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Post subject: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 8:27 am
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I'm considering splurging for these GE 6L6's, but am not sure if the sound would really be much better than new production tubes....or even if as reliable and less prone to rattleing.
Many new production tubes do seem better able to handle vibration (welded plates ect).
Putting cost aside in the search for best tone and durability, are these worth it?

http://www.dougstubes.com/power-tubes/6 ... 6l6gc.html


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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 9:39 am
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ckmckool wrote:
I'm considering splurging for these GE 6L6's, but am not sure if the sound would really be much better than new production tubes....or even if as reliable and less prone to rattleing.
Many new production tubes do seem better able to handle vibration (welded plates ect).
Putting cost aside in the search for best tone and durability, are these worth it?

http://www.dougstubes.com/power-tubes/6 ... 6l6gc.html


I hope you won't put this expensives tubes without bias them


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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 10:44 am
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stratele52 wrote:
ckmckool wrote:
I'm considering splurging for these GE 6L6's, but am not sure if the sound would really be much better than new production tubes....or even if as reliable and less prone to rattleing.
Many new production tubes do seem better able to handle vibration (welded plates ect).
Putting cost aside in the search for best tone and durability, are these worth it?

http://www.dougstubes.com/power-tubes/6 ... 6l6gc.html


I hope you won't put this expensives tubes without bias them

I bias all 6L6GC's to 55 or 60% max.
Just wondering if it's worth it.
Have the new Tung-Sol 7581A's in there now. Sounds good....... but would NOS 's really be expected to sound better and be more robust?


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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 11:17 am
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For a matched pair, that $98 price would be reasonable. For a single bottle, no way.

And in any case, there's no guarantee that those vintage GE's would sound any better than the Tung-Sol's you're currently using. To me, the most significant advantage of running vintage glass over contemporary tubes is that the NOS stuff generally has a much longer service life.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 11:21 am
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Just my opinion, I might if i played the amp cranked alot, but most 6L6 amps are so powerful that you don't anyways, or at least i don't on my 2 amps with 6L6's.
Now on my 6v6 amps, (DRRI, 5E3) I've been using old vintage ge & rca tubes since I've had them.....and what a difference when they're dimed out, especially the 5E3 ....maybe you've experienced this playing an old amp
What amp btw??

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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 12:37 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
. To me, the most significant advantage of running vintage glass over contemporary tubes is that the NOS stuff generally has a much longer service life.

Arjay

$100 vintage tube cost 5 times more than a modern tube. In my opinion, It is less expensive to buy modern tubes if it for longer service life.


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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 1:23 pm
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If they were $100 a pop, I'd agree.

But I always find my vintage NOS glass for substantially less than that.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 1:36 pm
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twirlyboggs wrote:
Just my opinion, I might if i played the amp cranked alot, but most 6L6 amps are so powerful that you don't anyways, or at least i don't on my 2 amps with 6L6's.
Now on my 6v6 amps, (DRRI, 5E3) I've been using old vintage ge & rca tubes since I've had them.....and what a difference when they're dimed out, especially the 5E3 ....maybe you've experienced this playing an old amp
What amp btw??

The amp in question is a handwired blues deville.....pretty loud even clean.
I understand how certainly different preamp tubes can benefit the tone (i've got more than a hundred)....but I've never in any of my amps tried vintage power tube except once a long time ago in an amp long gone. One of those tubes quickly $@!& the bed and I've been leary of trying vintage power glass again.
But if the sound would be as noticible improvement as replacing an inferior v1 preamp tube , I'd buy them in a second, given they were at least as durable.
Oh...and to add - I've got a bias adjustment for each power tube.


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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 2:08 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
If they were $100 a pop, I'd agree.

But I always find my vintage NOS glass for substantially less than that.

Arjay


The link from ckmckool show a $100 tube


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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 2:24 pm
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stratele52 wrote:
Retroverbial wrote:
If they were $100 a pop, I'd agree.

But I always find my vintage NOS glass for substantially less than that.

Arjay


The link from ckmckool show a $100 tube

$200 per pair does seem pretty steep....but they are screened by Ruby Tubes as well as Doug's.
OTOH, I guess I could find two cheaper nos GE6L6GC's on fleabay or somewhere and match the bias on my chassis.


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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 2:32 pm
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If it was me on a 40watt tube amp, id do Electro Harmonix 6L6 and maybe old tubes for preamp
that's just me


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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 2:41 pm
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twirlyboggs wrote:
If it was me on a 40watt tube amp, id do Electro Harmonix 6L6 and maybe old tubes for preamp
that's just me

Its 60 watt measured 45 watts clean (2% distortion).


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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 2:46 pm
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twirlyboggs wrote:
If it was me on a 40watt tube amp, id do Electro Harmonix 6L6 and maybe old tubes for preamp
that's just me

My tube vendor (Dougs) doesn't any longer offer anything but singles of EH or JJ 6L6GC's, which I find curious.
That's usually not a good sign as to the quality of the tubes lately.


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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 3:32 pm
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I thought the GE connection was interesting. I can only offer another option.
These new tubes are supposed to be like GE 6L6 tube. I'd try these first.


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/power-tu ... ower-tubes


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Post subject: Re: GE 6L6GC Snake Oil or worth it?
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 4:09 pm
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twirlyboggs wrote:
If it was me on a 40watt tube amp, id do Electro Harmonix 6L6 and maybe old tubes for preamp
that's just me


+1

The 6L6EH is a pretty good tube. I've been running a matched pair in a '68 Bandmaster 2 x 10 combo for about four years now and they still sound pretty sweet.

Arjay

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