On 6V6GT tubes?

[catnine]

In my AA764 champ build I was using an old RCA 6V6GTA and just installed a JJ 6V6S sounds better at least tighter . In my 6G2 /5E3 build I have JJ 6V6s 's in there too , never tried anythig else.

I have read good and bad things about EH6V6's and also wondered about Ruby 6V6GTBC with the black coated bottles. Has anyone tried the Ruby's .

I can't afford to go with NOS of the new tung sol 6V6's I read now are the top tube in this type.

I don't want to lose the bottom end the JJ's seem to have . The only other 6V6's I have tried were sovtek and they sounded ok and old RCA 6V6GTA and both were in a 77 music master bass amp .

The thing that really bugs me about JJ 6V6's is can't they at least get the bottle close to being straight with the base? They sound fine and it's not a visual thing really but when I see them I always have the urge to look to see if they are seated proper even though they have the bear claw holders.

I have a pair of JJ 6L6's I used in my 6G2/5E3 build and they are straight , I also used EH 6L6's which never seem to come out as a matched set , some are 1/4 inch taller than the other but at least they are straight with the base. I had a pignose GV-40 that really had some cheap chinese tubes one shorted and took out the screen resister and I got Ruby STR something 6L6's and they sounded great.

[tubeswell]

Nothing wrong with the sound of the JJ6V6S at all. I have used the New Sensor RI "Tung-Sol" 6V6GTs in a couple of amps (but the GT version is only rated at 12W). To my ear there is not much difference in sound, and the JJs seem to be built more robustly.

I have heard several bad reports about the reliability of the EH6V6 and have stayed away from them. JM2CW

[bob p]

I've been a fan of the JJ 6V6 since they first became available. For saying that, I've been run out on a rail from some of the end-user guitar sites, where people think that the only decent 6V6 for a DR circuit is a NOS Mazda.

[cminor9]

I used to use JJs only in my 6V6 amps and loved em. I have bought all kinds of old tubes (mostly used) from RCA, GE, and some other brands, but stuck with the JJs. Couldn't tell enough of a difference to make me go buy some top dollar NOS tubes.

Recently I got a good deal on some 6V6EHs so I got em. The 6V6EHs blew me away. Best sounding tube I have ever put in my 5E3, I kid you not. It was one of those moments where I just planned to plug the tubes in and make sure they worked, and ended up playing for like 30 min. Now the JJs sound very brittle to me. I'll never buy JJs again for my 5E3 so long as I can get 6V6EHs. Would like to try some Mazdas, though. Or some Tung Sols.

I'd NEVER buy Ruby tubes, only cause of what they did to Paul Ruby some years ago.

[catnine]

I used to use JJs only in my 6V6 amps and loved em. I have bought all kinds of old tubes (mostly used) from RCA, GE, and some other brands, but stuck with the JJs. Couldn't tell enough of a difference to make me go buy some top dollar NOS tubes.

Recently I got a good deal on some 6V6EHs so I got em. The 6V6EHs blew me away. Best sounding tube I have ever put in my 5E3, I kid you not. It was one of those moments where I just planned to plug the tubes in and make sure they worked, and ended up playing for like 30 min. Now the JJs sound very brittle to me. I'll never buy JJs again for my 5E3 so long as I can get 6V6EHs. Would like to try some Mazdas, though. Or some Tung Sols.

I'd NEVER buy Ruby tubes, only cause of what they did to Paul Ruby some years ago.

What did they do to Paul Ruby . I havn;t head I just got info that they were better than EH and we all know opinions differ . I am just mot in the posistion to buy a bunch of tubes to try them out . I ordered Ruby becuae they seemed to be more for the money based on a fellow zI trust named Vintage Jon .

[Sir Cuitous]

Now the JJs sound very brittle to me. I'll never buy JJs again for my 5E3 so long as I can get 6V6EHs.

cminor9, I couldn't agree with you more. I hate to get into these kinds of discussions, but the JJ 6V6s are brittle and cold sounding.

FWIW, I like the EH 12AX7s as well.

[theunrulychef]

I had a set of black Rubys in my Princeton Reverb - installed in the mid 90s. They sounded great from what I can remember, but they were pretty much used up by the time I started really appreciating the amp for anything more than practice (I used to be that guy with the 100 watt quad reverb at small club gigs ) I eventually saw the light & found low-er watt religion. I've got JJs in there now & I love em'. In fact, I've used nothing but JJs for the past couple years in any 6v6 build. I haven't had any problems with them being brittle sounding, but now I might just have to get a set of those 6V6EHs to see for myself.

[catnine]

I used to use JJs only in my 6V6 amps and loved em. I have bought all kinds of old tubes (mostly used) from RCA, GE, and some other brands, but stuck with the JJs. Couldn't tell enough of a difference to make me go buy some top dollar NOS tubes.

Recently I got a good deal on some 6V6EHs so I got em. The 6V6EHs blew me away. Best sounding tube I have ever put in my 5E3, I kid you not. It was one of those moments where I just planned to plug the tubes in and make sure they worked, and ended up playing for like 30 min. Now the JJs sound very brittle to me. I'll never buy JJs again for my 5E3 so long as I can get 6V6EHs. Would like to try some Mazdas, though. Or some Tung Sols.

I'd NEVER buy Ruby tubes, only cause of what they did to Paul Ruby some years ago.

What is it you liked about the EH6V6?

Over the JJ 6V6 did you fine the same bottom end as the JJ and just more smooth breakup . I know tubes and amps they are in make a lot of difference and there are all sorts of opinions out there on what sounds best with what amp , however I am not in the position to buy tubes and find out they are not the sound I hoped for .

All I have is experience with JJ's in my 6G2 .5E3 build which I bias at 70 % with the adjustable fixed bias. And I built a 6G2 and for the price I used sovtek 6V6's and they had good bottom end and I like a pronounced bottom end . Most describe JJ's as sounding more like a 6L6 and I guess that relates to the piano tone they offer in bottom end. I did find the sovteks broke up earlier than the JJ's in the same amp but I have not tried the EH 6V6 . Is the brittle JJ sound you found at high volume levels and what sort of PU's are you using ?

[theunrulychef]

Is the brittle JJ sound you found at high volume levels and what sort of PU's are you using ?

And speakers will make a huge difference as well of course. I tend to favor darker speakers, so perhaps that's why I've missed the brittle sound that cminor & Sir Cuitous have found with the JJs.

[cminor9]

Ruby tubes sued Paul Ruby a while ago for using his name on his amps. Apparently, Ruby tubes thought that there would be some confusion, so they sued a guy for putting his own name on his products.

As for the sound, I play mostly with an Epi dot with Burstbuckers and a strat. I like the EHs better all volumes, but as you turn it up and get that nice power tube grind that's where the EHs stick out. They don't sound as brittle, more mellow instead. Ever listen to Operation Ivy? The guitar on those old albums is how the JJs sound to me. By comparison, the EHs sound more like Jimi, a very round and mellow tone. Almost two opposite ends of the tone spectrum there, and I am using hyperbole here. But that should give you some idea.

By the way, these are in a 5E3. Haven't tried them in my 6G3 yet. I like em so much in the 5E3.

[Sir Cuitous]

I tend to favor darker speakers, so perhaps that's why I've missed the brittle sound that cminor & Sir Cuitous have found with the JJs.

unruly: it's all subjective here. With a few exceptions, I play Fender type guitars, through Fender type amps. Bright, bright, bright. Not just the speaker, but I believe the amp is the overriding factor given how tubes-amps-speakers affect the final tone. I learned this when I built an amp that just doesn't change that much when using different tubes (pre-amp or power-amp tubes). That was an ear opener for me, so-to-speak.

[catnine]

Ruby tubes sued Paul Ruby a while ago for using his name on his amps. Apparently, Ruby tubes thought that there would be some confusion, so they sued a guy for putting his own name on his products.

As for the sound, I play mostly with an Epi dot with Burstbuckers and a strat. I like the EHs better all volumes, but as you turn it up and get that nice power tube grind that's where the EHs stick out. They don't sound as brittle, more mellow instead. Ever listen to Operation Ivy? The guitar on those old albums is how the JJs sound to me. By comparison, the EHs sound more like Jimi, a very round and mellow tone. Almost two opposite ends of the tone spectrum there, and I am using hyperbole here. But that should give you some idea.

By the way, these are in a 5E3. Haven't tried them in my 6G3 yet. I like em so much in the 5E3.

I got a pair of ruby 6V6GTBC and a pair of EH6V6GT's today and all I was able to do is plug them in to see how each set ran at the same 18.5 mA and the JJ's and the ruby and EH were the same as eachother on the plate and B+ . the JJ's were a bit hotter but I did not get a chance to play the amp because I live in an apt and my neigbor below me has been home sick .

I get a good SRV tone with my strats with the JJ's but from what I recall the old sovteks had as much bottom but it was rounder and the breakup was more fluid. Kind of like old RCA6V6GTA's

[Enzo]

Ruby Tubes did nothing new. If your name is Hilton, and you want to open a hotel, you won;t get to put your name on the place - ther is already a well known Hilton in the hotel game. But if your name is Hilton and you want to make amplifiers, go ahead.

And if your name was MacDOnald, and you wanted to sell hamburgers, well...

Same deal with amps. Ruby Tubes has been selling tubes and amplifier related stuff for a long time. It could easily be misunderstood that an amplifier with the name Ruby on it was from them. If he wanted to sell Pizzas, they wouldn;t care.

Not suggesting I have no sympathy, I do, I feel sorry for the guy. Just that Ruby Tubes was not over the top in taking such action. if your name happened to be Joe Fender or Joe Peavey, you;d face the same thing.

When I go into the amp business, I suspect the Enzo Bichem Corp won;t be too upset.

[tubeswell]

When I go into the amp business, I suspect the Enzo Bichem Corp won;t be too upset.

Enzo Bichem Amps aye? I gotta see a pic of one please, with the logo (when you get around to it)

[theunrulychef]

Enzo Bichem Amps aye? I gotta see a pic of one please, with the logo (when you get around to it)

I hear they're covered with plants.