Preferred Series 7189 (Premium EL84)

If you're a fan of non-Fender, early '60s low-powered American amps (Ampeg, Gibson, Sano, et.al.), but can't quite capture "that sound" in the current crop of EL84 Brit-inspired designs, a set of these little Soviet-era tone bottles might just be the ticket. I'm currently running a #47 "Perfect Pair" (with a trio of matched-section Preferred Series 7025's in the preamp) in my Bugera V22 and, in tandem with the Eminence Swamp Thang speaker I installed at the same time, the tone is strongly reminiscent of the best original blue-check, New York studio "key club" Ampegs: big, bold, clean, and almost 6L6-like in terms of punch and headroom - it'll hang with my 6L6WXT+ Sovtek-equipped Super Reverb reissue with no problem whatsoever (keep in mind that this is a 22-watt, bargain-basement Chinese amp we're talking about here). Definitely not for the metal crowd - you don't really get into the characteristic EL84 power-tube drive until the controls are almost full-up (although they might make a great practice rig for a 7-stringer) - but if you're a country, jazz, rockabilly, surf, or R&B player into old-school tube tone, there's nothing else even close. Every bit as good as the reviews say they are, and highly recommended...

I have a neat bunch of 6973, EL84, and 7189/7189A powered amps. The Vox vintage stuff is out of my price range, but I do have some amps that are dead on Vox knock offs. I shan't mention the names or models here, but these tubes are a delightful blend between a softer Mulllard UK EL84 and the more brash and hard RCA 6BQ5. In my Epiphone model 100 4 watt the Mullard was hi fi clean. The RCA was a bit raunchy but very cool sounding. These are absolutely the best of both combined! They do not do well in the Magnatone Estey M series amps for very long. The B+ can be in excess of 450VDC so these do not last very long. They sound great though!

The Tube Store does a nice job of matching these and culling out the crappy tubes. I am using a curve tracer now, and can attest to this fact. Every parameter is measured and monitored at all times and 10 curves are plotted per tube test. I suppose the JJ EL84 is okay, but these Preferred Series are a true sonic gem.

The Epi is a 4 watt SE with an Amperex 12AX7, Mullard UK 6X4 and one of these tubes in the output. She has a Weber Signature Alnico 10". The tone is wonderful! Not as edgy as the RCA, or Sylvania 6BQ5, and not as soft as the Mullard UK NOS. JJs are too muddy. These are just right! Very bubbly, but not fizzy. If I opted for these over NOS Mullard, RCA, GE, Sylvania, etc. Think about it! That amp was definitely designed with RCAs in mind, but these took some edge off in a beautiful way.

Compared to the stock tubes (SV83) in my 2013 Decware SE84ZS, these provide much warmer sound, slightly slower but with greater amount of (or more noticeable) audible details. Wonderful tonality and "palpability".

I put this into my Bugera V5 with the Preferred Series 7025 preamp tube. I have a new amp. I have always enjoyed the sound of this amp with a JJ ECC83-S and the stock whatever tube. I did not fool around and just re-tubed it with the Preferred Series tubes. I did not want to stop playing it. The inherent darkness has been eliminated and a much fuller tonal spectrum is available with the one tone control. For the sound I want, rich and chimey with delicious compression at low volumes to serious bark when the volume goes up, I love this tube. I see Tung-Sol now has an EL84 tube out. It is probably a great tube. This Preferred Series 7189 is superb. With sound like this the price is reasonable.

Have not had the opportunity to listen to many other EL84s in action as this amp is still quite new (hence the 3.5 stars), but the stock Groove Tubes (Sovtek) are considerably below-grade in tonal qualities to that of the "Preferred Series." Coupled with the addition of the 'BillM Mods' and replacement 'MOD Reverb Tank', I enjoy these tubes. A/B'd the GTs after mods and the "Preferred Series" win hands-down.