Stratoblaster
Fractal Fanatic
I spent a fair bit of time this afternoon cycling through the different power tube types on several different types of amps (Class A/Fender/Marshall/Modern), amps with/without master volumes, tweaking preamp and master volumes for each, and can say the differences between the various tube types is much more pronounced and nuanced in Cygnus...very cool.
It's super revealing in Cygnus to crank/tweak a non-MV amp, say a Deluxe Verb, and hear how differently each tube 'falls apart' when heavily overdriven, their differing clipping thresholds, the clipping character of the tube (harder, softer), and it's overall effect on tone shaping/feel and articulation. There is such a wide range here to discover. Some tubes types sound/clip very similarly when the PA is driven very hard, only revealing individual character when they aren't being hammering to death....some clip faster and are richer with body and harmonics, others less so....it's a dance with many participants and a lot of fun.
You can really vary the tone/feel of an amp quickly, and effectively, by tweaking the tube types, and in a way that may not be possible, or as easy, with other adjustments. Some types suit harder/higher gain tones, some suit single coil, cleaner tones, some are great for rounding everything right off, both in response and attack/articulation. The best one suited for the job depends on the overall tonal objective, type of amp, and punch/compression/feel you're looking for.
I love the 5153 100W Blue/Green/Red amps and they all use the 6L6Gc tube which, I've discovered, is my least favorite tube in the box (that, or the 300B). I change that up to an EL34 now.
My favorites:
6V6
My favorite for single coils, especially for single notes on the neck pickup, for clean-ish, mildly driven/OD bluesy tones.
Punchy, fat, creamy, chewy with a full body and snap which really sings nicely with sweet Fender amp.
EL34
My favorite for punchy, ruder rock tones; it's warm-ish, balanced, with body and an awesome dynamic chewy, harmonic chirp as you dig in more/less.
Other all-around favorites:
6AQ5
6973
I liked these two tubes for their creamy mids, rounded/softer clipping, and how they 'fall apart' just right and 'inoffensively' overall when stressed lol. These are great for a more legato, smoother attack and rounding off higher gain tones nicely and with sweet mids:
6550
KT66
I liked these two for various bluesy/rock/higher gain tones and amps, both with single coils and humbuckers; they are punchy/articulate with body but with a more rounded/compressed tone/feel vs some other types:
Overall, I'm glad I spent some time deep diving into the various types once again and with Cygnus; while the "Pwr Tubes + CF" settings page has a ton of options I'm going to deep dive into over time, simply changing the PA tube type is a very quick and easy way to really fine tune your tone and feel with a given amp. Fun stuff...
It's super revealing in Cygnus to crank/tweak a non-MV amp, say a Deluxe Verb, and hear how differently each tube 'falls apart' when heavily overdriven, their differing clipping thresholds, the clipping character of the tube (harder, softer), and it's overall effect on tone shaping/feel and articulation. There is such a wide range here to discover. Some tubes types sound/clip very similarly when the PA is driven very hard, only revealing individual character when they aren't being hammering to death....some clip faster and are richer with body and harmonics, others less so....it's a dance with many participants and a lot of fun.
You can really vary the tone/feel of an amp quickly, and effectively, by tweaking the tube types, and in a way that may not be possible, or as easy, with other adjustments. Some types suit harder/higher gain tones, some suit single coil, cleaner tones, some are great for rounding everything right off, both in response and attack/articulation. The best one suited for the job depends on the overall tonal objective, type of amp, and punch/compression/feel you're looking for.
I love the 5153 100W Blue/Green/Red amps and they all use the 6L6Gc tube which, I've discovered, is my least favorite tube in the box (that, or the 300B). I change that up to an EL34 now.
My favorites:
6V6
My favorite for single coils, especially for single notes on the neck pickup, for clean-ish, mildly driven/OD bluesy tones.
Punchy, fat, creamy, chewy with a full body and snap which really sings nicely with sweet Fender amp.
EL34
My favorite for punchy, ruder rock tones; it's warm-ish, balanced, with body and an awesome dynamic chewy, harmonic chirp as you dig in more/less.
Other all-around favorites:
6AQ5
6973
I liked these two tubes for their creamy mids, rounded/softer clipping, and how they 'fall apart' just right and 'inoffensively' overall when stressed lol. These are great for a more legato, smoother attack and rounding off higher gain tones nicely and with sweet mids:
6550
KT66
I liked these two for various bluesy/rock/higher gain tones and amps, both with single coils and humbuckers; they are punchy/articulate with body but with a more rounded/compressed tone/feel vs some other types:
Overall, I'm glad I spent some time deep diving into the various types once again and with Cygnus; while the "Pwr Tubes + CF" settings page has a ton of options I'm going to deep dive into over time, simply changing the PA tube type is a very quick and easy way to really fine tune your tone and feel with a given amp. Fun stuff...
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