Just the Luxman ones that came with the amp Paul.
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Worked my way through a fair few modern EL84s - and admittedly over a decade ago - and never found anything I liked better than the Russian export-grade stuff:
Cyrillic ---- / ---- Western
6Š14Š-ŠŠ / 6P14P-EV
6Š14Š-ŠŠ / 6P14P-ER
Both sounded the same to me, but EV should last longer.
They are super-quiet, clean, clear, and can be run hard as hell if your amp so demands (mine did). Also very long-lived - never, ever failed on me.
They were also cheap back then, now itās a case of take the pain and buy from somewhere reputable - I really rate Tube Amp Doctor.
I thought Mullards were very overrated, but even 15 years ago there were shedloads of fakes around, so I may never have actually heard a set!
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I run a LeakST20 and it likes a Mullard in first ECC83 spot. Concur with Russian El84s.
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Almost there now. The PIN wiring to the XLR connector has been established, so all I need to do is a bit of soldering. Having had a good search of the garage, I found my soldering bat, but itās fucked. The tip hasnāt merely oxidised, it looks like itās just been retrieved from the wreck of the Titanic (it was a bit shit even when new - Maplin cheapo thing). The temperature knob is also done for.
A new soldering iron will be needed, but Iāve no clue what to get. If it helps, the only soldering I have done (or am likely to do) is speaker cable to plugs (and this job, which is basically the same thing). Once Iāve soldered this XLR connector, the iron will likely go into the garage, where it will live for years until I need it again.
As cheap and simple as will do the job.
Any recommendations?
Cheers
Aldi/Lidl seem to frequently have them.*
*I have never soldered anything so what do I know.
In this case, never having done it before does not preclude knowing more about it than I do. I am to soldering what a man with no arms is to, erm, soldering.
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Something retro, an Aiwa AD-F460. Got a case of old demos to go through. Havenāt listened to some of this stuff for decades.
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Just found a Sonice tube kit box in my loft - Has a set of four 6P14 - J in EL84 type
plus a pair of signal valves 6n3 and 81 on Iām guessing an ecc81?
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It might be obvious, but see if you can borrow one.
Antex.
I had that tape deck. I liked it a lot. Solid.
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Good idea.
But that would entail having friends of the type who own a soldering iron.
My friends tend to be the sort who either have no use for one, or hope to borrow one on the rare occasion they need it.
Funny how that worksā¦
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just bought a cheap but well-reviewed one on Amazon.
It only has to work long enough to solder six small wires.
What could possibly go wrong?
Also invested in a helping hands thingy, as I only have two hands of my own (and they donāt work as well as they once did). One to hold the iron, one to hold the solder and one to hold my vape (sorry, I meant the XLR connector thing).
Try and get some practice on some scrap bits and bobs before you attack the bit that matters 
Ha! Itāll all be scrap by the time Iām finished. Combine that with the inevitable burns and swearing and I might as well just bin the lot now.
But I shall persevere, because I am not a quitterā¦
Just stupid.
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All the ingredients a meat man needs to make life tasty.
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I admire Stubborn 
(Usually as I step carefully around its still-smoking remains.)
Yeah, most of my projects end that way. I donāt mind, as long as people donāt step on me as they walk past.
Amazing what they can do for electrical burns these daysā¦
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The fact Iām here and typing with most of my fingers is proof that these āepisodesā are survivable - bonne chance!
Soldering iron and third hand thing have arrived.
This looks and feels remarkably solid for the price (Ā£10):
As for the soldering bat, well, you do get a lot for your Ā£14. As long as it does this one job for me, it will have paid for itself. Amazonās returns policy will be tested if it doesnāt. We shall seeā¦
I will update later (assuming Paul isnāt examining my charred remains by then).
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