[therremans]

https://guitar.com/news/industry-ne...rand-western-electric-branching-guitar-tubes/

 

[bcowen]

https://guitar.com/news/industry-ne...rand-western-electric-branching-guitar-tubes/

They also have a survey asking what type of tubes people want. They didn't have selection boxes for 421A or 6SN7, so I just wrote them in the text box.

https://www.westernelectric.com/expand

 

[DTgill]

See what the mail lady just dropped off... I'll have to have a listen after work.

 

[bcowen]

See what the mail lady just dropped off... I'll have to have a listen after work.

Sweet! Is this your first graphite plate? If so, just be aware that it needs a good 20 minutes of warm-up to show its stuff.

 

[DTgill]

Sweet! Is this your first graphite plate? If so, just be aware that it needs a good 20 minutes of warm-up to show its stuff.

Yes, sir it is. I saw your post 11,151 you were showing, "Real Tung Sol on the left, and the "not exactly" on the right."

And decided to see if I could find one, I think I paid $42 plus shipping. Hope I didn't pay too much...

It sounds very good.

 

[bcowen]

Yes, sir it is. I saw your post 11,151 you were showing, "Real Tung Sol on the left, and the "not exactly" on the right."

And decided to see if I could find one, I think I paid $42 plus shipping. Hope I didn't pay too much...

It sounds very good.

$42 is a great price for a graphite plate! They are usually going for at least twice that these days. I love the sound of mine once fully warmed up, but being patient for 20 minutes is difficult at times.

 

[DTgill]

Plugged in the tube, turned on my DV and went back to work, came home 2 hours later and sat down for a listen.

 

[therremans]

Sweet! Is this your first graphite plate? If so, just be aware that it needs a good 20 minutes of warm-up to show its stuff.

Not graphite plate version to my eyes. Lighting angle makes it harder to see but the mica reveals it.

 

[DTgill]

Not graphite plate version to my eyes. Lighting angle makes it harder to see but the mica reveals it.

Is that bad or doesn't matter, or did I get homered?

 

[therremans]

Is that bad or doesn't matter, or did I get homered?

Doesn’t matter, they are just different tubes. That 6080 design is a great tube and you paid a fair price.

 

[bcowen]

Not graphite plate version to my eyes. Lighting angle makes it harder to see but the mica reveals it.

You're right. I didn't enlarge the picture initially...just looked like graphite in the smaller photo. But easily seen once enlarged. Good eye.

 

[bcowen]

Is that bad or doesn't matter, or did I get homered?

No, no homering. You didn't get a bargain price, but you got a reasonable one. And you got the good steel plate version with the spring mica supports and the silver edges at the top and bottom of the plates. Really nice sounding tube to my ears, and on the plus side it doesn't need 20 minutes of warm-up.

 

[jpearson]

That’s great. Try to get some English L63/6J5G tubes. GEC, Osram, Marconi, etc. They sound amazing and you can usually get them in small unorganized used but tested unmatched pairs or groups from English sellers. You can make a pair and sell the rest if needed. I usually pass on these bargain used tubes due to shipping costs.. also be wary of any tubes labeled “Made for X” or “imported” and the price is too good to be true, they are likely Soviet or USA made tubes.

Adapter: https://a.aliexpress.com/_mK5mgRm
If you’re handy even a little bit, you can make your own adapter that’s hand wired (ask for the wiring schematic here) but the Chinese ones will work just fine..

I have a NOS pair of GEC gray glass L63 on the way that I’m really curious to finally hear. I’d avoid the straight bottle GEC L63.

I also recommend the Brimar 6SN7GT. I like the mid range and unique sound it has but not everyone likes it.

A little tip is to try to purchase tubes in multiples. Keep the best example for yourself and sell the rest. Sometimes you end up getting that tube you kept for next to nothing.

Thanks again @therremans. Apologies again for my ignorance, but I take it all these English L63 you refer to need to be installed as a pair with the adapter??

Is there a particular advantage sound-wise with a pair of L63 vs. the individual driver tubes you suggested above?

I notice you list the RCA VT-231 that a lot of people seem to reference as an OK entry level choice, but not great on vocals. What do you feel it lacks where vocals are concerned? Also, how does it compare to the Ken-Rad VT-231 in your experience - the clear glass and/or dark glass versions?

I like the descriptors you reference with the RCA VT-231, e.g. smoothness and lacking treble... Just to reiterate, the key thing for me is that I want to try and get a tube combo that *DOES* roll off the treble and can tame vocal harshness in the upper-mids, especially the sibilance region. You also mentioned energy and quickness that the American power tube could add. Similarly in comparison with the Mullard you note the GEC has good detail retrieval/separation and staging - I'm much less interested in detail retrieval, speed, dynamic range or increased soundstage, and much more interested in the amp rolling off some of the energy and attack coming out of the source material - I guess I'm after the sort of harmonic distortion tubes can add that can smooth out the harsh edges of a bad recording... If the Mullard is better on this metric, then I'd take it over the GEC. I would ideally like a softness in the upper-mid transients that can compensate for cans that are more forward in this area like the Sennheiser HD series. Hope that makes sense! Obviously this is all a very subjective game, so just want to be clear on (what I think!) I'm after

Re Sylvania 6J5GTs - is it the same adapter as for the L63s, or different?

Cheers!

 

[therremans]

Apologies again for my ignorance, but I take it all these English L63 you refer to need to be installed as a pair with the adapter??

Hi. yes, pair. The L63/6J5/G/GT are 1/2 of a 6SN7. Other similar tubes that can use the same adapter are 6C5/G/GT. Also 6P5, but I’d skip them for the Darkvoice.

http://www.r-type.org/exhib/aad0241.htm

Is there a particular advantage sound-wise with a pair of L63 vs. the individual driver tubes you suggested above?

They typically *sound better at a lower cost. You can hand select and better match the two individual triodes versus a dual triode tube which will age anyway it wants to. If one triode goes out, you can replace that one triode/tube with another.

*there are still dual triode tubes that have a unique and desired sound or that the single triode variation is not considered equal but a separate kind of sound. For example 2x RCA 6J5 does not equal the sound of a RCA VT-231. So because of this, one is not necessarily better.

I notice you list the RCA VT-231 that a lot of people seem to reference as an OK entry level choice, but not great on vocals. What do you feel it lacks where vocals are concerned? Also, how does it compare to the Ken-Rad VT-231 in your experience - the clear glass and/or dark glass versions?

RCA VT-231 lacks some clarity, definition, and the vocals just don’t have that depth. Some tubes make vocals sound quite flat or thin and others more lifelike, rich or lack of a better term.. 3D. This tube does have solid mid-range, drums should sound nice and round without being too bright.

Ken-Rad VT-231 black glass is mostly a V-shape tube in my experience. It excels at low end and has a sparkle to the top end. This is why it’s loved, depending on the system. I have never heard the clear glass personally.

I would ideally like a softness in the upper-mid transients that can compensate for cans that are more forward in this area like the Sennheiser HD series.

I think either are a good choice but they do separation and detail very well, I just think I prefer the GEC because it sounds a little thicker.


send me some track names of like the low quality stuff you want to sound less exposed, or vocal tracks and I’ll demo them with my drivers such as Ken Rad VT-231, RCA, some 6J5s, etc… with some power tubes you’re thinking about and let you know what I think. I do own the HD6XX(HD650) so I can get an accurate picture of what you want. Keep in mind my amp has been modded but the core circuit is mostly the same.

Re Sylvania 6J5GTs - is it the same adapter as for the L63s, or different?

Yes, same adapter can be used.

 

[therremans]