Scott Henderson Discussion

ethel the cat · Joined: 09 Jul 2011 Posts: 2 Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Hi Scott,

I'm looking to get a new amp, tired of lugging around a head and a cab, and was hoping to get your opinion on various tubes and the role that they play in a particular sound. I understand that different amps can sound different with the same tubes based on their individual components, so I guess I'm just looking for generalities in tube sound. Hopefully that makes sense, kind of like a 6l6 vs. 6v6 vs. el84 and so on....

Thanks for all the great music! Hopefully we see you out east (Pittsburgh) soon!

ETC

Scott Henderson · The Man Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 2135

I'm really not a tube expert - I know very little about the different brands. 6L6 is a typical Fender tube - Fenders tend to have a more scooped sound. The notes can be huge but there's lots of bass and it's not often "tight". EL34, 84, 6CA7 are Marshall tubes - there's more midrange and a tighter bass. The Marshall sound works best for me on stage but I use Fenders for layering in the studio. Preamp tubes can last a long time but power tubes need to be replaced every few years if you're working the amp hard. That's about all I know - sorry it's probably not much help.