I own a 1999 el34 silver chassis a greenback 2006 6l6, and kt88 20th anniversary from 09. They are all great, the KT88 has more balls and punch and like you said hi fi quality, the el34 model is definitely the more mid focused and I’d say the 6l6 tube version is somewhere in the middle of both. I love the KT88 version personally the most but I play hard rock/metal stuff and it fits very well for it. They are all awesome, but that KT88 with a boost in front rips like no other imo. The shiva is definitely my favorite amp if you couldn’t tell by me having 3 😂
For me, with the Shiva, it's KT88's every single time, by a mile. The EL34's have more mid-range emphasis which makes them warmer and gives them a kind of vocal quality that cuts through. But man those KT88's just sound massive. They sound bigger, slicker, wider bandwidth, and have more clarity all around.
Thanks for this video demo. I am with you and prefer EL34s. It's a feel and creaminess in the midst that I do not like with the KT88s. Have you tried 6CA7 tubes which supposedly blend the EL34 and 6L6 characteristics. I'm a big Cantrell fan like you and have this amp. I prefer the EL34 or 6CA7, KT88s work better in a metal band but I still miss the creamy mids when it;s time to play leads or any single note lines. Check out the Revv Generator Mark III. I love it as much, if not more than my Shiva 20th.
Hi Paul, thanks for checking out the video. I took the amp to an amp tech as I'm not savvy enough to do it. The tech did say there was a few component changes that were needed for him to bias it but I so not know the specifics, sorry. Sounds killer with EL34s though.
I own a 1999 el34 silver chassis a greenback 2006 6l6, and kt88 20th anniversary from 09. They are all great, the KT88 has more balls and punch and like you said hi fi quality, the el34 model is definitely the more mid focused and I’d say the 6l6 tube version is somewhere in the middle of both. I love the KT88 version personally the most but I play hard rock/metal stuff and it fits very well for it. They are all awesome, but that KT88 with a boost in front rips like no other imo. The shiva is definitely my favorite amp if you couldn’t tell by me having 3 😂
Great demo and excellent playing bro. They both sounded awesome. I’m considering buying a bigger and will most likely choose the KT88 version
Thanks for the kind words man. The KT88 is a beast. It is one hell of an amp.
For me, with the Shiva, it's KT88's every single time, by a mile.
The EL34's have more mid-range emphasis which makes them warmer and gives them a kind of vocal quality that cuts through. But man those KT88's just sound massive. They sound bigger, slicker, wider bandwidth, and have more clarity all around.
The KT88's sound fuller to my ears, but perhaps the EL34's would cut better in a live context.
Thanks for this video demo. I am with you and prefer EL34s. It's a feel and creaminess in the midst that I do not like with the KT88s. Have you tried 6CA7 tubes which supposedly blend the EL34 and 6L6 characteristics. I'm a big Cantrell fan like you and have this amp. I prefer the EL34 or 6CA7, KT88s work better in a metal band but I still miss the creamy mids when it;s time to play leads or any single note lines. Check out the Revv Generator Mark III. I love it as much, if not more than my Shiva 20th.
I have owned both. I still own the EL34 head.
What mods / adjustments did u need to do to allow you to change tubes? I didn’t realise the 20th could take EL34’s!
Hi Paul, thanks for checking out the video. I took the amp to an amp tech as I'm not savvy enough to do it. The tech did say there was a few component changes that were needed for him to bias it but I so not know the specifics, sorry. Sounds killer with EL34s though.
34s cut through more
34s
Thanks for checking out the video. I am with you👍