Topic on tubes

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Doc Holliday
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Topic on tubes

Post by Doc Holliday »

Know a few people here have vintage amps... thought I'd start a thread on valves/tubes and what you guys are using? Cork sniffers and people who love new sensor stuff welcome! Taste is subjective so let's not go all TGP.

Currently I've just picked up a GA-6 and a GA-20T both 50s Gibson amps. The GA-20t has its original 6v6 tubes in which are the much loved RCA smoked glass! The GA-6 had been retubed and is sporting some NOS black screened glass Tungsol. Anyone have any thought on the NOS Tungsol tubes?
I hear RCA, Brimar , Sylvania all the time but these guys seem to be not so popular on forum chats although those that have them love them!
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bazguitar
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Re: Topic on tubes

Post by bazguitar »

Chelmer Valve company is my place to buy valves
they test and supply good quality stuff UK based company :tu:
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Doc Holliday
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Re: Topic on tubes

Post by Doc Holliday »

Just been onto that site but couldn't find any brands? How do you know what you're ordering? Do you email?
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bazguitar
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Re: Topic on tubes

Post by bazguitar »

that company supply other company's like Hot rocks and watford valves etc
I just phone them and ask for what brand and models I want :tu:
if they've got in stock.
but you could go the e-mail route too
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Radiotron
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Re: Topic on tubes

Post by Radiotron »

Lovely pair of amps you have there Doc! :badlove:

Both the old RCA’s and Tung-Sols are pretty rare around here, but I personally like the smoked glass Sylvania’s for both 6v6gt(/g) and 6l6G(AY).
I also have a few pairs of Hytron 6V6GTY’s which I think sound great, especially in darker amps like the 5E3. In some amps they’re a bit too much though.
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Doc Holliday
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Re: Topic on tubes

Post by Doc Holliday »

Cheers Robert! Are the Hytrons on the bright side? I.e. Philips 6v6 style? I've heard the Philips have a great clean but can be a little ice picky and bright in BF fenders etc
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Radiotron
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Re: Topic on tubes

Post by Radiotron »

Yeah, they’re a bit on the bright side, not only that, they’re also quite aggressive/powerful, which is great if you want to liven up a dark amp.

Which Philips tubes would that be? I’ve seen a whole bunch of different Philips labeled 6V6’s up for sale, not all made by Philips.
I think I have a few pairs here somewhere, can’t remember what they sound like though.

Another great one is the Canadian 6V6G, real sweet sounding tube and still pretty affordable.
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Doc Holliday
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Re: Topic on tubes

Post by Doc Holliday »

I believe them to be blue label Jan Philips. Haven't tried them personally but just read a few reviews that although they have a great clean they can be sometimes a little to bright in fender black faces.
I was going to grab some brimars for the ga-6 but these Tungsol sound like RCA's to my ears which is always a good thing in my book.
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Radiotron
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Re: Topic on tubes

Post by Radiotron »

Ah, seen those. 70’s/80’s production right? Very sturdy tubes as I recall.
Don’t have any of those in stock I believe. Really need to make up an inventory :badteeth:
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waveclipper
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Re: Topic on tubes

Post by waveclipper »

They're the Philips ECG? I think they were made by General Electric in the 80s. They are nice enough tubes but the high frequencies can be a bit strident for sure. They seem hardy - I ran the snot out of one in my Champion 600 for a few years with a plate dissipation of about 15-16 watts and it's still going strong.
The new sensor 'tung-sol' are ok, they do the job but are a bit bland and flat sounding. Not a million miles away from the nos Reflektor 6sps tubes - functional but uninspiring.
The current production JJ sound better to me than the new sensors and apparently can tolerate very high plate voltages/plate dissipation - have seen them recommended for old 70s silverfaces whose plate voltages are creeping in to the mid 400s :shocked2:
The RCA smoked glass fully deserve their reputation - clear, sweet and balanced with a pleasant grind when you push them. Perhaps the perfect all rounder? I'm running them in my Champ 600 and in my 5f2-a Princeton and they are quite magnificent, they lack nothing.
The later 60s clear glass RCA are underrated. More clarity in the treble than the grey glass yet no harshness. They seem to cut a bit of low mid fat and are lovely overdriven or clean. Perfect for sweetening overly hot pickups, particularly P90s or humbuckers. I have a couple of clear glass Sylvanias which are also really good in a similar way.
The Sylvania grey glass seem sonically similar to the RCA grey glass, perhaps slightly more of an emphasis on the fundamental but very well balanced and great for American style circuits. Ken-rads and Raytheons are also similar (I have ones which look almost identical structurally).
The Brimar black glass tubes are awesome. They are juiced up dripping with harmonics when pushed and sound wonderfully chimey run clean. I've read them described as being like a mini EL34 - can make a 5E3 sound like a Marshall 1962.
Fivre grey glass are quite nice with more subdued highs that I could imagine working well for a Blackface.
Coke bottle 6v6g are perhaps the most beautiful sounding to me. I have a nos matched pair of Canadian General Electrics and a matched quad of Canadian Westinghouse that look exactly the same - exceptionally sweet, rounded (but present) highs, deep, warm and just gorgeous all round. I have some old Brimar, Philips dario and Tungsram cokes that are perhaps a little sharper in the treble but equally lovely sounding. Can have a tendency to microphony though so I would tend to reserve them for heads.

Sounds like you got high quality glassware with those amps and any old stock acquisitions would purely be a change of flavour rather than improvement per se - I don't suppose you might have any gutshots?! :cyclops:
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