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.
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.