looking to put el34's in my sl-x

[MajorNut1967]

Mostly JCM 900 DR owners who want to change the voicing but not spend the money it takes to do it!

My rule of thumb is an amp sould sound great when you plug straight in, and if you want to tweak it, then do the mods to get what you're after. I would never waste time and money modding an amp that I didn't like to begin with. It's far easier to buy an amp you like straight off.

As for the SLX, I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle of modding it, but it's a unique Marshall so it's not beyond reason to try and make it even better if you have the cash and like it's voicing to begin with.

Ken

Ah I see. But I wholly agree with you on. "My rule of thumb is an amp should sound great when you plug straight in," that is first and foremost!

 

[jcmjmp]

Ah I see. But I wholly agree with you on. "My rule of thumb is an amp should sound great when you plug straight in," that is first and foremost!

+1

As for EL34s in your SL-X, check out this document: http://www.lydian.ca/Marshall_Misc_files/5881_EL34conversion.pdf

It describes how to convert from EL34<->5881 ( and 6L6 tubes) on the Sl-X.

 

[bennieusmaximus]

That manual is killer.That wil help if the 5881's dont work out.

 

[pinto79]

Sometimes it's difficult to get an EL34 model, like the SL-X for example. Only certain numbers were imported with EL34's, and most were sent to the states with 5881's. That would mean the tireless and long search for a Canadian or UK model; the internet has made the world a smaller place though, so probably not as hard as it would have been 10 years ago. The EL34 swap - at least in the SL-X - is reversible.

I understand what you're saying about chopping up a perfectly good amp though. I have an older 2203 that I cringe even about changing resistors and stuff!

Some time in 1993, Marshall went 5881 across the board due to unstable/unreliable EL34 supply, the UK and Canada included. So for some models there simply aren't many with EL34s to choose from.