6V6 Taste Tests
Mookie2112
Well, here are the 6V6 Taste Test results. I tested 10 different sets of 6V6s
in a Fender Tweed Deluxe and Fender Blackface Deluxe Reverb. Test results are
not too surprising. Vacuum Tube Valley did the same in their issue #10,
Summer/Fall of 1998 (believe it or not, I did not get the idea of doing
listening tests from VTV). In some respects, my findings are the same as
theirs. In other, respects, we differ. So, this report will serve as a
"second" opinion for 6V6 tubes in guitar amps.
The following list of gear is for "comparative" purposes only. This is NOT
meant to plug or praise certain manufacturers. The guitars were plugged
straight into the amps with a 10-foot Spectraflex cord. Volume and Tone knobs
on the guitars were set to full (10).
* 1955 Fender Tweed Deluxe with original Jensen P12R (plate volts = 370V). I
kept the Tone knob on 10 (out of 12) for the entire test.
* Reissue Blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb with Weber VST P12N (plate volts =
360V). I kept the Treble knob on 8 and the Bass knob on 5 for the entire test.
I always keep a 5Y3 rectifier in this amp to keep the voltage down.
* Heritage Les Paul copy with Seth Lover pickups.
* Fender Strat (American) with Fender Texas Special pickups.
One thing to note about the pickups in these guitars: It seems to me that the
Texas specials are just as "hot" if not a bit hotter than the Seth Lovers. The
Seth Lovers are actually fairly low output and have lots of high end. Also,
note that the Tweed is equipped with a P12R. Some of the "mush" (when the
tubes were distorted) surveyed in the Raw Data section, is probably attributed
to this fact. Both guitars were strung with D'Aquisto nickel round wound size
.012-.052.
Tubes tested were Russian GT, Chinese GTB-C, Groove Tubes HD (the "cheap" 6L6),
GE JAN (with thin black wafer base), Brimar British GT, PhilipsECG GT JAN,
Mazda GT (France 1952), Visseaux GT (France 1951 Military with metal base),
Marconi/MWT GT/G, and RCA GT (Black Plate). This list pretty much represents
the "worst" to the "best" in terms of the 6V6-type tube.
I played both guitars through each amp for every duet of 6V6s. Both amps were
evaluated with the volume knob on 3.5 (clean) and 10 (distorted - or 12 in the
case of the Tweed Deluxe). I played for about 10 minutes on each 6V6 duet.
Hot tubes were removed with leather gloves. In the case of the Blackface, I
kept my BiasProbe attached to one of the tube sockets and every time I inserted
a new pair of tubes, I adjusted the bias to 20mA.
RAW DATA:
Russian GT:
Tweed - With the LP, all pickup selections sounded fairly nice. Although there
was no special magic or harmonic richness, these tubes were balanced. When
distorted, the bass held up nicely. With a Strat, again, they were good clean,
but when distorted, they had a mushy bass and piercing top end.
Blackface - Sort of brittle when played clean using the LP. Not bad when
played distorted, but a bit "ratty". These tubes were nicer sounding with the
Strat. They were a bit brittle in some pickup positions, but the clean and
distorted tones were fairly nice.
Chinese GTB-C:
Tweed - With the LP, these sounded OK when clean. Very two-dimensional -
nothing special. When distorted they sounded incredibly "ratty", more so than
the GEs. These tubes liked to distort early. Even though they didn't evaluate
too well with the LP, they actually sounded good with the Strat. Actually, I
preferred these over the GEs for the Strat. When distorted, the bottom end was
"mushy", but they gave a decent "Clapton" tone. The Strat second position was
best.
Blackface - These tubes were piercing with the LP. When clean, the bass
response was almost non-existent, especially on the neck pickup. Even though
they didn't sound too good when played clean with the LP, surprisingly, they
weren't too bad when played distorted. With the Strat, I was pleasantly
surprised - I got some nice clean chime. But, even though they weren't too bad
clean, they sucked when distorted.
Groove Tubes HD:
Tweed - With the LP, these tubes were lifeless and had no harmonic overtones.
But, as lifeless as they were, they has a basic "good" clean; they were not
piercing at all. Decent "jazzy" clean sound in all positions. When distorted,
they were just...decent. They weren't "farty", but there was no magic. With
the Strat, these tubes did better. Fairly decent mids and highs are not
piercing. Nice in position 2 when clean. When distorted, they actually
sounded pretty good - fairly smooth. Again, nothing magical, but they had a
smooth, and strong distortion.
Blackface - With the LP, these tubes had no character, but they handled bass
very well. Nice strong bass. Fairly nice when distorted; balanced and not
"flubby". With the Strat, these tubes were decent. There were no harmonic
overtones, but the clean was nice and balanced. Position number 2 excelled.
When distorted, again, they were fairly decent - balanced and not "flubby".
GE JAN:
Tweed - With the LP, these tubes sounded brittle with lots of high end. These
really didn't have a good clean sound. When distorted, they sounded "ratty".
Perhaps these tubes would be good for a few "Stones" songs. With the Strat,
they still had a piercing high end. When distorted, they sounded "ratty".
Blackface - These tubes performed better in this amp. With the LP, they had
good harmonics. Very balanced clean sound. However, they were still "ratty"
when played at full volume. With the Strat, They had a nice clean, especially
on position 2 - good harmonics. But, still, they sounded "ratty" when
distorted.
Brimar GT:
Tweed - Lots of upper mids and highs (but not piercing) using the LP. Sounds
best on the neck pickup; very jazzy. Neck pickup was also good for
fingerpicking. Smooth when distorted. Even though they had more upper end
when played clean, they sounded bass heavy when distorted. That being the
case, the bridge pickup seemed best. With the Strat, clean sound did not
excel. Every pickup configuration sounded piercing. But when distorted, these
tubes exhibited nice harmonics and smooth distortion.
Blackface - These tubes acted similar as they did in the Tweed. With the LP
there was lots of upper mids and highs, so the middle and neck pickup
configurations sounded best. Actually, I was getting quite a bit of chime
with the LP. When distorted, they were pretty "flubby" in the bass. Also,
there was nothing special about the distortion. With the Strat, the clean
sound was decent, but piercing. When distorted, there was nothing special,
just a 6V6 sound.
PhilipsECG GT JAN:
Tweed - Nice harmonics with the LP, but a bit "honky". When distorted, they
sounded the same: nice harmonics, but "honky". With the Strat, these tubes
sounded excellent in all positions. Nice overdrive with decent harmonics.
Blackface - With the LP, these sounded great in the middle pickup position.
Good clean with decent harmonics. When driven, however, these tubes sounded
"ratty". With the Strat, these tubes were not good. They were very brittle.
When overdriven, they were still brittle.
Mazda GT:
Tweed - Great harmonics and string detail in all positions when played both
clean and distorted with the LP. With the Strat, these had a very thick
midrange. All positions were great! These tubes had a very detailed sound,
because all playing nuances were revealed. Great harmonics when overdriven.
Blackface - One word: SMOKIN'! The LP sounded great in all positions with
great harmonics. The Strat, although still sounding excellent, did sound a bit
shrill in the bridge position. Great when overdriven with both types of
guitars.
Visseaux GT:
Tweed - With the LP, these tubes were very detailed, complex sounding
(3-dimensional), and perfectly balanced. When cranked, they offered an
incredibly thick distortion. With the Strat, they were still just as luscious
and detailed when clean, especially in positions 2 and 3. Position 1, however,
was a tad piercing. Distorted, these tubes were just as excellent, except for
a bit of mush in position 5.
Blackface - With both guitars, these tubes just sounded awesome both clean and
distorted. I couldn't find any faults. In fact, I couldn't find any
difference between these tubes and the RCAs. The Strat sounded particularly
incredible when distorted.
Marconi/MWT GT/G:
Tweed - Fairly thick mids, but a bit "honky" when played clean with an LP.
When distorted, these tubes were not that harmonically rich, but really seemed
to concentrate on mids. With a Strat, these tubes were great. Excellent
harmonics with very rich midrange. Both clean and distorted were excellent.
Blackface - Very nice clean sound with LP with a fair amount of harmonic
richness. These tubes had the most distortion out of all 10 types with both
types of guitars - very, very thick! These tubes had a perfect number 2 Strat
position (in fact probably the best of all the tubes!). The other Strat
positions were very respectable when played clean.
RCA GT:
Tweed - Great balance (high, medium, and low) with great harmonics using an LP.
Perfect when distorted, especially on the neck pickup. Smashing Baby!
Incredible harmonics with the Strat when clean and distorted!
Blackface -Incredible harmonic richness and detail with both guitars when
playing clean and distorted. I couldn't find any flaws here.
CONCLUSIONS:
The best were the RCAs. No question about it! To be absolutely truthful, not
only did I want the Visseaux to win, but I wanted to dispel the "urban legend"
that the RCAs are the best 6V6. The Visseaux, however, became a very close
second place winner.
The RCAs and Visseaux were very hard to differentiate, because they both had a
similar and superior detailed sound, incredible harmonic richness, thick mids,
and smooth and non-flabby distortion. If the Visseaux had performed a bit
better on the Strat bridge position (when played clean) and the Strat neck
position (when played distorted), they would have tied with the RCAs for first
place.
The Mazdas, while still exceptional tubes, did not have quite the harmonic
richness and complexity of the RCA/Visseaux. Therefore, they deserve a very
respectable third place. If you consider cost an issue, these tubes probably
deserve first place since you get 90 percent of the rich sound as compared to
the first and second place winners for about half the cost.
The Marconi/MWT come in forth place. These tubes are great for Strat in either
amp. They have a fair amount of rich mids and harmonic complexity, but not as
much as the first 3 winners. These had an incredible amount (probably the
most!) of distortion tone when played full out. Although very nice with an LP,
they did seem a bit "honky" in some positions.
Instead of awarding the fifth through tenth places, I'd like to separate the
remaining tubes into two groups: "Notable Mention" and "Decent Budget Tubes".
Tubes of Notable Mention - The Philips and Brimar fit into this group. Of
these I favor the Philips a tad more because of their great Stratocaster
abilities. The Brimar was still very good, most notably for their nice chime
with the LP through the Blackface.
Decent Budget Tubes - I put the GE JANs, Russian, Chinese, and Groove Tubes HD
in this group. This is not to say that these tubes are bad, because they are
not.
Of all the tubes tested, I'd say the GEs were the biggest "let down". They
didn't sound terrible, but they also didn't sound too much better than the
Russian or Chinese. These tubes favored clean Strat playing through a
Blackface configuration. Anything else was either too brittle or ratty.
The Russian and Chinese have their strength and weaknesses. But, if you're a
broke college kid or on a strict budget, these two kinds of tubes are not too
bad. The Chinese 6V6 seems to favor the Strat a bit more, while not depending
on a particular amp configuration. However, if using an LP, these two tubes
sounded best in a Blackface configuration.
The Groove Tubes HD functioned more like a 6L6 - with larger bass and a more
"open" sound. Well, that's because they are a 6L6. As far as I know, these
are cheap Chinese 6L6 Grove Tubes re-branded as 6V6. Although sort of
lifeless, they had a good clean sound with both guitars and both amps.
Nothing was piercing. The distortion sound was also not half bad.
Hope this is helpful to some people.
Mook
Tremolux
>360V). I kept the Treble knob on 8 and the Bass knob on 5 for the entire
>test.
> I always keep a 5Y3 rectifier in this amp to keep the voltage down.
Disappointing. I'd like to see this portion of the test re-run with a real
BFDR, at real world plate voltages (420-430). In the reissue, with the voltage
that low, the test is of somewhat dubious value. You also failed to mention
what bias level you were running the things at. I hope you rebiased with each
pair of tubes, because if you didn't, the test is meaningless.
Otherwise, good post.
*You can guess what to remove from my email address to get rid of the spam
block.*
*Valid Spam Targets:*
fr...@ftc.gov
u...@ftc.gov
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dobr...@aol.com
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*****
Mookie2112
you can still use the results. There are other factors as well that make "my
sound", such as guitar type/make, string make and gauge, pick type and
thickness, cords, playing style and many other factors.
Some old and new BFDRs have higher and lower plate voltages than mine, I'm sure
they can use these results. I also tested the tubes in a Tweed, so use the two
results to get a "feel" of each 6V6.
This is why I listed the Plate Voltage (as well as all the rest of the
equipment used) of both amps, so you could judge the results for yourself and
apply them to your own practical application.
Re-read the post, I mentioned that I re-bias the BF after every tube change to
about 20mA.
Mook
Lord Valve
(Mookie2112) writes:
(snip)
The Lord points out that while this poster went into careful
detail about which cable was used, what guitars, positions
of tone controls, and even mentions plate voltage and type
of rectifier, no mention whatsoever is made of bias points
re any of the tubes. While the Lord has no dispute with
the poster regarding what he heard and his reportage of it,
the Lord warns readers that randomly installing sets of
tubes into amplifiers without addressing the bias issue
is at best a crap-shoot, and at worst not too smart.
Many of the differences reported could be explained by
incorrect bias, and the Lord has His doubts as to the
validity of the entire process.
Lord Valve
Visit my website: http://www.freeyellow.com/members2/lord-valve/
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SPAM LIST; just put "SPAM ME" in the header and I'll sign you
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prices, fast service. TONS of gear and parts in stock...let's DEAL!
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"Ninety percent of everything is CRAP." - Sturgeon's Law
Mookie2112
to 20mA.
In the Tweed, it is cathode biased, I know the cathode resistor and cap are
functioning correctly, so there was no need to check bias on the Tweed.
Mook
Tremolux
>bias
>to 20mA.
Again, dubious value. That is kinda cold considering how low the plate
voltages were. How about re-doing the tests without the Russian and Chinese
junk (which may flame out at the higher dissipations), put a 5AR4 in the DR and
set that bias up to about 25 ma? that then becomes more of a real-world test.
Your test at such low voltages and currents is just too far removed from what a
real DR would do. Try again.
ride...@ride.ri.net
trem...@aol.com.no.uce (Tremolux) wrote:
> >Re-read the post. I did re-bias after every tube change in the BF. I set
> >bias
> >to 20mA.
>
> Again, dubious value. That is kinda cold considering how low the plate
> voltages were. How about re-doing the tests without the Russian and Chinese
> junk (which may flame out at the higher dissipations), put a 5AR4 in the DR
and
> set that bias up to about 25 ma? that then becomes more of a real-world
test.
> Your test at such low voltages and currents is just too far removed from what
a
> real DR would do. Try again.
Gee, ya know Trem, I usually dismiss a lot of your remarks, but I do think you
ought to give the guy a little credit. He DID post what he found in good
faith, and it wasn't done so that we could all find errors in his testing
methods... it was done so that he could share information.
I agree it's a cold bias, but so what? Does that invalidate the ENTIRE test?
Are you becoming some kind of audio-hifi-wanker with the double-blind ABX
tests? And to tell him to "try again" takes the cake... I don't see anybody
else posting reviews of tube swaps, at least not now, so why bust this guy's
balls so hard? Just what does it accomplish?
Perhaps not everyone likes to burn the shit out of their 6v's and deliberately
operate them out of spec. I ain't stupid--I know there's nothing that's gonna
SOUND like a crankin' tube, but that's not everybody's MO, and it's wrong to
assume it would be. Though DR's may be the most famous, there's plenty of
other amps that use 6v's, and at Pd's much like the dude's test.
Ken Gilbert
Tube Guitar Amp Design/Repair Technician
The Guitarist's Choice http://www.tgcguitar.com
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Garage/5701
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
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Ericb
mooki...@aol.com (Mookie2112) wrote:
> INTRODUCTION:
>
> Well, here are the 6V6 Taste Test results. I tested 10 different sets of 6V6s
>
Thanks a million for taking the time to print up these results Mook.
ERIC
LarrySB
>sure
>they can use these results.
Wow, I've never seen any BFDR with plate voltages that low (360v) that's off
the scale in my experience.
FWIW, the average silver face runs at 430, some of them much higher. Most of
the BFDR's I've seen run at 400-420.
--
Dr. Nuketopia
Compiling at this very moment.
Read the Blue Glow in Tubes FAQ at http://www.persci.com/~larrysb
Please note that your email is *not* spam in the subject line.
Jeff Morris
Mookie2112 wrote in message
<19990318081313...@ng-cr1.aol.com>...
>INTRODUCTION:
>
>Well, here are the 6V6 Taste Test results. I tested 10 different sets of
6V6s
>in a Fender Tweed Deluxe and Fender Blackface Deluxe Reverb. Test results
are
>not too surprising. Vacuum Tube Valley did the same in their issue #10,
>Summer/Fall of 1998 (believe it or not, I did not get the idea of doing
>listening tests from VTV). In some respects, my findings are the same as
>theirs. In other, respects, we differ. So, this report will serve as a
>"second" opinion for 6V6 tubes in guitar amps.
>
I ran a taste test myself with some of these tubes plus a few others not
mentioned. I decided to use my 50's Magnatone 108 which is a single 6V6
Class A screamer. It uses a 5Y3 and a single 12AX7. I won't go into every
detail (though I commend you for doing so - I just don't have the energy to
type that much tonight) but my results with a 57 RI Strat, '69 Tele and '69
LP Deluxe were very similar to your's. The Visseaux were best to my ear,
most articulate and sweet. The RCA BP's were next, a little hotter, but not
as clear. The sleeper that you don't mention and the real reason for my
reply to your post is the Sylvania grey glass 6V6GT/G from WWII era. They
are right up there with the RCA's and are fantastic tubes. Everything else
including Marconi, Tung Sol, later RCA and Sylvania, Philips and GE pailed
by comparison.
-Jeff
A Psycho-Boppabilly-Tex-Mex-Surfin-With-The-Devil-Hayride-In-Hades!
Visit the Cadillac Hitmen homepage at http://www.spwa.com/thecadillachitmen
Jenkins Sound Shop - Builder of Custom Speaker Enclosures
http://www.guitaramp.com/jss/
David Crittle
1950's (Philips) and 1960's (AWV) 6V6GT tubes available for sale at
US$12.50 each
--
david
retr...@bigpond.com
Mookie2112
>> voltages were. How about re-doing the tests without the Russian and
>Chinese
>> junk (which may flame out at the higher dissipations), put a 5AR4 in the DR
>and
>> set that bias up to about 25 ma? that then becomes more of a real-world
>test.
>> Your test at such low voltages and currents is just too far removed from
>what
>a
>> real DR would do. Try again.
Well, 20mA in my BF Re-issue just seems to "work" for me and "my sound" I used
to bias that amp at about 25 or 30, but it just didn't sound right. So, in
this BFDR, I keep the bias a tad "cold". I usually burn my 6L6s in my Pro at
35mA to 40mA -- it just sounds right. But my DR prefers things a bit colder.
I also burn my EL34s between 40mA and 45mA - depending on the amp.
That is why I posted all the specs I could (amps, guitars, strings, string
gauge, cord, bias point, speakers, etc.) so that people could extrapolate on
my findings for themselves.
The only thing I forgot to mention was my pick. I used a Clayton .88 gauge.
Run your own tests. I don't mind if you found the test "doubious". My results
work for me. I also know what tubes sound best in my Deluxe amps. I am going
to order Mazda and Visseaux 6V6 tubes. To my benefit, other people liked the
test.
Now that I've done EL84s and 6V6s. I shall do 6L6s (to include KT66s) and
EL34s in the upcoming weeks. So stay tuned!
Mook
Lord Valve
(Mookie2112) writes:
(snip)
>The Lord points out that while this poster went into careful
>detail about which cable was used, what guitars, positions
>of tone controls, and even mentions plate voltage and type
>of rectifier, no mention whatsoever is made of bias points
>re any of the tubes. While the Lord has no dispute with
>the poster regarding what he heard and his reportage of it,
>the Lord warns readers that randomly installing sets of
>tubes into amplifiers without addressing the bias issue
>is at best a crap-shoot, and at worst not too smart.
>Many of the differences reported could be explained by
>incorrect bias, and the Lord has His doubts as to the
>validity of the entire process.
Da Mookster replies:
>Re-read the post. I did re-bias after every tube change in the BF. I
set bias
>to 20mA.
>
>In the Tweed, it is cathode biased, I know the cathode resistor and
cap are
>functioning correctly, so there was no need to check bias on the
Tweed.
>
>Mook
>
Lord Valve Speaketh:
The Lord was indeed remiss; the bias info was buried at the bottom
of another paragraph at some distance from the plate voltage info.
The Lord therefore resolves to engage in auto-flagellation for
an amount of time equal to the gravity of the offense, by way of
pennance. Back in one femtosecond...AH! Much better. Having
absolved Himself of guilt, the Lord points out that 20 mA at 370
volts is only 7.4 watts static dissipation, which would almost
certainly result in a very notchy output. It's quite likely
that a given tube which sounded like crap at 7.4 watts static
may well have sounded great at 10 or 11. Running *all* the tubes
at an arbitrary bias of 20 mA rather than searching for each type's
sweet spot probably did several of them a disservice. The Lord
also mentions in passing that a double-blind test would have been
far more significant, and not at all difficult to implement,
requiring only the use of a blindfold and the help of a friend.
The Lord also mentions that, in the case of the cathode-biased
amp, meaningful results could be achieved only by installing
sets of tubes which all tested the same on matching equipment,
since no adjustment is possible. The Lord accepts your results
only as far as your amp is concerned, running the tubes at
an arbitrary (and rather cold) bias point, and largely discounts
the results obtained with the cathode-biased amplifier.
Lord Valve
Visit my website: http://www.freeyellow.com/members2/lord-valve/
Good tube FAQ for newbies. Click the e-mail link and join my
SPAM LIST; just put "SPAM ME" in the header and I'll sign you
up. (If you only want a set of e-mail catalogs, put "CATS ONLY"
in the header.) I specialize in top quality HAND-SELECTED NOS and
current-production vacuum tubes for guitar and bass amps. Good
prices, fast service. TONS of gear and parts in stock...let's DEAL!
NOW ACCEPTING VISA, MASTERCARD, AND DISCOVER!
"The researches of many commentators have already thrown
much darkness on this subject, and it is probable that, if they
continue, we shall soon know nothing at all about it" -Mark Twain
TubeBlaster
>
>Well, here are the 6V6 Taste Test results. I tested 10 different sets of
6V6s
>in a Fender Tweed Deluxe and Fender Blackface Deluxe Reverb. Test results
are
>not too surprising. Vacuum Tube Valley did the same in their issue #10,
>Summer/Fall of 1998 (believe it or not, I did not get the idea of doing
>listening tests from VTV). In some respects, my findings are the same as
>theirs. In other, respects, we differ. So, this report will serve as a
>"second" opinion for 6V6 tubes in guitar amps.
Thanks for taking the time to do this test and share your results. I
enjoyed reading your conclusions, and it also prompted some good discussions
about test methodologies, and other people's opinions on 6V6 tubes. I play
a couple of Tone Kings, and the designer, Mark Bartell has been recommending
the Sovtek tubes, interestingly enough. I've talked to him about this, and
he says for how he sets up the amp, they worked the best for him. They are
cathode biased amps, and they must be on the cold side because I'm not
frying the Sovtek 6V6's like I was in my Deluxe Reverb. I have heard
recently that Mark may be considering switching to the JAN Phillips 6V6's,
but I haven't seen a Tone King amp out yet with anything but the Sovteks.
Thanks again, Mook, for kicking off a good discussion.
Wayne
Wämp
but Iv had some good results with the nude bass GEs after smokeing 'em a
bit. The Philips are fine. Thanks for the nice post. Thanks Chris
Jerome Blanes
I've read it, learned from it, then read the replies from our
friend Lord Valve and the others, learned from that too.......
and now I'm gonna get me some Visseaux tubes!
Bye,
Jerome Blanes
T Loizeaux
> >
>... Thanks a million for taking the time to print up these results Mook.
> ERIC
I agree! Thanks for the testing and sharing the results. This kind of
sharing information is what makes this NG worthwhile.
Tom
AXEIST
>>* Reissue Blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb with Weber VST P12N (plate volts =
>>360V). I kept the Treble knob on 8 and the Bass knob on 5 for the entire
>>test.
>> I always keep a 5Y3 rectifier in this amp to keep the voltage down.
>
>
>Disappointing. I'd like to see this portion of the test re-run with a real
>BFDR, at real world plate voltages (420-430). In the reissue, with the
>voltage
>that low, the test is of somewhat dubious value. You also failed to mention
>what bias level you were running the things at. I hope you rebiased with
>each
>pair of tubes, because if you didn't, the test is meaningless.
>
>Otherwise, good post.
>
>
I got 425 volts of B+ on a homebuilt amp with a pair of Sylvania 6V6GT's I set
the bias at 23mA and the clean tone is absolutely fat with humbuckers. 20mA
does make the power tubes sound kind of thin. This amp is 17.5X14X9 with a
Ruby 10 inch speaker, a Thordarson T-22R32 pt and a surplus GE opt.
It has a 5Y3 rectifier to get the B+ DOWN to 425V.
check http://members.aol.com/axeist/home.html
(got lots of pretty pix. still needs the blazing lead solo and pix of the two
amps I built)
pepeng...@my-dejanews.com
thread, more than tube books and articles I've read. I'm sure a lot of my
tube-procrement decisions will be influenced by this.
Thanks to Mookie, Jeff, LV and the others.
Although it would be fun to join the techie wankin' tube talk, I'll reserve
my comments to what my ears tell me using my own amp, guitar, cable, pick,
fingers, ears, etc...
In article <36f2...@news1.us.ibm.net>,
"TubeBlaster" <tubeb...@ibm.net> wrote:
>
> Mookie2112 wrote in message
> <19990318081313...@ng-cr1.aol.com>...
> >INTRODUCTION:
> >
> >Well, here are the 6V6 Taste Test results. I tested 10 different sets of
> 6V6s
> >in a Fender Tweed Deluxe and Fender Blackface Deluxe Reverb. Test results
> are
> >not too surprising. Vacuum Tube Valley did the same in their issue #10,
> >Summer/Fall of 1998 (believe it or not, I did not get the idea of doing
> >listening tests from VTV). In some respects, my findings are the same as
> >theirs. In other, respects, we differ. So, this report will serve as a
> >"second" opinion for 6V6 tubes in guitar amps.
>
> Thanks for taking the time to do this test and share your results. I
> enjoyed reading your conclusions, and it also prompted some good discussions
> about test methodologies, and other people's opinions on 6V6 tubes. I play
> a couple of Tone Kings, and the designer, Mark Bartell has been recommending
> the Sovtek tubes, interestingly enough. I've talked to him about this, and
> he says for how he sets up the amp, they worked the best for him. They are
> cathode biased amps, and they must be on the cold side because I'm not
> frying the Sovtek 6V6's like I was in my Deluxe Reverb. I have heard
> recently that Mark may be considering switching to the JAN Phillips 6V6's,
> but I haven't seen a Tone King amp out yet with anything but the Sovteks.
>
> Thanks again, Mook, for kicking off a good discussion.
>
> Wayne
>
>
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