ledvedder
Well-known member
I have a bad tube in my amp, so I need to replace them. These were Sovtek 6l6wxt+, and I have a spare set of Ruby 6L6gcms. Are these ok to use, since they're short bottles? Or do you guys have other recommendations?
skullfxr
Well-known member
I don't have a 5153, but I have had a generally good experience with Sovtek 6l6wxt+ in general across the board. also note that I have not tried Ruby 6L6gcms.
LP Freak
Well-known member
The Ruby’s are fine. Check the fuse too
311splawndude
Well-known member
Well the getter is definitely blown so tell tale there. I like the JJ 6L6s pretty much.
If the Ruby does the same thing then ya - get her checked out. Could be a bad grid resistor. I'm no amp tech though. I'd go ahead and order some new power tubes and fuses though. Is this your new amp or did you already have this?
If the Ruby does the same thing then ya - get her checked out. Could be a bad grid resistor. I'm no amp tech though. I'd go ahead and order some new power tubes and fuses though. Is this your new amp or did you already have this?
ledvedder
Well-known member
I've already had this one.
A
acalaf
Active member
the ruby’s should work fine.
M
mixn4him
Active member
Mine sounded best with the Sovtek 5881's, wafer bottoms like in an SLO..
Metlupass2
Well-known member
Nothing other than a bias needed to run 5881s?
LP Freak
Well-known member
M
mixn4him
Active member
Yep drop them in a bias up! Sounded brutal! I had mine at 28mv just like Soldano recommends
Metlupass2
Well-known member
I think I shall do so
fusedbrain
Well-known member
Yeah, the wafer bottom 5881's are killer tubes.
Just remember when calculating your bias, these are 23watt tubes, hence the 28 ma bias suggestion.
Just remember when calculating your bias, these are 23watt tubes, hence the 28 ma bias suggestion.
ledvedder
Well-known member
So, the 5881 valves would make the 5150 even more gained up?
M
mixn4him
Active member
Nope just cleaner/tighter, 5150 is a slo copy, needs a clean power amp to go along with the highgain preamp
Rex Rocker
Well-known member
Tighter, yeah. Cleaner, definitely not, considering 5881's pump out less watts, and hence have less headroom than full-on 6L6's.
M
mixn4him
Active member
They will never be pushed into distortion in these amps biased properly, thanks for staying on task gezz
N
Nigel
Guest
If you want full EVH tone, get Sylvania 6CA7's. That's what came in the block letter 5150's and why they sound different.
The Shuguangs that replaced them sound great, just not next-level like the OG real deal. They will absolutely do the job though and were also used in Rectos. My old guitar player had them in his 5150 and he sounded killer recorded, live and in the jam space.
If you're gonna go Sovtek, get the earlier production that have silver writing and just say "5881/6L6WGC SOVTEK USSR," or better yet get early 80's and older 6P3S-E wafer base. That's the real Russian military version of which the silver letter Sovteks are rebrands. The newer ones have black lettering and tig welds instead of tab in slot construction on the plates, which are darker with the real ones being lighter. They do not sound the same! Chatter suggests once Gorbachev got in, they sold the tooling to the Chinese and quality went down.
THEY ARE NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENT TUBES. HiFi guys compare the legit ones to real Mullards. I believe this is why some people love them, and some people hate them. They are two completely different sounding specimens with the same name. I prefer JJ KT77's to the OG russkie but the OG russkie by leaps and bounds to the newer tig-weld "product." This is perhaps the origin of Mike Matthew's tube name game.
His use of Mullard is tantamount to blasphemy.
How Mike and Soldano players aren't hip to this action is beyond me!
The Shuguangs that replaced them sound great, just not next-level like the OG real deal. They will absolutely do the job though and were also used in Rectos. My old guitar player had them in his 5150 and he sounded killer recorded, live and in the jam space.
If you're gonna go Sovtek, get the earlier production that have silver writing and just say "5881/6L6WGC SOVTEK USSR," or better yet get early 80's and older 6P3S-E wafer base. That's the real Russian military version of which the silver letter Sovteks are rebrands. The newer ones have black lettering and tig welds instead of tab in slot construction on the plates, which are darker with the real ones being lighter. They do not sound the same! Chatter suggests once Gorbachev got in, they sold the tooling to the Chinese and quality went down.
THEY ARE NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENT TUBES. HiFi guys compare the legit ones to real Mullards. I believe this is why some people love them, and some people hate them. They are two completely different sounding specimens with the same name. I prefer JJ KT77's to the OG russkie but the OG russkie by leaps and bounds to the newer tig-weld "product." This is perhaps the origin of Mike Matthew's tube name game.
His use of Mullard is tantamount to blasphemy.
How Mike and Soldano players aren't hip to this action is beyond me!
N
Nigel
Guest
The older ones have been reported to dissipate 42 watts before red plating. In my experience, they are 30 watt tubes.
ledvedder
Well-known member
What's the difference between the Sovtek 5881wxt and the 5881/6l6gc?
the4thlast1
Well-known member
Yeah and Sovtek 5881wxt (no wafer bottom) vs Sovtek 6L6wxt+ ?
I have tried the wafer bottom ones and I also use the 6L6wxt+ ...From what I remember the 6L6wxt+ had a bit fuller tone, more lows. The 5881 wafer had even more mids and highs. Both tubes are focused in the mideange compared to JJ 6L6 and Ruby 6L6.
I have not tried the 5881wxt though.
I have tried the wafer bottom ones and I also use the 6L6wxt+ ...From what I remember the 6L6wxt+ had a bit fuller tone, more lows. The 5881 wafer had even more mids and highs. Both tubes are focused in the mideange compared to JJ 6L6 and Ruby 6L6.
I have not tried the 5881wxt though.
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