While I briefly mentioned some of the various amp designs that different power tubes provide, understanding the overall characteristics of different guitar amp “archetypes” can also make it easier to understand the differences between tube types.īig British rock amps typically use E元4 tubes, and are known for their bold and aggressive rock sounds and higher gain. If you’re looking for an amp to be warm, bright, loud, and not add to much distortion character of its own to your amp, 6L6 is probably the way to go.īecause of their lower distortion characteristics, you can find 6L6 tube amps in higher and lower wattage amps, ranging from 30 watts to 100 watts.
They are also characteristically known for providing a deep and clean low end and a sparkling high end without a big midrange bump.ĦL6 tubes are used in virtually all of the “classic” Fender amps, which are known for their clean tones, as well as in applications in modern high gain amps such as Mesa Boogie amps or the EVH 5150. The 6L6 is a high headroom, high wattage power tube, but it has a significantly different sonic signature to the aggressive crunch tone of the E元4.ĦL6 tubes are known for their clean and bright sound, without distorting nearly as much as an E元4 or EL84. The 6L6 tube is generally regarded as the “American” cousin to the E元4 tube. It is important to note that amplifier designs that employ E元4 tubes are typically large and tend to sound best when they are pushed into loud volumes, so these amps might not be the best for your studio apartment! When pushed, these tubes play a big part in the classic “crunch” tone associated with British amplifiers, with a beefy midrange and lots of low-end. They are known for their very high headroom and high output wattage, with a pair easily being able to push out around 50 watts in a typical Class AB amp configuration.Į元4 tubes are commonly found in and associated with the “classic” big stack British guitar amplifiers, such as high wattage Marshalls, Orange, and Hiwatt.
The E元4 tube is among one of the most used tubes in any guitar amp. (If you’re looking for a decent medium-sized tube amp, check out our guide to the 7 Best 15-Watt Tube Amps!) The E元4 Tube Sound 6V6 tubes are another common type that are used for lower wattage applications and are similarly scaled-down 6L6 tubes and provide a similar sound. EL84 tubes are used for lower wattage amps, typically in the 15 to 30 watt range, but have essentially the same sonic “flavor” as E元4 tubes. In general, E元4 and 6L6 tubes are typically used in higher wattage applications, usually amps that are over 50 watts. That is somewhat true, but in guitar amps we actually like the sound that the tube provides when it is overdriven, so the “best” isn’t so simple. Since these tubes are used to provide output volume to drive your guitar amp’s loudspeaker, it’s natural to think that different tubes would simply provide different wattages to best drive any given speaker. E元4 vs EL84 vs 6L6: Differences Explained We’ll dive into the differences between three of the most commonly used tubes found in power amps: E元4, EL84, and 6L6 tubes. The power amp section of your guitar amp is what actually drives volume into a speaker, which requires a significantly higher amount of amplification power than the tubes used in the preamp.Īs such, guitar amps have a wide variety of even more tubes that are used to power the amp, each with their own unique tone-shaping characteristics. However, guitar amps typically feature two different tube-powered amplifier sections: the aforementioned preamp, and the power amp.
In my previous article “ 12AX7 vs 12AT7 vs 12AU7 Tube Shootout” I explored some of the differences you can find in various tubes used in the preamp section of guitar amps and other audio gear. Can I change one power amp tube for another?.What are the major differences between E元4, EL84, and 6L6 tubes?.Disclosure: We may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
0 kommentar(er)
