..we paid good money for our tone monsters.... why stop @ that!!

I also tried KT77s in the Herbie..they sounded awesome too. Good blend of EL34 & 6L6..really round bottom..like "ghetto booty"!! The quest for tone continues...

 

[MARK2C]

I've got a set of SED 6550's that I was going to retube the Marshall Superbass with. Was gonna try them in the VH4, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I am a 34 kind of guy though. Plate voltage is quite a bit higher for the 6550's. Hope we don't start dumping transformers!

I will probably leave it as it is for a while. We have 5 weekends in a row of gigs starting this weekend, with the exception of the 16th. We are flying to London to see AC/DC and get down into some serious pub-crawling and work on a hydraulic diet .

Steve

The plate voltage is not different. Both the PT and OT were designed to easily handle 6550's.
The filament draw is a touch higher, but not that a Diezel can't handle it with ease.

No offense, but there is no need to start hysteria about transformers with an uninformed statement.
I've been running SED 6550's at 45ma for over a month in the VH4 and I still have both of my transformers
and a wide palette of lows, mids and highs. They are very powerful and have a good effect on reproducing what you
put into them with little coloration. Just lower the Deep knob a bit so their is no testicular trauma.

 

[duesentrieb]

Bias them (480V/35 Watts/62.5%) to 45mA per tube, Chris.

Ah, okay thanks. I think the manual said 40-60 per tube, so I did it right in the middle at 100 each pair. I'll set that back to 90 for each pair, though.

Thanks!

90 is safe and keeps the tubes healthy, still sounds good.
Some time ago Diezel recommended 80 per Pair 6550, then Peter did more tests lately and likes them the best @ 100mA - thats what I've changed in the manuals (at least Herbert if I remember correctly). I myself prefer 90mA in Diezels (tested in an Einstein) for the reasons above: sound and tube life.
In the end its your ears and your money who decides . . .

 

[DvE]

Hey Olaf,

whats the tonal difference between biasing on higher or lower mA?
Can you say, for example, the tone has more byte on the one hand and is rounder on the other one?

Im new to this and interested

 

[duesentrieb]

hotter bias: warmer sound, more compression
colder bias: well, the opposite

if its too cold: nasty distortion, very sterile sounding

 

[DvE]

Hehe, so if you have very low bias you have your Peavy 5150? This thing is sterile as nothing else...

I am more a fan of the byting sound - your tipp in another post to use 12AX7A-C as highgrade version was great for my taste.
Now my Herbie has some kind of VH4-Metallica-feeling on channel 2 but also the killer-lead sound of channel 3

 

[PaulyPanacea]

I biased my 6550s to 100ma/pr and it sounds like Bigfoot creeping up behind ya!! Nice & warm. Punchy!! Not sterile @ all!! Cant wait to hear this amp with the new Diezel cabs!!

 

[DvE]

@PaulyPanacea: Sorry, no offense

I like the sound of a 5150, but some bands could have a little bit more "life" in their sound, even if they play Metalcore stuff (which I love )

 

[r.u.sirius]

Had my Herbert retubed with 6550s by Peter the man himself.
I´m extremly pleased!
Better definition in the lows, growling low mids, beautiful highs and punchy as hell! actually a little bit softer, but still more than enough headroom.
I played some gigs with it and my FOH-tech told me, that he´s never got a better sound from a guitar amp. Diezel frontloaded 4x12" with G12K100 speakers, two SM57s - most of the time he has straight EQs on the desk!



°L|

 

[PaulyPanacea]

No prob man!! i used to have a 5150 & a 5150II. its all in ones taste.

 

[dean_fry]

Please let me write a longer post after the Frankfurt show

have I missed the post or are we still waiting?

But what I heard on the MusikMesse was simply
I'll better start saving...

 

[Bato]

It´s an unbelievable difference between my Herbert and that on i played in Frankfurt. Never herad a setup that sounded better to my ears. It´s a huge soundimprovement. Ok there were no Marshallcabs like mine, but in some other forum´s where people never liked the Herbert are amazed about it sounds now. I mean it´s a huge difference if you are dissapointed or amazed. All the issues they complained before are no more. And thats how i think too. Now i want my Herbert to sound like this one. But the day is coming when Peter and me will meet!

Yes it´s the very first time i heard the amp sounded really open. ANd the first time to hear cahnnel 2- with "normal" EQ settings without being dark and urghh. Now it´s crunch over all cruch sounds with fine, (attention! ) sophisticated highs.

Oh man....can´t wait to get my v30 FL and my "new" Herbert.

So there is nothing more to say. I am truely a EL34 fan, but these tubes are godlike!

AND...wanna know what porn is? No? Take a look in the amp and spectate these fat 6550´s!!!

It´s not Peter Diezel anymore, it´s Tim Taylor from Home Improvement, Tool Time: "More power!!!"

Ok and now I´ll continue counting the days till the D-Day!

 

[DEWD]

Well I tried the SED 6550's in my VH4 and I didn't really dig it. The low end sounded pretty massive and the cleans were improved but it took some of the midrange grind and tightness away from channel 3. Those are the 2 reasons I love channel 3 so I switched back to winged c el34's.

 

[Duolos]

Well I tried the SED 6550's in my VH4 and I didn't really dig it. The low end sounded pretty massive and the cleans were improved but it took some of the midrange grind and tightness away from channel 3. Those are the 2 reasons I love channel 3 so I switched back to winged c el34's.

pre amp tubes???

 

[DEWD]

Well I tried the SED 6550's in my VH4 and I didn't really dig it. The low end sounded pretty massive and the cleans were improved but it took some of the midrange grind and tightness away from channel 3. Those are the 2 reasons I love channel 3 so I switched back to winged c el34's.

pre amp tubes???

NOS RFT in V1 and chinese 9th gen stock in the rest.

 

[Duolos]

Well I tried the SED 6550's in my VH4 and I didn't really dig it. The low end sounded pretty massive and the cleans were improved but it took some of the midrange grind and tightness away from channel 3. Those are the 2 reasons I love channel 3 so I switched back to winged c el34's.

pre amp tubes???

NOS RFT in V1 and chinese 9th gen stock in the rest.

Ahhh.....that will do it. I feel a pre amp tube change will help....my $.02 I find the 6550 tubes to provide tight, crisp, articulate smooth gain and also nice clean tones and no matter what there is a lot of head room.

 

[petereanima]

what preamptubes are used now as stock tubes?

 

[DEWD]

Well I tried the SED 6550's in my VH4 and I didn't really dig it. The low end sounded pretty massive and the cleans were improved but it took some of the midrange grind and tightness away from channel 3. Those are the 2 reasons I love channel 3 so I switched back to winged c el34's.

pre amp tubes???

NOS RFT in V1 and chinese 9th gen stock in the rest.

Ahhh.....that will do it. I feel a pre amp tube change will help....my $.02 I find the 6550 tubes to provide tight, crisp, articulate smooth gain and also nice clean tones and no matter what there is a lot of head room.

Are you thinking it's the RFT or the rest? What pre's come stock now?