Who's up on 6L6GC's?

dromunds

If anybody would be willing to discuss some options with me regarding the direction I may go with some 6L6GC's please let me know. I had a 1960 RCA BP double D bottom getters go "plate glow" on me. I'm trying to determine whether to remain on the RCA black plate path or to go rogue. Lol. I've had JJ's and Winged C's in there, and the RCA's ate them for breakfast but the prices are getting astronomical these days. Thanks.

Jimbo18

I know some Russian, French, a little Spanish and German, but some of you guys on here speak a language that is totally foreign to me.

george daniel

Believe it or not,, I had some EH 6L6’s in my old VTL and they were a great match,,now I am running some Ruby’s that I found in my stash in my old GLA ( quicksilver),, maybe some Shuggies,, or drop a line to McShane

heiney9

RCA's are the best. 2nd best are the Winged =C= SED's made in St. Petersburg. Sylvania BP's are good too.

Old American 6L6's are expensive. The SED's are better than JJ's and EH's. I've heard really good things about the new Tung Sol's

https://www.tubedepot.com/products/tung-sol-6l6g-new-production-power-vacuum-tube?taxon_id=136

https://www.tubedepot.com/products/tung-sol-6l6-str-new-production-power-vacuum-tube?taxon_id=136

If I was going to stray from the Winged =C=, I'd opt for the new Tung Sols based on reviews and what I've read. Jim McShane has high praise for them

H9

heiney9

To me the Winged C's compared favorably to the RCA's. RCA's were still better, but god, the prices are ridiculous especially since I would us them in a secondary rig.

https://www.tubedepot.com/products/rca-6l6gc-black-plate?taxon_id=136

Wowzers, a quad sets you back $1400

mhardy6647

6L6s were rather often used in the voltage regulator circuits of high voltage DC power supplies. Sometimes an old Heathkit or even Lambda P/S can be picked up at a ham radio or other electronic swapmeet for less than the tubes in it are worth.

Just thought I'd mention that.

heiney9

Most times if the 6L6 is used as a power tube in modern gear you need 6L6GC's as the 6L6G, 6L6GA, 6L6GB can't handle the voltage.

The new Tung Sol's are listed as 6L6G's and are coke bottle shaped, but can handle the plate voltage a GC can handle.

I know you know that Mark, but I was just throwing this out there for general knowledge.

I tried to use old Tung Sol 5881's in my integrated that uses 6L6GC's and they started to get really hot!! Couldn't handle the plate voltage.

H9

dromunds

Thanks for the comments fellas. Anybody have thoughts on how a Sylvania STR-387 grey plate disc getter would compare to a 1960 GE double D side getter ? Would both be a considerable step down from the RCA BP double D bottom getter? Also I have a spare RCA mentioned above but it has a piece broken off the guide pin, what is the ramification of a broken guide pin ?

mhardy6647

The ramification of a broken guide pin is simple -- you need to be very careful inserting the tube in the socket

heiney9 wrote: »

Most times if the 6L6 is used as a power tube in modern gear you need 6L6GC's as the 6L6G, 6L6GA, 6L6GB can't handle the voltage.

The new Tung Sol's are listed as 6L6G's and are coke bottle shaped, but can handle the plate voltage a GC can handle.

I know you know that Mark, but I was just throwing this out there for general knowledge.

I tried to use old Tung Sol 5881's in my integrated that uses 6L6GC's and they started to get really hot!! Couldn't handle the plate voltage.

H9

Yes I was playing a little too loose; should've said 6L6 family members -- in fact, the unsuffixed 6L6 (which, IIRC, was only the metal 6L6) aren't common in the power supplies -- I've never seen any in one, at any rate.

I'll have to go see what're in the Heathkit & Lambda supplies downstairs; probably 6L6GC -- but I won't swear to it.

dromunds

Heaney: These are the Winged C’s that I have. I take it these are not the ones you referred to. Mine are labeled Shetland.

dromunds

Mine are labeled Svetlana, not Shetland. Gods I swear you have to watch every word or the spellchecker goes ape

mhardy6647

Ahh, like the Svetlana Sheepdog -- I see.

dromunds

Yeah, I can’t afford those Shetland tubes

pitdogg2

dromunds wrote: »

Mine are labeled Svetlana, not Shetland. Gods I swear you have to watch every word or the spellchecker goes ape

Turn it off problem solved

george daniel

Get those Shetland’s cryoed!

heiney9

dromunds wrote: »

Heaney: These are the Winged C’s that I have. I take it these are not the ones you referred to. Mine are labeled Shetland.

http://www.sedtubes.com/

https://www.stereophile.com/news/022304svetlana/index.html

http://www.dissident-audio.com/Yves/WingedC.htm

Any tube with the crylic C (=C=) was made by the JSC Svetlana tube plant ins St. Petersburg Russia. These are better sounding, better made than the Svetlana branded tubes (with the S) made at the X-pol factory in Russia after about year 2000.

There was a trademark and distribution issue circa 2000 about tubes sold in US and hence the confusion of marketing a completely different tube under the old Svetlana name.

So Svetlana tubes prior to about 2000 were infact made in St. Petersburg marketed under the Svetlana name but with the =C= logo usually in black ink. Tubes produced after the split or marketing debacle with the Svetlana name were made at the X-pol plant in Russia.

The tube you have is a JSC tube made at St. Petersburg and is the better of the 2 tubes IMO, an many other's opinion.

As one of the links states above the St. Petersburg plant was re-tooled in 2012 and =C= tubes are no longer manufactured, so that makes them a) true old stock tubes and b) prices tripled and quadrupled over the years as they are becoming a bit more scarce.

H9

P.s, 0203 is the date code and I can't remember if the 1st number (02) is the year or month. So your tube was manufactured in 2002 or 2003. Earliest =C- tubes with Svetlana branding and boxes have black lettering.

heiney9

Here are some older reviews.

https://www.watfordvalves.com/reports.asp

https://www.thetubestore.com/6l6-tube-reviews

https://wallofsound.ca/audioreviews/amplification/6l6-vacuum-tube-review-tubes-courtesy-of-www-thetubestore-com/

dromunds

Thanks much!

mhardy6647

@heiney9's links above jogged my age-addled memory

Some "vintage" (ca. 1990s) 6L6 views & reviews from the legendary Vacuum Tube Valley magazine.

https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141326/http://www.jumpjet.info/Pioneering-Wireless/eMagazines/VTV/VTV04.pdf
http://www.jumpjet.info/Pioneering-Wireless/eMagazines/VTV/VTV13.pdf






an index to the 20-ish volume run of VTV may be acquired at http://www.tubecollectors.org/archives/VTVDEXnu.doc

george daniel

That EL 37 could take some voltage eh?

pitdogg2

So could one substitute a 7027 or 7581 in the circuit?