EL84 tube amp ?

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

OK, I like Fender amps or amps with the 6L6 power section. Original 1965 Twin, 1970 Duel Showman Head (Blackfaced) 1970's PA 100 completely restored & Pa 135 perfect just the way it is. Fox Vintage amp w/12" tone tubby speakers.

Was and probably will use the PA 100 that was changed to Twin specs with a single Peavey Neo 1201-8
Imagine a sweet twin with 4 channels and reverb in every channel?

I love the above and will own these amps till the cows come home. Issue is weight.

Now, my lap steel amp is a Mesa Transatlantic 15 head that has a 5/15/25 watt setting and I use it on the 15 watt setting. The 25 watt setting is too clean for lap steel and a bit of hair on the 25 watt setting with Pedal steel.

Considering the Mesa Transatlantic 30 for pedal steel that has a 40 watt clean setting with a 3 spring reverb. The TA 15 & TA 30 have an EL84 power section. Both these amps are "Lunch Box Size)

All the demos I have watched on youtube on the TA 30 are cranked on guitar. (no steel demos)

My question is: Do you think I a 40 watt tube amp with 4 EL84 power tubes can handle a pedal steel with out sounding like a vox AC-30?

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

I used my Delta Blues 15 to record with Neil Zaza. I sounded great, but wasn't played loud. There's a little fur. You'll have to listen close, as I was playing a string trio as part of the background texture
One of these should work for you, I clicked "download for this first link, and I think it sounds better than the youtube version.
http://searchmp3.mobi/every-thought-of-you-mp3-neil-zaza

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puov93SDltM

Bill Moran · From: Virginia, USA

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Bill

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Thanks for the input guys. I tried my Vox AC-30 with twin Blue Dog speakers and it broke up way too soon. The Transatlantic 30 is boarderline but the type of gigs I would be using it for are café venues with another guitar player and singer.

I am going to give the TA15 a shot but the local store has a TA 30 coming in (combo) but I will unhook the speaker and plug mine into it.

Thanks,

Lenny

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Bill,
65 watts from EL84s? I think the "65" uses two EL34s, no? The EL84/6BQ5 is a much smaller tube.

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

Highly unlikely that the Music Man is running EL84s.
It would be EL34 and that is a completely different animal. No comparison.

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

I's impossible to make broad statements about this. It depends on how the amp is designed to operate.
I've got a Peavey 50/50 Classic--a rack mount stereo power amp. It's got 4 EL84's generating 50W per side. Pretty loud, pretty clean, even when running just one side. Even when I feed it a pretty hot preamp signal.

But most guitar amps are designed to break up via preamp gain structure and...I really don't know what else.
Bottom line--without personal experience with the amp, I would not want to guess. But I'll guess anyway---I will guess that it does not have sufficient headroom to play clean with a band.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

My Dr Z Prescription uses 4 EL84s, and it's amazingly loud, and pretty clean. Never tried it for steel though. Doc claims it's only 30 watts. The Delta Blues I used in the studio was only turned up slightly above conversation levels. I was set up right next to the recording desk. It could never do steel live. It's designed to breakup like an old Blues amp. I changed the transformers on mine though, so it's cleaner than most. Big old Hammond PT, and a Dr Z OT. Changed it's character quite a bit!

Bill Moran · From: Virginia, USA

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Bill,
The EL34s look similar in size to a 6L6. The EL84s look kinda like a tall 12AX7.
JB

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Here's a couple fun reads from wiki, not too technical. Shows what watts the tubes can produce;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EL84

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EL34

Have a great weekend!
JB

Bill Moran · From: Virginia, USA

John your right. EL34's. I looked at it wrong. Smile

Sorry Len !
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Bill

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Thanks everyone. I have some friends coming over this week and going to test out the Mesa TA-15 on the 25 Watt setting with the 1201-4 neo speaker and my U-12 to see if it can keep up with a bass and lead guitar.

If it hangs in there I will go ahead and get the TA30
and use the watt setting.

I'll report back on how I make out with the TA-15.

I have rack gear also and love the sound but I just can't carry it. This summer will be the first time I have played out on a gig in several years. I feel like a kid again doing my first gig after 50 years of playing.

Lenny

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

A few years back , VHT made an amp that was at the top of everyone's list and won many shootouts .....It not only had tone, but was LOUD and had plenty of get up and go ..... IT was called the Pitbull 50 .......It ran 4-EL84's and had plenty of power and did not sound like a Vox amp at all ...I own many Vox amps with El 84''s and also own this Pitbull 50, and can tell you in all certainty that it does NOT sound like a Vox amp in the least ......Jim

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Guess I need to try my Hiwatt Lead 30 with my steel.

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

Just to repeat my point (and the only reason I mentioned that PV 50/50), much more goes into what determines the sound color and loudness of an amp than just the tube type and tube count. Gain structure of the preamp, output transformer, and other design stuff that I don't know anything about....

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

I used to own a Mesa DC3 combo amp with 4 EL84 power tubes, rated at either 30 or 35 watts. It was great for overdriven tones, and the clean tones with a strat were acceptable. But it was worthless for getting steel guitar quality cleans on either the lap steel or the pedal steel. Plus it was amazingly heavy for being a fairly small amp.
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Joe A. Camacho · Posted 8 Jul 2014 4:20 pm

I remember years ago Eric Heywood used to play through a Vox AC50.

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