Tube shootout: JJ 6V6S, Tung Sol 6L6GC-STR, and Tung Sol 5881 in my Krank Rev Jr.

[Rex Rocker]

Ok… so I'm experimenting with tubes to warm my Krank Rev Jr. up. I settled for JJ ECC83S's in V1 and V2 and a JJ ECC803S for the PI, but I have not decided on a set of power tubes yet.

The Krank is a cool amp to experiment with because it has a cathode-biased power section. The manual states I can just drop in any pair of 6V6 or 5881/6L6 tubes in there without making any adjustments. However, the headshell is really small, so I'm pretty limited when it comes to choices of 6L6's.

I have tried a pair of JJ 6V6S, Sovtek 5881/6L6WGC, Tung Sol 6L6GC-STR, and Tung Sol 5881. I was going throw the Sovteks in this shootout as well, but unfortunately, I dropped one and destroyed it when doing this shootout, so they didn't make it.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/315457/JJ6V6SvTungSol6L6GC-STRvTungSol5881.mp3

Same settings and mic position for all. I reamped the same performance too. First is the JJ, then the TS 6L6, and last the 5881. So I mixed them to more or less the same level so that they could be compared more directly. The 5881 was way louder than the other two. I did it by ear and quickly, so it may be a bit off, but if you'd like, I can upload the tracks unmixed. I also have high shelf just dropping 1dB in the high-end because I dialed in the amp for the warmest-sounding tube and the rest sounded way too bright, lol.

 

[Red Phoenix]

The difference here is really minimal. I only hear a very very little more higher mids with the Tung Sols. And i can't notice a difference in transients/dynamics/amp reactions..
Too bad that you dropped the sovtek..i would have been curious to know if the sovteks would have made this amp more muddy.

 

[Rex Rocker]

Thanks for listening! Do you think it's muddy right now? Keep in mind the guitars are quad-tracked.

Actually, from memory, the Sovteks were the harshest and most scooped of the bunch. Not muddy at all.

 

[Red Phoenix]

No, yours is totally clear. But after my powertubes in my 5150 got fried i put sovteks in and since then it's way muddier to my ears than before. But i can't compare it and i don't know what brand the old tubes were because the labels on it were gone long before.
When you say sovteks are the most scooped ones then maybe i perceive them as more muddy compared to more mid focused tubes...i would buy tubes from every brand to test but i'm on a too tight budget..i only buy new tubes when they are dead

 

[Metal Overload]

Loop boost engaged? 5881 sounds the best for me, difference is subtle but last clip sounds fuller.

 

[Rex Rocker]

I think the Sovteks were a bit more nails-on-chalkboard-y. I didn't think they were muddy, personally, just like mega-uber-aggressive in the high-mids, which I found a bit overkill on the Krank, which is already an attack-y, aggressive amp. They also seemed drier and more straightforward... so not muddy to me, personally, just not as full/warm. FWIW, I dug them better than the JJ's.

Metal Overload, sí, el boost del loop estaba prendido y el knob estaba justo a la mitad y el master volume también estaba a la mitad.

In the room, I think the difference is less subtle because the difference in volume is pretty big, especially between the Sovtek and TS 5881's (louder) and the JJ 6V6's and TS 6L6's (quieter)... funny because the 6L6 is supposedly the highest-powered tube.

 

[Metal Overload]

Yo también uso el boost a la mitad, suenan muy bién los clips, el mío ya necesita un cambio de bulbos.

 

[Rex Rocker]

Gracias, man. Yo el problema que tenía (y sigo teniendo un poco) con el mío es que siempre pensé que los agudos sonaban un poco demasiado agresivos, pero los JJ ECC83S en el preamp y los Tung Sol en el poweramp ayudan. Probé también el Sovtek 12AX7LPS que siempre recomiendan para el phase inverter y sonaba un poco más cálido que el JJ ECC803S que tengo en esa posición ahorita, pero después de un rato empezó a hacer mucho feedback.