Bluesman J Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Let me pick the collective brain of the group as to which power tubes (6L6) are the best for producing a warm Blues tone . Also the longevity. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrplefty Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 IMHO the JJ brand tubes will give you that nice bell like 6L6 blues tone. I have used a number of the rebranded sovtek's to include groove tubes, mesa, EHX, etc... and I prefer JJ. I use them for my 6L6 and EL-84 amps with very pleasing results. I get all of my tubes through eurotubes. They offer a retube package that includes all of the tubes needed with a balanced phase inverter or you can order individually. One things I can not speak intelligently about that others may chime in on is the NOS tubes. I hear good things about them, but I feel like I have a good thing going, so I haven't justified dropping the dough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNick Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 IMHO the JJ brand tubes will give you that nice bell like 6L6 blues tone. I have used a number of the rebranded sovtek's to include groove tubes, mesa, EHX, etc... and I prefer JJ. I use them for my 6L6 and EL-84 amps with very pleasing results. I get all of my tubes through eurotubes. They offer a retube package that includes all of the tubes needed with a balanced phase inverter or you can order individually. One things I can not speak intelligently about that others may chime in on is the NOS tubes. I hear good things about them, but I feel like I have a good thing going, so I haven't justified dropping the dough. +1 Bluesman J. They are good tubes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Which amp are we talking about? Some amps, and tones from the amp, tend to favor certain tubes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I recently acquired a good tube amp and have been on a voyage of learning and discovery about amps and tubes, and the two most recommended brands were the JJs and also winged C, the winged C are more expensive. after much googling and recommendations I ended up buying a full re-tube set of JJs from Eurotubes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 JJs for the current stock of tubes. Bob can help with the mA rating that will work best in your amp (whatever it is). If you want to splurge, PM me and I'll give you contact info on the guy I trust for old-style tubes. They cost more, but are so much better. Longevity in tube life is a relative term, IMHO. I would consider the tone you get to be more important. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 longevity depends so much on use it's really only rational to view which have a specific reputation in a combo amp. due to increased vibration. www.thetubestore.com has excellent smart honest reviews of power tubes and a good read there will help you a LOT. You can go from chinese to NOS at that site and there are very nice charts showing how/why each tube gets rated the way they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesman J Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 JJs for the current stock of tubes. Bob can help with the mA rating that will work best in your amp (whatever it is). If you want to splurge, PM me and I'll give you contact info on the guy I trust for old-style tubes. They cost more, but are so much better. Longevity in tube life is a relative term, IMHO. I would consider the tone you get to be more important. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesman J Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 Many Thanks for the replies,looks like JJs are the answer B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrw1960 Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Try these guys, They have specially matched sets for what ever you want. JJ's in all my amps. http://www.eurotubes.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 JJ's are one of the best new manufacture tubes, particularly the 6L6. But, even the best tubes aren't the best for every amp. IMHO, simply rating a tube as the 'best' and expecting it to be the best choice for every application doesn't give as good of results. The best choice for any amp is to use the tube type/brand that works best in that particular amp. Sometimes, that COULD even be a Chinese tube or a Russian tube, If the amp is so voiced. What kind of amp? What sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Does anyone know how to get to Eurotubes' Discussion page on FaceBook (geez I hate that joint, can never navigate the stoopid joint) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Here are a couple of websites that I use when researching tubes. https://www.tubeworld.com/index_high.htm https://ssl.eurotubes.com/cart/index.php?page=faq&destination=user_area http://www.kcanostubes.com/ http://www.audiotubes.com/nos.htm Brent's site, at audiotubes, probably has the most information. Bob, at Eurotubes, is very good at "voicing" an amp, by tube selection. Not all tubes are the same, even from the same manufacturer. That's why makers like JJ and Groove Tubes use a rating system. The lower the number, the "warmer" (earlier distortion) the power tube and the higher the number, the "colder" (later distortion, for better cleans) the tube. In EL84s, for instance, I've used tubes as low as 28mA and as high as 60mA (I've seen some as high as the 70s). That's a pretty good spread, and the reason that you need to rebias when you change your power tubes. I like EL84s in the upper 30s. If you have multiple power tubes, they should be no further apart, in rating, than 5%. Pre-amp tubes are another world and will affect your tone and amp's output. If your amp has a tube rectifier, that can affect the amp's dynamics. Sag, pick attack, etc. The old era (notice that I didn't say NOS, a word way overused and usually poorly) tube supplier that I use deals mostly with high end audiophiles (that's where the real tube money is, not starving musicians), and he makes a very comfortable living at it. But, tubes are tubes. He gives me well tested, closely matched, good quality tubes. He's not that knowledgable in guitar amps, so he leaves most of the research to me. However, there are plenty of good websites and forums for that info. If you want plug-n-play tubes, try Eurotubes, Audiotubes, The Tube Store or Tube Depot. They have folks that can help you pick the right tubes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Cheers for those links Pat, very handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingarmadillo Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I've got JJ's from Eurotubes and they sound great, but tubes are sort of like strings - you just gotta try them until you find the ones that work right for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 great links and info' Willy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Bill Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Yeah, but.. 1960s and 70s vacuum was much purer than the more recent stuff, right? I mean, like, the 80s vacuum was found to contain hair spray, for example. The 50s vacuum may contain traces of DDT? (j/k!) Folks in various fields get (ego related) brand sensitive, it seems. Nothing else is as good as a Sylvania tube, Gibson, or Harley.. 'n so-on. The big buzz term is tube bias, but in amps like my Peavey Mace VT Series (3 pairs of 6L6GC output tubes, semiconductor preamp) the cathodes are tied to ground, unlike many other brand models. Anyway, it's got plenty of knobs on it, and the power amp section can have a tube preamp plugged into it, eliminating the semiconductors. There are always "better" changes to be tried, in the quest for the perfect note or tone.. and many product sellers to supply the ultimate parts or secret modifications. I can make noise, and some of it may even resemble the sounds which talented people purposely create.. that's why I have electric guitars. Bill JJ's are one of the best new manufacture tubes, particularly the 6L6. But, even the best tubes aren't the best for every amp. IMHO, simply rating a tube as the 'best' and expecting it to be the best choice for every application doesn't give as good of results. The best choice for any amp is to use the tube type/brand that works best in that particular amp. Sometimes, that COULD even be a Chinese tube or a Russian tube, If the amp is so voiced. What kind of amp? What sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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