Best EL 34 for vintage 70's Marshall

[JLH]

What brand of tube are you all replacing your early 70's Marshalls with. I need to replace power tubes and also am going to re tube the preamp section, whats the best tube for this?

 

[Lowdown]

Depends on what you want to spend/need and how you run your amp.

Try some NOS pre's first. Mix and match different grades then work up to your powertubes.
This is where you can blow easily a lot of money.

So,what are you putting them in exactly and how do you use the amp?

 

[bufbills]

You didnt give us much, but for vintage EL34s, I like Mullards and RFTs.Teslas are nice as well. I LOVE Amperex brownbase.

For new production, the SEDs are hard to beat.

Vintage 12ax7s, Mullard, Amperex, and GEs are very nice. Old Mullards seem to have been made for Marshall amps.

 

[Swampsnake]

Seimens/RFT's or Tesla(not to be confused with JJ) for me. For preamp I like old Mullard 161 or 163 in V1.

 

[Chop'emDown]

You didnt give us much, but for vintage EL34s, I like Mullards and RFTs.Teslas are nice as well. I LOVE Amperex brownbase.

For new production, the SEDs are hard to beat.

Vintage 12ax7s, Mullard, Amperex, and GEs are very nice. Old Mullards seem to have been made for Marshall amps.

I have an Amperex brownbase EL34 XF4 - KILLER tube!!!

 

[Splattle101]

SED (i.e., Winged C) for the output valves.

Whatever you like for the preamp. What will sound good will depend on what you're reaching for.

 

[Gryphon]

+1 on the SED Winged C's. I have a later model, the JCM900 MkIII, but with the Winged C's the tone is wicked (even when its in triode mode!)

 

[Quill]

Here's another vote for the Winged C's. I asked this question myself, a couple years ago, right on this forum - and I got a lot of suggestions from experienced players who don't seem to be around much anymore ... almost all suggested the Winged C's. I tried them - not in an old Marshall, but in a great amp in its own right - and they really worked out well, and are still working well, two years later (moderate but fairly intense usage). Quite reasonably priced, too.

 

[tazzboy]

I went with Bob at eurotubes.com recommendation of JJ E34L cause they have a tighter low end sound.

 

[Riffraff12571]

I tried EH 6CA7's and liked them too but the Svet's were my favorite.