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As much as pre-amp tubes color your sound, the power tubes have more impact on your overall sound because of how they handle what the preamp tubes give them. In addition, because they are handmade from different countries and different materials, the same type of tube can have different characteristics. The following is a list of the different types and what you can generally expect from them sonically along with a sound file demonstration.
1) 6V6 is know for sweet overdrive (or breakup) at low volumes and is found in the Fender Champ, Princeton and Deluxe as well as Gibson’s GA6 (in my opinion the best (and beast) of the bunch)
2) EL84-also known as 6BQ5 and 7189 is the heart of Vox’s AC30 and has a warm, rich tone with tons of sustain and top end chime (think Brian May)
3) 6L6—found in most Fenders over 40 watts has a “glassy” or “airy” sound
4) KT66—direct replacement for 6L6—buttery top end , looser bottom and is primarily responsible for Eric Clapton’s “Beano”-era Bluesbreaker tone.
5) EL34/KT77—Marshall/HiWatt tone The KT77 can replace the 6L6 for a more “British” tone
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