Tried some different power tubes in the Einstein...

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GuitarGuyLP

GuitarGuyLP

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JJ E34L biased 65mA - Good crunch, sound pretty good. They are what I put in right when I got it.

JJ KT88 biased 85mA - I didn't like them at all. I can see them sounding good for a tight metal sound, but I like crunch, so they are not for me. They also felt really stiff.

JJ KT77 biased 65mA - Very close to the E34L, but with more punch in the low end, and a bit less high treble. I had to turn the presence up a tiny bit, but even though they are a bit fatter on the high gain channel the bite still comes through, but it is just a bit smoother sounding. Lots of crunch from these as well. My favourite of the three by a long shot :rock:

I hope that the bias was in the proper range for the KT88s, I must say they are a cool looking tube, and I think that if you could mix them with an EL34 they would sound better, but since I only have a 50 watt Einstein I can't test that. Also I think with the price, and hype surrounding the KT88s I was expecting more from them. They will be in the classified section soon (they have blue glass which looks super cool!!!!)

I used my redstar cab with wizards, and K-100s. The guitar I used was a Yamaha RGX-520 with a Motor City Afwayu in the bridge. I hope that this is useful to someone.

Ryan
 
In my Einstein combo, it came from Peter with EL-34's. After they died, I put in KT77's on Olaf's reccomendation and they have the best of both an EL-34 flavor and a 6L6 top end, and tighter bottom. My faves as well.
 
Good info. I run 2xEL34 winged C's and 2XJJ KT77's in my Einstein. I agree totally with your account of the KT77's, I like the mix with a crunchy EL34 in there a little better than the KT77's alone (which I know you can't do on your 50 watter). I also have a set of Gold Lion KT77's which had a slimmer low end and were closer to the EL34's than the JJ's which in this mix I prefer matched up with the =C= EL34's...
 
When I got my Einstein it had el34bhts in it. at the time peter started shipping them with SED 6550. I wound up buying one set of 6550s and mixing them with the el34s.

I haven't looked back since but I really want to try some more tubes.

I'm thinking of kt88 next. what do you mean by crunch in your description? are you referring to the the harmonically rich mids of el34's?
 
After trying different tubes for months, I also found the Kt77s to be the best of everything. Until I mixed them with 6550s..... If you ever get a chance to try the two pairs together, I would highly recommend it! :thumbsup:
 
moltenmetalburn":29xsid2x said:
When I got my Einstein it had el34bhts in it. at the time peter started shipping them with SED 6550. I wound up buying one set of 6550s and mixing them with the el34s.

I haven't looked back since but I really want to try some more tubes.

I'm thinking of kt88 next. what do you mean by crunch in your description? are you referring to the the harmonically rich mids of el34's?
Click to expand...

By crunch I mean kind of like the sound you get from a V30, or a G12H compared to a EM12L. I don't know of a good way to describe it.

Also I think that the 6550s are very close to a KT88. Some websites say 6550/KT88 so I am not sure if there is any difference.

It seems like the KT77s are a big hit in Einsteins :rock:
 
I also use JJ KT77 in the inners and Winged=C EL34 and prefer that combination better than anything else I have tried although I havent tried mixing either with 6550s.
 
I currently have 4 SED "C" 6550s and 2 EL43 in my Herbert and I am very happy with it.
Before, I had all 6550s, but the mix is cooler imo.
Kt77s were also recommended to me, so a mix would be interesting too.
But I think 6550s with kt77s would not be as good as 6550s with el43, because the el43 are stronger in the mids, arent they?
 
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