KT88's any good for guitar?

[dcribbs1412]

Just wondering if anyone could
comment on any KT88 circuits
do big bottles sound sweeter?
Just looking to do something different

D

[sepulchre]

I use a KT88 in a single ended design. It sound Great! But in my design the tube is not pushed anywhere near distorting; all of that is done in the preamp. I have not tried pushing a pair (push/pull) hard but I have read that they are really best for running clean, at least in the power amp section. That is, they're not noted to have good tone when over driven, but are known to reproduce what is given to them well (with no embellishment). I read somewhere that they tend to be on the harsh side when pushed. However I reiterate, I have not tried it so maybe someone else would have more info.

There are "big bottle" that do indeed sound sweet. When you say "big" do you mean larger than say a 6L6, EL34 or KT66? All of those ring very sweetly when properly tickled.

[Gaz]

I read somewhere (maybe Andy Le Blanc?) that a KT88 in cathode bias with no NFB is the closest sounding thing to an EL84 (assuming they are being driven equivalently). Wherever I read it, it was purely anecdotal, but it sure was intriguing!

[Reeltarded]

That Redplate Astro with a pair of 88s sounds fantastic, but I never hit the output hard enough to make it move at all.

The only other amps I have ever used with them are not the best amps I have ever heard by any means, at all.. I always wish it was el34s in there. Always, except Fenders.

[Stevem]

88s are like a big EL34,as is the KT90 and KT 120.
The 6550 can sound harsh for hard driven distortion tones if not run in pure class A or used for clean Bass guitar reproduction as far as my two cents is worth!

[Leo_Gnardo]

KT-88's hell yeah! Some of my customers prefer the tone, once they're introduced to them. Works terrific in the THD Flexi-50, just about all of the old Marshalls, HiWatts, Sound City, Traynor & similar amps. IIRC many of the original VHT amps were delivered with KT88s. Fat tone in a fat bottle. Good stuff! Treat your ears to some.

[10thTx]

There is a thread on the Hoffman forum along with schematics & videos about the Major Marshall which uses KT88's along with a proposed schematic and layout for a "mini" Major Marshall. Also a TAG thread

https://tubeamparchive.com/viewtopic.php?t=25917

http://el34world.com/Forum/index.php?topic=17548.0

with respect, 10thtx

[10thTx]

I found the video I liked with Marshall Major using KT88's

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=88OsNq0cAIk

[matt h]

(deleted)

[Reeltarded]

Bottom head is louder. Top head sounds lots better.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Bottom head is louder. Top head sounds lots better.

Do one of them have sKaTey-88eys?

I agree, Marshall slant cab on it's side is the best position. But the amps too?

[dcribbs1412]

I found this video of an amp that
uses KT88's and has 23 watts output?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGdZ1-tDtJ8

sounds decent.....is he just running lower voltages and biasing cooler?





D

[cbass]

Not sure maybe low voltage cathode biased . perhaps running them as a triode

[Reeltarded]

I ain't never liked no triode output. Never. It sounds like nothing ever happened.. like when someone is called before a senate ethics committee or something... I mean or nothing.

[cbass]

I don't like triode output either I was just enbisiong a way to make 23 watts with pair of 88s
Assuming they are push pull