When it comes to 6L6 tubes...

Rowan

Rowan

New member
...which is the absolute tightest without being overly bright in a distortion/high gain context?
 
Re: When it comes to 6L6 tubes...

I tried out JJs and EHx. I liked both, but found the JJ to be a slightly more "premium" quality tube.
 
Re: When it comes to 6L6 tubes...

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Re: When it comes to 6L6 tubes...

It will really depend on your:
1. Ear
2. Amp
3. Speakers and cab
I would buy a matched pair of STR's from TAD, and a pair of =C= from Svetlana. That way you can really put both pairs to the test in your amp and playing environment. Obviously, one pair will be kept as your spare/back-up, or can also be used in rotation, and be ready as an immediate replacement for the inevitable....
Good Luck
 
Re: When it comes to 6L6 tubes...

It has more to do with the current draw of the tube selected and how you set it up. A higher rated tube (PC of 45 or higher) of any brand set on the cooler/cold side (16 to 24 mA) will tighten anything up.
 
Re: When it comes to 6L6 tubes...

Another vote for SED/Winged C. Love them in my Boogie combos--the JJ 6l6 didn't hold up. (But I love their EL84!)

Bill
 
Re: When it comes to 6L6 tubes...

glassman said:
It has more to do with the current draw of the tube selected and how you set it up. A higher rated tube (PC of 45 or higher) of any brand set on the cooler/cold side (16 to 24 mA) will tighten anything up.
Click to expand...

Yeah but you sacrifice tone. Personally I'd prefer using a tighter tube that runs normal/hot rather than dropping a looser tube on the cool side to tighten it up. Another thing is what if the amp has a fixed bias? It's not even going to be a possibility.
 
Re: When it comes to 6L6 tubes...

depends what year you buy them, and which factory they came from, not necessarily which distributor

usually though, my votes are =C=, and Chinese filtered by Ruby or Mesa for 6L6, but I don't know how true that is in 2010. Those get my vote for 2007-2009. In the 90s I would have said Svetlanas, which are now called =C=s or SEDs. The currently labeled "Svetlanas" are not real Svetlanas. The name was stolen. In 2002 or so, I *might* have said JJs.



edit: forgot to make my point about tubes of the same type

I don't think choosing a tube brand based on sonic characteristics like "tight" or "bright" is valid.

I think it is better to choose tubes based on quality. They *will* sound better, when the amp is biased for them.


THE PUNCHLINE

If
with known good tubes (perhaps o'scoped by a tech to really know) of ANY brand,
and with an amp biased for them,
you don't like your sound,

then
it is not the tubes.
 
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Re: When it comes to 6L6 tubes...

do any of these popular outlets filter their tubes?

I mean like Mesa and TAD and Ruby do? Like I believe Groove Tubes did?

If I buy from a popular TubeSeller.com for instance, will they have tested the tubes, and not just measured them for a matched set? will they be burned in? how do you know they won't be "bad" when you get them?

if they ARE tested like that, fine, let's talk about the negligible sonic characteristics of the same tube type. Not NOS either, just tubes of the same type but different brand or preferably factory.

if they aren't then I will stick with Mesa, TAD, Ruby. ie, Chinese.
 
Re: When it comes to 6L6 tubes...

in the last 7 years every JJ I've used of several pre and power tube types in 3 amps sounded okay at first and horrible and harsh after a month or two

Chinese and SED.
 
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