On 6V6GT tubes?

[catnine]

I was looking at the Ruby 6V6GTBC tubes I got and looked at others like GT and TAD . Ruby and GT and TAD do not make tubes and all three look to me like the same 6V6 . TAD shows their 6V6GTB-STR designed in Germany but made in China. Tell me I'm wrong but all three look like they are made at the same place and relabled and matched . Ruby used th STR on their 6L6's I know fender does not make tubes never did and most I've seen in amps I've had since 1993 were sovteks and now perhaps EH

[bob p]

i remember that years ago Bruce was putting the 6V6EH in his 5e3 kits. i used the 6v6EH back then and liked it. i have no idea what he's using now.

IIRC it didn't hold up too well in a DR circuit though; lots of screen failures. the JJ and MAzda did much better. but that was long ago and my memory could be playing tricks on me.

[cminor9]

i remember that years ago Bruce was putting the 6V6EH in his 5e3 kits. i used the 6v6EH back then and liked it. i have no idea what he's using now.

IIRC it didn't hold up too well in a DR circuit though; lots of screen failures. the JJ and MAzda did much better. but that was long ago and my memory could be playing tricks on me.

I won't dispute the fact that the JJs are tough. People put them in Hot Rod Devilles, which put more than 450v on the screens. I put em in my Deville and played them for a while, then back in the 5E3 and they still worked. I did arc them in a 6G3 build that was having some issues though, and I think that was putting 475v on the screens. This same 6G3 would redplate anything else in a matter of seconds. Not the JJs! In short, I have beat the stuffing out of these tubes. And they still work.

[theunrulychef]

I'm also running some pretty mean voltages on my JJs & they don't seem to complain, unless their screams of pain sound like crazy awesome guitar tone.

I found a review of the JJs that I thought was in line with my experience.

From the Gear Page:
"On this particular amp I was previously using '50s Sylvania NOS for 4 years now, which I thought were my favorite, with their great thick, clean, and high-fidelity tone. First, it should be noted that JJ Tesla 6V6S tubes are close in construction and capacities to 6L6 style tubes, with bigger bottles than most any 6V6. This 6L6 nature is also conveyed tonally, as my personal results indicated.

These tubes kicked my amp up several notches and in several dimensions! With 3 Mullard CV4004's in the preamp, the JJ 6V6S's added a more crisp, yet pleasant, high-midrange articulation and clarity that cuts through better, even when just arpeggiating chords with a soft touch. Also added was a slight overall volume increase, as well as, a little more gain even, which really surprised me. More bass and a bolder midrange presence was added that carries more effectively throughout the room. The tone does not dissipate as readily when off-axis or a good distance away – the amp is tonally stronger all-around. The overdrive articulation/clarity is improved to Marshall “Plexi” proportions, as the midrange is harder and edgier now. Gone are any tones too compressed and gained is a bold midrangey tone.

Those seeking to "tame" an amp or wanting nice compression and tweed-like tones with amps that can get a diversity of tones (e.g. the myriad cathode-bias boutique amps in the market) should consider other brands in this reviewer's opinion. These tubes are made to rock hard in Marshall style. So, that should be noted, as other tubes like Tung Sol (new) and the various NOS tubes facilitate "tweed" tone better.

-Free"

Still gonna try out some of those EH6V6 though. They're in sockets for a reason & all.

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

i remember that years ago Bruce was putting the 6V6EH in his 5e3 kits. i used the 6v6EH back then and liked it. i have no idea what he's using now.

IIRC it didn't hold up too well in a DR circuit though; lots of screen failures. the JJ and MAzda did much better. but that was long ago and my memory could be playing tricks on me.

Yes, I still use the 6V6EHs in all the 5e3 kits and I use them for lots of repairs too... like in Deluxe Reverb amps.
When biased properly, somewhere at a max of 8-10 watts each and when used at or under 440vdc, they should last quite a long time.
Some guys run them too hot with too high of plate/screen voltage.
I've blown up lots of tubes over the years but don't recall having any common or reoccuring screen failures with the 6V6EHs.
Even though the 6V6EHs sound really good to me, I do use the JJ6V6 in my Aurora amp... (B+ is about 425vdc in this amp) but the Aurora amp has two extra gain stages over the 5E3 and I like the way the JJs sound in it when really driven hard.

[barfoden]

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.

Hej cminor..

Did you check the idle dissipation on your two different sets of 6v6 tubes. Some tubes even within the same brand can vary in regards to dissipation using the same bias voltage (fixed bias) or same bias resistor value (cathode bias).

That is my experience with EL84. In a fixed bias amp,, with ruby EL84 and JJ EL84 i changed the bias voltage from -12V to -7.5V to gain the same idle dissipation.

The sonic profile of the EH 6v6 and the jj 6v6 are a bit different with the EH being more a traditional 6v6GT tube and the JJ having a different and stronger plate structure. Both the EH and JJ are listed as 14W max tubes, but the JJ fair a lot better with strong dissipations than the EH, and is believed to be more a 16-17 watt max tube.


65 amps run their JJ6v6 pretty hot (~15W cathode biased at idle).

[Gingertube]

I'm spoiled rotten for 6V6s. Got a heap of NOS Gs and GTs
I've been using 1950's ST shaped 6V6G from the Sydney Australia AWV Factory.
Here is a pic of them in my HiFi Amp.

Don't know how these would go at higher voltage but these also sound stunning in my Git and HiFi Amps.
2 X 6V6GT 6N6C Reflektor MIL Power Tubes Matched Pair | eBay

Cheers,
Ian

[tubeswell]

2 X 6V6GT 6N6C Reflektor MIL Power Tubes Matched Pair | eBay

Yep I already have bazzillions of these but I don't know how good they are above 300V. If anyone knows the answer, lets be havin' it.

[Gingertube]

I've run them at 350V in that HiFi Amp. Thats not really high and they are not routinely overdriven - so I'm still guessing too.
Cheers,
Ian

[bob p]

so i'm reading this necro-thread and i find myself wondering ... did I really type that stuff? I don't remember typing it ... but then I look at the date on my post that's only 7 posts above this one, and it's over four years old!

[g1]

If you really want to go back, looky here: AMPAGE Archive

[ron vogel]

I gave up on new production tubes several years ago...too hit or miss for me. Old 6V6 aren't all that expensive...you don't HAVE to buy them NOS.

I really like the VT-107's... they can take a high voltage beating. RCA and Ken Rad's.