Best 6V6 Tubes for SF Deluxe Reverb

Boogie · December 23rd, 2007, 09:19 PM

Just scored a SFDR on eBay. She's going to the amp doc to get gone through and have at least the power tubes replaced (they're the original tubes from the amp, according to the seller!)

What 6V6's do you like? JJ? EH? I'm partial to the EH's that are in my DRRI, but I haven't compared them to JJs.

Other brands?

endzone · December 23rd, 2007, 09:39 PM

Unless you already know they're bad, why not wait to see if they need replacing. I picked up a '69 Deluxe Reverb earlier this year and me and the amp tech both agreed, at least right now, it didn't anything replaced. I can't imagine it sounding any better. But, to answer your question, if I were to change the power tubes, they would be NOS. No JJ's or EH's for me in my old
Fenders, thank you. YMMV

The Radium King · December 23rd, 2007, 09:47 PM

tung sol.

Wayne Alexander · December 23rd, 2007, 09:56 PM

NOS RCA.

skeksis · December 23rd, 2007, 10:13 PM

yeah, don't write off the old ones. they very well could be better than most any modern replacement. if it is time for new ones... JJ's are good, BUT I'd really recommend old stock tubes. favorites include RCA's and Brimars. most of the USA and europe brands should get results that few modern manufacturers can manage.

Boogie · December 24th, 2007, 11:18 AM

This is going to be my main gigging amp. I don't want to wait until I'm in the middle of a set for the 30-year old tubes to fail and I'd like to preserve these original tubes if the day comes when I decide to sell it.

If I went with, say, some NOS RCA blackplates, how long do you think they might last with 4-6 hours per week of use at band volume?

Natstrat79 · December 24th, 2007, 11:26 AM

If this is your main gigging amp don't bother with NOS. While I agree most NOS tubes will sound better at home and in a recording situation the audience will never know live. Get a set of JJ's your wallet will thank you and they are robust enough to stand up to a ton of abuse. Plus I think they sound just as good as some of the NOS I've tried. Not the same as black plate RCAs but I think they hold up well against the Sylvania 6v6gta's that I've had in the past.

DavidP · December 24th, 2007, 11:27 AM

in my SFDR which is my main club gigging amp so it gets constant use. I also really like these as an alternative to RCA NOS: http://www.kcanostubes.com/products/...tched-Pair.htm

teleamp · December 24th, 2007, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by endzone

Unless you already know they're bad, why not wait to see if they need replacing. I picked up a '69 Deluxe Reverb earlier this year and me and the amp tech both agreed, at least right now, it didn't anything replaced. I can't imagine it sounding any better. But, to answer your question, if I were to change the power tubes, they would be NOS. No JJ's or EH's for me in my old
Fenders, thank you. YMMV

+1,000,000,000

Have the bias checked and adjusted if needed. Have the electrolytics checked for leakage and replaced if needed.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

MikeY

teleamp · December 24th, 2007, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boogie

This is going to be my main gigging amp. I don't want to wait until I'm in the middle of a set for the 30-year old tubes to fail and I'd like to preserve these original tubes if the day comes when I decide to sell it.

If I went with, say, some NOS RCA blackplates, how long do you think they might last with 4-6 hours per week of use at band volume?

30 years! New production 5 years tops. NOS generally outlast new production 5:1

I have 1958 12AX7's in my PR.

MikeY

telejake · December 24th, 2007, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne Alexander

NOS RCA.

+1

TelZilla · December 24th, 2007, 01:02 PM

Tung Sols are nice.

Tim Armstrong · December 24th, 2007, 01:17 PM

Those original 30-year-old tubes are very likely RCAs, and if the amp didn't have a whole lotta hours on it, they're probably just about the best possible tubes for it! At least have your tech check them out, and probably fine-tune the bias.

Cheers, Tim

endzone · December 24th, 2007, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boogie

This is going to be my main gigging amp. I don't want to wait until I'm in the middle of a set for the 30-year old tubes to fail and I'd like to preserve these original tubes if the day comes when I decide to sell it.

If I went with, say, some NOS RCA blackplates, how long do you think they might last with 4-6 hours per week of use at band volume?

It doesn't matter how old tubes are. If they're good...they're good. Maybe the ones currently in the amp don't have many hours on them, maybe they do. If they're plenty stong then buy a set of cheap JJ's and keep them as spares. If your pocket can afford them, you can't beat a pair of NOS RCA's. As others have said, they'll outlast modern made tubes and sound better to boot.

When the world comes to an end, the only things left surviving will be cockroaches and old tubes.

fenson · December 24th, 2007, 01:51 PM

Current production EH or Tung Sol . Good enough!

Big Lug · December 24th, 2007, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by telejake

+1

Which RCA's: G, GT, GTA, GTY?

Boogie · December 24th, 2007, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by endzone

It doesn't matter how old tubes are. If they're Maybe the ones currently in the amp don't have many hours on them, maybe

Maybe they do, maybe they don't. The thing is I don't know. They might have 30 months or 30 minutes left in them. I'm not willing to find out in the middle of a gig.

dibber124 · December 24th, 2007, 04:22 PM

Tung-Sol's, but save those old tubes! Also be careful if your tech advises "mods" or very extensive restoration.

The Radium King · December 24th, 2007, 04:41 PM

i've used the new tung-sols back to back in the same amp with the new jj's and the tung-sols are warmer. in comparison the jj's sound 'sterile' and very 6l6ish. i'm using the tung-sols in an amp with 455v b+ voltage and they are holding up fine. i've also got a pair in a cathode biased amp operating at 110%rated max dissipation and they're holding up fine.

here's a review of current 6v6 tubes, where they note that the added 'bite' in the jj might be better in a bar situation where you have to cut through the mix, but that the tung-sol sounds more 'nos':

http://thetubestore.com/6v6review.html

December 23rd, 2007, 09:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
Boogie Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The Late Great Golden State Posts: 155 13 Photos	Best 6V6 Tubes for SF Deluxe Reverb Just scored a SFDR on eBay. She's going to the amp doc to get gone through and have at least the power tubes replaced (they're the original tubes from the amp, according to the seller!) What 6V6's do you like? JJ? EH? I'm partial to the EH's that are in my DRRI, but I haven't compared them to JJs. Other brands?

December 23rd, 2007, 09:39 PM	#2 (permalink)
endzone Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Louisiana Age: 52 Posts: 1,432 33 Photos	Unless you already know they're bad, why not wait to see if they need replacing. I picked up a '69 Deluxe Reverb earlier this year and me and the amp tech both agreed, at least right now, it didn't anything replaced. I can't imagine it sounding any better. But, to answer your question, if I were to change the power tubes, they would be NOS. No JJ's or EH's for me in my old Fenders, thank you. YMMV __________________ *I'm Makin Progress*

December 23rd, 2007, 10:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
skeksis Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: phoenix Age: 30 Posts: 205	yeah, don't write off the old ones. they very well could be better than most any modern replacement. if it is time for new ones... JJ's are good, BUT I'd really recommend old stock tubes. favorites include RCA's and Brimars. most of the USA and europe brands should get results that few modern manufacturers can manage. __________________ '86 mij '62 Custom Tele ----> '08 Marsh 5F4 Super kit or 60's Silvertone guitars (Harmony-made) ----> '66 Princeton Reverb http://www.myspace.com/jswattsmusic

December 24th, 2007, 11:27 AM	#8 (permalink)
DavidP Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 465	I've been pretty satisfied with JJ's... in my SFDR which is my main club gigging amp so it gets constant use. I also really like these as an alternative to RCA NOS: http://www.kcanostubes.com/products/...tched-Pair.htm __________________ too many guitars...

December 24th, 2007, 01:02 PM	#12 (permalink)
TelZilla Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cleveburg, USA Age: 38 Posts: 1,484 6 Photos	Tung Sols are nice. __________________ Thanks,Nick You are what you is You is what you am A cow don't make ham -Zappa

December 23rd, 2007, 09:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
The Radium King Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 106	tung sol.

December 23rd, 2007, 09:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
Wayne Alexander Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA Posts: 934	NOS RCA.

December 24th, 2007, 11:18 AM	#6 (permalink)
Boogie Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The Late Great Golden State Posts: 155 13 Photos	This is going to be my main gigging amp. I don't want to wait until I'm in the middle of a set for the 30-year old tubes to fail and I'd like to preserve these original tubes if the day comes when I decide to sell it. If I went with, say, some NOS RCA blackplates, how long do you think they might last with 4-6 hours per week of use at band volume?

December 24th, 2007, 11:26 AM	#7 (permalink)
Natstrat79 TDPRI Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 93	If this is your main gigging amp don't bother with NOS. While I agree most NOS tubes will sound better at home and in a recording situation the audience will never know live. Get a set of JJ's your wallet will thank you and they are robust enough to stand up to a ton of abuse. Plus I think they sound just as good as some of the NOS I've tried. Not the same as black plate RCAs but I think they hold up well against the Sylvania 6v6gta's that I've had in the past.

December 24th, 2007, 01:17 PM	#13 (permalink)
Tim Armstrong Moderator Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Berlin, Maryland, USA Age: 49 Posts: 7,439	Those original 30-year-old tubes are very likely RCAs, and if the amp didn't have a whole lotta hours on it, they're probably just about the best possible tubes for it! At least have your tech check them out, and probably fine-tune the bias. Cheers, Tim __________________ http://www.moodswingers.org

December 24th, 2007, 01:51 PM	#15 (permalink)
fenson Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Canada Age: 54 Posts: 258	Current production EH or Tung Sol . Good enough!

December 24th, 2007, 04:22 PM	#18 (permalink)
dibber124 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Long Island, New York Age: 53 Posts: 1,167	Tung-Sol's, but save those old tubes! Also be careful if your tech advises "mods" or very extensive restoration. __________________ "I feel that it is healthier to look out at the world through a window than through a mirror. Otherwise, all you see is yourself and whatever is behind you." - Bill Withers

December 24th, 2007, 04:41 PM	#19 (permalink)
The Radium King Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 106	i've used the new tung-sols back to back in the same amp with the new jj's and the tung-sols are warmer. in comparison the jj's sound 'sterile' and very 6l6ish. i'm using the tung-sols in an amp with 455v b+ voltage and they are holding up fine. i've also got a pair in a cathode biased amp operating at 110%rated max dissipation and they're holding up fine. here's a review of current 6v6 tubes, where they note that the added 'bite' in the jj might be better in a bar situation where you have to cut through the mix, but that the tung-sol sounds more 'nos': http://thetubestore.com/6v6review.html