JJ ELectronics EL34II Power Tubes 

EL34II also known as the EL34 2

All tubes are matched and tested

The El34 II has received some great write-ups on how well they perform in not only guitar amps but HIFI systems.

A.F. OUTPUT PENTODE

EL34 II has fuller low mids and low end but does not lose headroom in the high end. Stronger than regular EL34 but not as aggressive as the E34L.

The new JJ EL34 II and the standard JJ EL34 appear to be similar and whilst they are 100% interchangeable the viewing of the EL34 II reveals a different, narrower plate structure. This allows for a tighter, creamy overdrive distortion at a lower overall volume level.

If you're looking to tame a loud EL34 amp slightly and have easy access to power tube distortion, this just might be the tube for you!

So now you know, one of the best kept secrets in the tube market. I highly recommend trying these tubes.

In addition, I have found some great sound utilising a 12AX7 ECC823 in conjunction with these tubes, I placed the ECC823 the V1 slot and swapped out my EL34s for the new  EL34 II tubes.

Remember: Sound is personal - I do feel this helped me to achieve a creamier, smoother sound more aligned with my preference or at the very least, it helped me tame my hand built 2204 to some degree.

Want to know more?

All tubes are tested and matched (even the singles are separated matched pairs)

A beam pentode tube with an octal base, the EL34 tube (valve) is one of the original workhorses for musicians and HiFi aficionados.  Developed in the 1050's by Mullard they soon become very popular with audio manufacturers 

What equivalents exist?

EL34 tubes are equivalent to

• 6CA7 developed by Sylvania to be compatible with the EL34. 
• KT77 GEC originally developed this tube to rival the EL34 and some say its the best version of all the EL34 models
• CV1741 is a NOS version of the EL34 range.

What should I use in my amp?

There is no easy answer for this, ""sound is personal"" as I say again and again.

I personally think the EL34 range work across both guitar amps and Hi-Fi units whereas the 6CA7 and KT77 are slightly better suited for HiFi units.

Why? Simply the 6CA7 and KT77 tubes have a bigger bottom end, they are more open in their sound whereas the EL34 tend to be a bit more focused.

Whilst all will work, you will find that more guitarist use El34 tubes and more HiFi enthusiasts tend to buy KT77 or 6CA7 tubes,

For more information try reading this Wikipedia page