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Question about Mesa Baron

I have a Baron I bought a while ago. It is a stock model--it does not have the tri-tube mod. I haven't used it for a while, but was thinking of putting it into a second system. I would like to try EL34s in it. According to the owners manual, you can run EL34s in a stock Baron. To be safe, I called Mesa. The guy I talked to there seemed surprised that you could run EL34s in a stock Baron, but after I referred him to the manual, he reluctantly agreed that you could apparently do it. He did recommend against it, though, because it wouldn't sound right--too forward and aggressive, like someone shouting at you (his words).
Anybody ever try EL34s in a stock Baron? Thanks.
oneprof
newbee
4,751 posts
 
yes - i tried it with both tesla e34l's and svetlana el34,s. i got cherry red tubes using the bias meter settings and i had no way to check plate voltage and try to bias in at a setting appropriate to and el34. i went back to 6L6's. if you're looking to smooth out the high end, look into a mod of the cap's. i had a factory mod to wima caps and it helped a lot. that and some new driver tubes really civilized it. i'm not aware of what other caps are available which could be used in place of the wima but i understand there are better caps around.
hackmaster
102 posts
 
A stock Baron cannot take EL34's - but you can have Mesa upgrade the Baron for you to accept EL34's.
jim
418 posts
 
Concur with above. Vast improvement over stock with tri-tube and WIMA mods. Also recommend soft-start mod if you do not have this feature and are sending back for the other mods. Running my CLS's (mains in Mini-Statement system) in 2/3 triode via NOS Amperex 12AX7's and a closely matched twelve-some of Svet EL34's. This amp definitely has more potential beyond the stock confirguration.
oneprof OP
147 posts
 
Thanks guys. Sometimes I think that there's no point in contacting manufacturer's customer service; just ask here!
I'm just curious; do any of your owner's manuals say on p. 16 "Because pin 1 of each power tube socket has been wired to ground, it is also possible to run EL-34's in the Baron". Mine does, and that's why I asked the question. It seems that based on Newbee's experiences, that sentence is at least misleading and maybe dangerous!
newbee
4,751 posts
 
that's why i tried it! sounds like the technician you talked to knew more about the amp than randy. i've found them to be good people and very helpful. bet you learned a bit about tubes from the manual. i did.
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