I would say that in general I prefer the EL34 in that amp than the 6L6 as I tend to run that side of the amp (it also has an EL84 and you can switch between the 9 pin (EL84) or 8 pin (6L6, EL34) output valves) when I want more gain and a squarer Marshallier sound. The EL84 does a better more Fendery clean but gets a little boomy and muffled with gain, whereas the EL34 is a bit sterile clean (at the volumes I can get away with at home) but handles the gain without getting mushy so between them I have everything covered.
BEST CHOICE! (IMHO, YMMV, etc.)Good choice?
What sounds better for all around styles, EL34 or 6L6. Does PRS offer these options in amps?
Absolutely! Great, great amp.Sounds like the Archon 50 might be a nice amp for gigging at most venues. Great looking amp. Good choice?
PRS amps can sometimes take either tube type with a bias adjustment.
For high-gain amps, the tone is often dominated by the preamp, lower gain amps rely much more on the power amp section. So for Archon, the difference would be more subtle than for a 2-ch Custom or DG.
For me, the question is often, can it cut through a band mix? EL34 has a natural advantage there, as it has a more narrow-band frequency response, but 6L6 amps like Archon can be heavily tweaked with the Depth and Presence controls. So for more modern amps, it probably makes less difference overall.
The place I would recommend 6L6 for sure is if you want HUGE CRUSHING lows. I'd recommend EL34 for Marshall-esque tones.
KT88s = Beast Mode!Very interesting discussions here. Good points all around. Speaking of less common tubes than the 6L6/EL34, one of my favorite amps in the current stable is the Carol-Ann Tucana 3, which uses a pair of KT88s. This is the first amp I’ve owned using those tubes, and man are they nice. They can get quite loud while remaining clear and full, and if you can stand the volume (I use an Ox Box) the response is glorious when they pour on the power. I’ve currently got a set of SED Winged C tubes in, and I love the power of this amp.
I’m no expert on these tubes, but this amp, as a package, is a tone monster. I’ve read a lot on their history, but just don’t see them a lot. Anyone else using KT88s?