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FDP Forum / Amp Mods, Repairs, and Projects / 6L6 Test Review........Current Production

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Fulton USA Texas	Jul 17th, 2004 02:54 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic I recently had the opportunity to A/B several current production 6l6's. My intent being to find a tube that could "fill in" when my favorite NOS Philips 7581A's are gone. As mentioned, the following observations were compared against the Philips 7581a's and NO other NOS tube. I was searching for a tube with the same (close) characteristics such as headroom, punch,clarity and detail, deep bass...etc to the 7581a. All tubes were biased by ear and then measured in a Blkfaced '69 Super Reverb and Vibroclone. Suprisingly enough all measured between 18.8 - 19.3 static watts dissipation. I typically find the 7581a to sound it's best for me at 19swd. This gave a bias range between 38mA - 41 mA with plate voltages of 469-499v. Here's what "I" observed............. 1st- SED Winged "C" Svetlana A very popular tube. Power ouput was comparable to 7581A. Bass was not as deep as 7581A nor was the punch. The highend was somewhat veiled and not as forward as Philips. Actually it sounded flat to me with MUCH less detail and clarity. Headroom was average and controlled overdrive. This tube sounded OK, but nothing really impressed me. 2nd- New Reflector "S" Svetlana This is a totally differnt tube than the previous SED brand. These are made in the Sovtek-Reflector Russian facility. This tube had the same power as the SED version. Bass was deeper and this tube has some serious mids. Highend was brighter and more detailed than the SED and had more headroom. A very stout sounding tube. A better sounding tube than the SED version to me. Still far from the 7581A however. 3rd- Ruby 6L6GCSTR A great sounding tube! I was actually pretty impressed with this version..... very good power. Good bass and depth....a little less than the Philips but better than the previous two. Had great chime and clarity. A forward presentation that made the notes really jump out. Suprisingly had a good amount of headroom amd much more then the SED and Reflector. Nice tight overdrive....never got mushy. I really liked this one! 4th- Ruby 6L6GCMSTR A new improved version of the 6L6GCSTR. Thicker glass and better supports. Had a cleaner bass responce than the GCSTR , but this gave the impression of less depth. Nice enough highend , but not as detailed nor clarity as the GCSTR. Mids were however fuller here than the older version. Nice headroom, but the GCSTR still had a little more. 5th- TAD 6L6GC-STR Blackplate AWESOME!!!! This tube really blew everything out of the water! Huge deep bass and spectacular punch. Really big soundstage! Better clarity and detail than ALL the others tested. Perhaps even better clarity than the Philips. Notes and harmonics really jumpout and everthing just sounds right. A tight and focused sounding tube for sure! While nothing can or ever will touch the 7581A's headroom, these are VERY close! They are close enough that I don't miss the extra headroom of the Philips. These tubes are excellent quality and workmanship all- around. I'm so glad that the TAD's are avaliable. They really set a new sonic standard for current production tubes. Very satisfied that I found my new favorite tube.
AlanS Contributing Member * USA/Cali	Jul 17th, 2004 05:31 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Hey Fulton, who carries the TAD tubes? I don't recall seeing them - at least under that name. Thanks, Alan
Fulton USA Texas	Jul 17th, 2004 05:46 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Mojo is the only US distributar of the TAD tubes. They are from the Tube Amp Doctor in Germany. www.tubeampdoctor.com I myself happen to stumble upon them on a search engine one day. Easily one of the best 6L6 tubes in my book!
VintageJon Contributing Member ** USA/Austin Tx Old World Craftsman vs. New World Order	Jul 17th, 2004 05:55 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic GOOD WORK Fulton! Interesting that the earlier version Ruby was more pleasing that the later version. I was having some filament rattle problems with the earlier version after they'd run for a year or two so I seitched to the M version. Perhaps I'll get some early ones and see if I can hear it too. Very interesting news on the TAD tubes... THANKS, Jon
Fulton USA Texas/Ft. Bend	Jul 19th, 2004 08:15 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Is it me, or is there a post missing here????
RussB Contributing Member Connecticut "corporate monkey"	Jul 19th, 2004 08:20 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Great write-up, I really dig this kind of info! I wonder how the new Groove Tube 6L6's fit into the mix...and who makes the TAD?
lifer74 austin texas: earth We're all here cuz we're not all there!	Jul 19th, 2004 11:18 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Okay, it's time to weigh in and proove once and for all that I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to tubes or anything else. I've got a pair of Electro Harmonix 6L6s in my Super Reverb and it's one of the best sounding amps I've ever owned hands down. I've done a bunch of gigs, rehearsals and a few sessions with this amp since the EH 6L6s were installed and I haven't had any problems with it. Let me correct myself: there is one problem, it's really loud. Other than that no. I've read some posts where at least one guy is slamming these tubes for every reason under the sun. Are we talking about the same tubes? BTW, Eric Johnson uses these tubes in his JTM-45 clones. He seems to know a little bit about tone. LOL! To be honest I really don't care who says what about the equipment I use. It sounds good and it works consistantly and at the end of the day that's all that matters to me. I've seen guys get just awsome sounds out of gear that would give me nightmares for six months if I had to play it. Sorry, I'll stop ranting now.
Fulton USA Texas/Ft. Bend	Jul 19th, 2004 11:34 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Welcome aboard lifer74. Glad you like the EH6L6.
kcp Contributing Member West Seneca, NY KC2DGC	Jul 20th, 2004 08:15 AM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Fulton, thanks for the review, I've ordered 2 TAD 6L6gc to try. I currently use SED Winged C which up to now is the best new production tubes I've tried. I've got some good used GE 6L6gc & NOS Jan Philips 6L6wgb but those will only be used when the amp stays home (no road trips). I'm a believer in black plate tubes. All my pre-amp tubes are NOS Sylvania black plates 12at7.
JHerrick USA JHGuitarlab	Jul 20th, 2004 08:20 AM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Good review. I am however a skeptic (please forgive me for that). Maybe I am also not fully informed on the topic but: Does TAD manufacture tubes? Re-manufacture tubes? Select tubes? (Meaning test and reject/accept tubes from Sovtec, Tesla etc,) Or: Order to spec exclusively from the many manufacturers? If this were the case (as some others also claim) it would seem that the manufacturers are only selling their good stuff to a few retailers. Same for Ruby? My understanding was that a Ruby 6L6GCSTR WAS a New Reflector/Svetlana. I can by-the-way appreciate the warrantees, reliability, and quality assurance provided by tube distributors. I just wonder how different they really are. JH
btsco US	Jul 20th, 2004 09:03 AM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Ruby 6L6STR and MSTR are Chinese. Tom McNeil, the owner of Magic Parts, has spent a lot of time developing these tubes, including multiple trips to China. Before he became a parts distributor he ran a repair shop, which may have something to do with his high QC standards and longer-than-most warranty on his tubes.
christonard Austin, TX	Jul 20th, 2004 11:06 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Thanks for posting your results Fulton, this is very helpful for one looking at tube replacement. I went to the link to check out tube prices, and I see two variants of the 6L6GC-STR. Did you test the ones with the GE-style backplate, or RCA-style? ::chris leonard::
Larrybudd Contributing Member Nor Cal Sheesh!	Jul 21st, 2004 12:21 AM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Let us know if you test the TAD 6L6WGC-STR. I saw them on the Mojo site. I'm going to have to try the 7025's also. Anyone try these? Too bad they don't have a 12AT7. There's a thread - best 12AT7's.
SteavisSmokin Netherlands the blues hides in the strangest places	Jul 21st, 2004 05:09 AM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic JHerrick, the TAD 6L6GC GE and RCA blackplate remakes are manufactured in china by TAD's specifications. The guy from TAD (dunno his name..) has spent over a year developing this tube to get it right. I got this info from my amptech (www.marble-amps.com) who now also uses the TAD GE-6L6GC remakes in his own amps. He let me see the tubes a while ago and they look real sturdy, not anything like the chinese tubes I'm used to. I haven't heard these tubes myself but I guess it says enough that he started using these tubes immediatly in his own amps once he heard them.
smokestack u.k "Edited for bad taste...."	Jul 21st, 2004 05:57 AM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic The GE style TAD is the 6L6WGC STR. It's very like the GT6L6GE . A replica of the GE small bottle "cleartop". This is the one I like. [I believe it shares some history with the GT 6L6GE in that it's made in China with some parts of US origin. TAD's matching and QC are also very good. They match tubes after an extended burn in, which is the only way to get a stable pair if you're going to bother.] BTW, it's half the price of the GT over here :) (This message was last edited by smokestack at 05:59 AM, Jul 21st, 2004)
Fulton USA Texas/Ft. Bend	Jul 21st, 2004 06:25 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic christonard.......the TAD version I tested is the 6L6GC-STR which is the RCA style. This version has more headroom than the GE WGC version. SteavisSmokins' info on the TAD tubes is the same as I have been told also. The build quality is VERY apparent with the TAD's. Their matching process is just as stringent or more than Rubys'. (This message was last edited by Fulton at 06:29 PM, Jul 21st, 2004)
El_Dijevieto Australia My pockets hurt...........	Jul 21st, 2004 07:18 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Stupid question but, is the blackplate TAD going to sound similar to my RCA 6l6 blackplates? I have 5 working blackplates, and get nervous gigging with them! cheers, Brad
blackpaul US	Jul 21st, 2004 08:05 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic The TAD 6L6 sounds like a good find. Any of you guys tried the current production JJ 6L6s? I like their 6V6s - only current production 6V6 that bears comparison to NOS in my experience. I haven't tried the JJ 6L6 yet, but like many of you, my stash of NOS is wearing thin...
smokestack u.k "Edited for bad taste...."	Jul 22nd, 2004 01:14 AM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Stocks of most NOS tubes of any quality are dwindling rapidly......which is why it's great that we now seem to have quite a wide choice of new tubes which give them a run for their money. Reasonably priced, readily available, good sounding tubes. We ought to celebrate and have a party :).
Larrybudd Contributing Member Nor Cal Sheesh!	Jul 22nd, 2004 02:24 AM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Sign me up; this is good cause.

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FDP Forum / Amp Mods, Repairs, and Projects / 6L6 Test Review........Current Production

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