5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

[Empty Pockets]

so now i know these are my options, i'm wondering what the differences in tone would be. The tech i talked to says 6L6's cost less than 5881's, and are the tubes my amp would've come with stock so that seems like the logical decision for me. But somebody in another thread mentioned that 5881's will break up sooner, which is better for my style of music. i don't know anything about 6V6's.

I guess to simplify it: which tubes will give me the most low end, with a crunchy midrange, and a relatively 'early' break-up? this is my only amp for guitar AND bass so being able to do the bass thing is important.

Thanks guys, sorry for all the dumb amp questions but i'm a little inexperienced in this field.

-X

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: 5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

Nobody's got any info on this subject? C'mon help a ninja out.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: 5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

a pair of 6v6's will only get you about 22 watts, bro. But they will give you better mids

5881's will drop you to about 40 watts but really don't sound much different than 6l6's, so it'll sound pretty much the same just a little more breakup

and you know what 6l6's are all about

unless you're diming your bass everytime you play you might consider EL34's. Less bass but much better mids

also the bias has a lot to do with how early they break up

 

[Curly]

Re: 5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

uh ... EL-34s would require some wiring on the tube sockets

I'd stick to the tubes the amp was designed for ... when set up properly, it should sound great

I'd suggest something like the TAD short bottle 6L6 that Mojo Musical Supply carries, or the 5881s that Scott recommended.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: 5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

yeah but not much. It's barely more work than a rebias, if that

 

[Mr. B]

Re: 5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

If you had not mentioned playing the bass through your amp, I would say 6v6 would suit what you described. I would probably go with 6L6s, given the dual purpose though. I've never been able to hear much difference between 5881 and 6L6 type tubes, they sound real similar to me. I'm much more familiar with 6L6 types though.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: 5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

If I had a bass amp I would totally stick 6V6's in there...a 22 watt Bassman would be perfect for my current "sit in the basement and practice quietly" situation.

Looks like the 6L6 is the way to go. Thanks a lot guys!

 

[Stratman]

Re: 5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

I vote for GEC KT66 tubes

But not the KT-66 copies that are being sold today...

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: 5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

5881s were a military 6L6. They had a small structure for durability.
6L6s we're all familiar with. The classic Fender tube, big bottom and top, kind of neutral mids.
6V6s are kinda scrappy sounding with more mids than a 6L6, in fact 6V6s sound more simliar to EL34s to 6L6s.

Hope that helps.

Luke

 

[jeremy]

Re: 5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

I vote for GEC KT66 tubes

But not the KT-66 copies that are being sold today...

you buyin?

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: 5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

you buyin?

haha my thoughts exactly.

So I brought the amp to a local tech, he broke down the price and said it was gonna be around $70. Then he looked inside it and said, "This is a 68 Bassman...it's got a fixed bias, just put some new tubes in there and you'll be fine."

d'oh...wasted gas on the trip out...yet, WOO-HOO 'cuz I saved the repair fee.

I ended up with a set of Svetlana 6L6GC's. I noticed a LOT more headroom than the old 5881's had, had to crank the Bass channel up to 8 to get any dirt on it (used to break up at 5 or 6)...not sure if that's 'cuz the 5881's were just getting old or what. Anyway, it responds to my Spina-modded DS-1 a LOT better than it used to, all my usual knob settings sounded a lot better than usual...NEW TUBES ROCK!

-X

 

[Stratman]

Re: 5881 vs. 6L6 vs. 6V6

you buyin?

PM me if you have real GEC KT66's