5E3 Tubes

I like Sovtek and Electro Harmonix 5751 tubes

Sovtek 6L6WXT+ or the EH 6V6 - depending on the direction of your power section.

These guys have everything and shipping is free after $99 - shoot - I can spend $99 easy when purchasing tubes and other cool amp related stuff.

These Tung Sol tubes look cool:

http://tubedepot.com/ts-6l6g.html

 

Sylvania 6072 for the v1 money slot, best sounding 12ay7 ever made.

 

Get a decent set of new production tubes to get you through the build and break-in phase, then spend a little money on a good set of American made tubes (particularly the aforementioned 12AY7) and they'll probably last you forever.

 

CBS / Hytron brown base triple mica rectifier. They're expensive for a 5Y3.

RCA 5Y3s tend to have loose bases.

6V6s... Catch of the Day. I think the next pair in line is a pair of smoked glass Tung-Sols labeled "Crosley". RCA pulls re-labeled "Bell", "Knight" or others tend to be cool. too. Just about any U.S. 6V6 is good. Choose from GE, Tung-Sol, Raytheon, RCA or Sylvania.

The chrome top Sylvania 6V6s sound great and last forever.

Come to think of it I have a nice pair of brown base JAN / Sylvania 6V6GTYs to go with my Hytron rectifier.

I like GE, RCA or Sylvania for the 12AX7.

I like GE for the 12AY7. GE made 12AY7s for everyone. I have a couple labeled "RCA" that came in RCA boxes. They're actually GE.

 

One of the best 12AY7 tubes is the GE 6072A. Real smooth and sweet sound.

One if the worst 6V6s is the EH. Garbage. There is good documentation where they have failed catastrophically in Deluxe Reverbs damaging the amp. I would not use one in my amp if you gave them to me for free. The best use for the EH 6V6 is target practice with your BB gun. Go with either the Tungsol or the JJ.

 

I use 7408s for any amp that uses 6V6. You can usually get NOS for cheaper than NOS 6V6 because people don't know it's a direct replacement for 6V6. I've actually bought NOS american made 7408s for less than new production 6V6.

 

The EH 6V6's that failed so bad were in Fender DRRI's if I recall correctly.

I have used EH 6V6's in my personal and new production amps - I have EH 6V6's exclusively - and can say that I have never had a catastrophic tube failure at all.

JJ tubes I have problems with - JJ's are reboxed and labeled just like Groove Tubes are.

YMMV - but that's my .02 .

 

I'm pretty sure that JJ tubes are not relabelled, they do all their own manufacturing. I have had a few JJs do funny things on me over the years, but they're all I buy...I always presume new production tubes are willing to go south on me at any time...actually, I presume that about all tubes and carry a spare for every position in my amp.

A 5E3, with it's modest tube compliment and simple circuit, is an ideal candidate for great NOS tubes.

 

EH 6v6's in a DR are fun. Put some in, flip the amp on, dim the lights play some power chords and watch the show. It's like Laserium.

 

No, not in DRRIs. In real vintage Deluxes.

Seen them blow and wipe out the screen resistors. More than once. Had to fix the mess. Garbage. I will never use them. If you like them and want to roll the dice more power to ya.

 

Yep.

 

No. JJs are certainly not relabeled. JJ is a manufacturer in Slovakia. They may be bought and relabeled by someone else, like Boob Toobz.

 

right now I have

penta lab 12ax7
sovtek 12ax7
tung sol 6v6
tung sol 6v6
RCA 5y3

 

I'm looking for a good NOS 12AY7 for a Cox Amps 5E3 Ultimate that I have. Can anyone give me a good online retailer to get one from (other than Ebay)?

Thanks!

 

http://www.kcanostubes.com/catalog/5r4gb

http://www.dougstubes.com/preamp-tubes/12ay7-6072.html

 

Is the triple mica 6072 the same tube as a 6072a? If there are differences what are they?