My experience with EL34's in the Electra Dyne

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Hollis

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I've been curious about EL34's in my Electra Dyne for a long time, so I finally pulled the trigger and ordered two pair from Sweetwater. At $59/pair they weren't cheap! So, $118 and a few days later they arrive, and I toss 'em in. They were all color code: GRY, by the way.

Results:
They gave a lot more "chimey-ness" to the high end. On the clean channel, the sparkle was gone, and replaced by chime. Like the high frequencies shifted down a bit. If you hit the strings too hard, look out, ice pick to face! Ouch! Painful :(
The gain channels had some pros and cons. With 6L6's, Vintage Lo has a huge low end that can get a bit out of control with some guitars, say a LP neck pickup. The EL34's totally remedied that little issue. The high end suffered. With 6L6's the Electra Dyne blue mode has that "sting" to the high end, yet so musical and not at all offensive. Like with the clean channel, the highs were shifted lower and the "sting" that I loved so much was now raunchy and Marshall-esque. If you love old Marshalls, you'll be a fan of EL34's in the gain modes of the Electra Dyne.

I put my old 6L6's back in and was immediately happy with the tones. Again, if the Marshall raunchyness is your bag, then I definitely recommend the EL34's for your Electra Dyne. But what I've always loved about this amp is the huge, high-powered Fender clean channel, and the gain channels that are Marshall-esque, but smoother, less raunchy, more bottom end. The gain characteristics are all Plexi. The way it breaks up, the touch sensitivity, etc., but with the aforementioned Mesa characteristics. I think I remember Mesa/Boogie describing it as a leather-wrapped baseball bat, or a velvet hammer. To me it's absolutely perfect. 6L6's for me, but the EL34's have their merits as well, and I can see how some folks like 'em, especially if they've played Marshalls for years or if that's the tone they're seeking. Now what am I gonna do with these EL34's? Maybe I'll buy a Royal Atlantic or a Friedman Small Box in the future and I can use them then lol.
 
I liked EL34s, but I went back to 6L6s because I felt the tone was more unique.

It's the same with the MC90 (I have the 1x12 combo). I prefer the ED through V30s, but I left the MC90 in it because it was more unique with it.
 
v30s + EL34s would definitely sound iconic (derivative)? I leave the 6L6s in because of those wicked cleans and I use the c90 because it makes for a really unique sounding amp. I realize I'm just echoing what screamingdaisy said but having an amp that sounds like no other is a really cool thing.
 
My experience with EL34 is pretty much the same. Clean looses out big time. Vintage lo gets more focused in the low end with more gritty punch like a JCM800. I feel though that it looses some of the sizzle that I hear with a Plexi. If IRC the early Plexi amps came with KT66 tubes and not EL34s.

I always thought the ED was about vintage tone from the 50s and 60s and does a great job of it. The RA is a more modern vintage and really nails it. What is interesting with the RA is that the clean tone is fantastic with EL34s and doesn't really improve with 6L6s installed, but vintage lo really takes a hit.

So for me 6L6s stay in the ED and EL34s in the RA. If I ever get the right switch gear I think a dual head ED and RA would be my ultimate gig machine.
 
Well...tone is subjective, as they say. I still prefer my Dyne with EL34's in it. I've been using Tung-Sol EL34Bs ever since I first re-tubed the amp when I bought it. I did venture out and try Mullards, but the Tung-Sols had more shimmer to the high end. Ah, well...it's just what my ears like. 8)
 
That's cool. The Tung-Sol's might make an improvement in my amp as well. If I run across some I'll try em out. One thing we can all agree on is that this amp is something special. I played a $3000+ Friedman the other day and I honestly greatly preferred my Electra Dyne. I did like how the Friedman Small box's clean channel would break up with the gain dimed, though.
 
I also have a Road King I, and even though that amp has way more options and gain, I still prefer my Dyne! There is just something magical about this amp that none other has matched yet.
 
YellowJacket said:
v30s + EL34s would definitely sound iconic (derivative)? I leave the 6L6s in because of those wicked cleans and I use the c90 because it makes for a really unique sounding amp. I realize I'm just echoing what screamingdaisy said but having an amp that sounds like no other is a really cool thing.

Interesting, lately I've been curious to try the C90 speakers with my 'Dyne. I think that's what was in the very first one I ever heard (it was a 1x12 combo I believe), but the only speakers I've had since I bought the head were the V30s that came in my 2x12 Recto cab. The combination definitely sounds great but I can't help but feel like the combo I tried sounded slightly better. I seem to recall the cleans were cleaner and the gain channels were heavier, but that could just be my imagination.
 
My student has EL-34s in his Electra Dyne and he has a 2 x 12 Rectocab. It sounds absolutely killer and I really love it. The clean is still very good.
 

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