Bugera 6L6GC Shuguang-Made Question

[Six Stringer]

Are these Bugera 6L6GC, Shuguang-Made, double halo getter, 6L6GC tubes descent or not so much?

 

[RaceU4her]

says premium selected so they must be good

 

[panhead]

They are shit

 

[BesaMoogie]

They are shit

Shit why? Reliability or shitty tone?

 

[panhead]

had some in a bugera lol I know

 

[panhead]

crackling popping could of been those tubes but put good tubes in and it woke that amp up

 

[napalmdeath]

Shit why? Reliability or shitty tone?

They get the bottom of the barrel. They're untested, cheaply made, and shit quality. Much different than, say, a TAD, or Ruby Shuguang. There's a reason they're cheap.

 

[BesaMoogie]

They get the bottom of the barrel. They're untested, cheaply made, and shit quality. Much different than, say, a TAD, or Ruby Shuguang. There's a reason they're cheap.

Ok, I always thought most of the tubes are made in den same factories (Russia, China or Slowakia) and later relabeled.

 

[technomancer]

Ok, I always thought most of the tubes are made in den same factories (Russia, China or Slowakia) and later relabeled.

They are but they can be ordred with different quality levels / QA levels / design decisions. A tube made with the cheapest materials / design choices available is not going to be the same as one made to higher specifications regardless of factory.

 

[napalmdeath]

Ok, I always thought most of the tubes are made in den same factories (Russia, China or Slowakia) and later relabeled.

You're correct, these are obviously relabeled, but it's not like Bugera sources high quality components for anything. They're all about cheap.

 

[napalmdeath]

They are but they can be ordred with different quality levels / QA levels / design decisions. A tube made with the cheapest materials / design choices available is not going to be the same as one made to higher specifications regardless of factory.

Precisely. Shuguang made various levels of quality, from shit, to very good. They made one of the best 6L6's for TAD, the 6L6GC-STR, which was an RCA Black Plate "clone", so to speak, but some Sylvania/Phillips STR sprinkled in. I put a pair in an EVH 50 watt, and man, those things punched hard and sounded sweet. Too bad they stopped making them, but I believe some of those design engineers from Shuguang who came up with some great tubes are at Psvane now. They have a new "red base" that Engl's been using, and they're punchy indeed. They made some good Mullard 12AX7 clones and great 7025's for Penta too. The Ruby Silvers were also very good sounding.

 

[robvoyles]

They are Sylvania copies and if your amp is biased correctly they sound quite good. My Mesa boogies ( older mark series ) are fixed bias and the run cold which i like, if your amp is biased to hot for any tube it can sound muddy and pretty much like crap. Shuguang preamp 80's 90's era and 70's 80's Sylvania's are my favorites, i run sylvania 6CA7'S in my 73 Marshall and they sound killer, these bugera copies are not bad with the right amp and correct bias and ive not had one fail yet. Tone is subjective so everyone has a different sound they are looking for. Bugera may have cheap amps but just because there name is on the tube doesn't mean it's cheap or inferior. just my thoughts.

 

[glpg80]

They are Sylvania copies and if your amp is biased correctly they sound quite good. My Mesa boogies ( older mark series ) are fixed bias and the run cold which i like, if your amp is biased to hot for any tube it can sound muddy and pretty much like crap. Shuguang preamp 80's 90's era and 70's 80's Sylvania's are my favorites, i run sylvania 6CA7'S in my 73 Marshall and they sound killer, these bugera copies are not bad with the right amp and correct bias and ive not had one fail yet. Tone is subjective so everyone has a different sound they are looking for. Bugera may have cheap amps but just because there name is on the tube doesn't mean it's cheap or inferior. just my thoughts.

You have to be careful about Sylvanias. The name was sold from Sylvania to new sensor which is a Russian based tube distributor about a decade ago. Every Sylvania tube made today is just a Russian copy and not the real deal. Actual sylvanias are getting harder to come by and are fetching unrealistic prices.